Market Times - July 25, 2011

Photo:City Seed Farm

WEFC News

Last week we had a nice mention on torontoist.com - check it out!

The West End Food Co-op is ramping up the  Ride for Real Food; we are taking online pledges and riders can register through our website— go to The West End Food Co-op Bike-A-Thon page for more information and here to register; then tell your friends! There will be prizes, great local food, music and good times! The first ten riders to register will also receive market bucks to be spent at the Sorauren Farmers' Market, courtesy of the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation.

We’re holding a Community Engagement Committee meeting for people interested in helping out—the focus for this committee is fund-raising, outreach and marketing, and there are lots of events coming up for you to get involved with. Please contact Ayal at ayal@westendfood.coop if you are interested in being part of this lively group.

And we still need your support! We are working on our goal for September 1 to raise money for the store. You can now donate or buy bonds online, just go to westendfood.coop/contribute.

Two weeks of producer consultations have yielded important results for moving forward with an expanded cannery program for farmer-members(thanks to Erin Shaw for doing one on one interviews with almost all of our currnent producers!). Our producers have some great ideas and we are starting to develop details, equipment plans, and more to incorporate into the kitchen at the new co-op store. Come talk to us at the Market table to learn more!

Community Events and News

Come and find us on Saturday (today) at the Parkdale Then and Now Festival. We'll be sharing a booth with Greenest City at the new Dufferin Amphitheatre across from our future home in the Parkdale Community Health Centre.

Also today is the Junction Farm Fest - check out farm animals and great organizations and people working on food, farming, and sustainable agriculture. They also have free manure and wood shavings and bales of straw for sale!

As many of you know the City of Toronto is currently doing a core service review. Many services and operations that are benefitial to having healthy, local, affordable food (and use of community/public) spaces  in our city are potentially at risk. To see some of the responses that many citizens and organizations are making and ways you can get involved check at start with Food Forward and Park People.

This week at the Market

We can't deny it - the time of abundance has really arrived! This week we welcome back Christine Klucha from Klucha Farm. Thanks to Christine and our other farmers we will be have the first blueberries, peaches, plums, and apricots of the season! That's just the fruit... Check out the vendor list on the right of this newsletter to see all the great food that comes to market!

Community Groups at this week's Market:

• Greenest City - Join the greenest city youth in finding out about this great organizations work on food security, gardening, youth leadership, and healthy, sustainable communities (based in Parkdale)
• info about Stop the Mega Quarry - ndact.com and stopthemelancthonquarry.ca/

Under the Market Music Canopy this week:

• From 3 to 4:30 – Lutia - Celtic Harp
• From 5 to 6:30 – Andrea Machett - singer/songwriter

The Market runs on Monday from 3-7 pm in Sourauren Park - See you there!

At the Cannery

We have a delicious opportunity to learn everybody's favorite jam recipe from last year - a delectable combination of blueberry, apricot, and basil sure to be a crowd pleaser! The workshop is this Tuesday July 26. Just a couple spaces left, so register now! You can also check out the WEFC Cannery Page for updates and recipes.  Feel free to email Katie with questions.

Get Involved with the Co-op

There are many opportunities for volunteers at the WEFC -- you can sign up to join the volunteer pool, and tell us what you'd like to do.  To support your co-op financially you can donate online now.

 

Baba Link Farm - Herbs, berries, veggies, and preserves

Bizjak Farms - Fruit, berries, ...

Fresh City Farms - Greens and veggies grown in the city!

The Fresh Veggies - Vegetables, asian greens, etc.

Klucha Farm - Tree fruit, veggies, & preserves

Kind Organics - sprouts, micro-greens, gourmet salad blends...

The Bus Kitchen- savoury and sweet meals and treats, granola...

Matchbox Garden - Seeds, seedlings, seasonal veggies

Choco Sol - bike powered chocolate, direct trade coffee, local hemp...

Fish Shak- roti's, fish fritters, soup...

Earth & City - mostly raw, all vegan, sweet and savoury treats with seasonal and local ingredients

Forbes Wild Foods - wild and foraged foods, maple syrup, preserves...

Exact Edge - Knife and other sharpening

Ying Ying Soy Food - organic tofu and soy products

De la Terre - Sourdough breads, baguettes, pastries, ...

Le Tibet - momos and noodles

Ali's Bakery - Breads, loaves, pastries, sweet and savoury  treats

Bees Universe - honey, candles, honey/bee products, eggs

Deer Valley Farm - Venison, chicken, soup, mushrooms ...

Greengate Farm - Naturally raised beef and pork, frozen prepared  meals

Monforte Dairy - sheep, goat, and cow milk cheeses, summer sausage, ...

Field Sparrow Farms - grass-fed naturally raised beef, veggies

Wheelbarrow Farm - Berkshire pork, veggies, sausages

City Seed Farm - just picked veggies and greens, brought to market by bicycle!

The Cutting Veg - Vegetables, herbs, flowers, salad greens

Oso Leo & Two Century Farm - apples and cider, wild leeks, ...

Defloured - gluten free gallettes, tarts, pot pies, cookies, and treats