# I can't wait for the Farmers Markets! :D



## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

The weather is getting nice and I am getting itchy to hit the Farmers Markets this year for some local goodies!

Which ones do you guys go to? Which ones are your favorite and why do you choose FM's over lets say.. wallmart or Metro?


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

I'd prefer to grow my own. However I've not been to one in a long long time.

How are the prices at Farmers Markets compared to retail grocery stores? I'm assuming the Farmers Markets are organic?


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I don't have any outdoor space really for growing my own things and I can't grow much inside without the cat eating it. He really likes chives.. :/

I am getting a small space at my moms this year! Going to try beans and beets! LOL


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Ciddian said:


> I don't have any outdoor space really for growing my own things and I can't grow much inside without the cat eating it. He really likes chives.. :/
> 
> I am getting a small space at my moms this year! Going to try beans and beets! LOL


Try the balcony unless the cat is an outdoor/indoor cat. Something else you can try is make a box with chicken wire and put that box over the plants you're growing. Staple the chicken wire mesh INSIDE the cover so kitty or the kid does not get hurt if you were to nromally have the chicken mesh wire stapled on the outside.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Yayyyy! Farmers markets. I love spring with all the delicious shoots and sprouts we get to have.

I usually just head over to the St. Lawrence north market - it's a 15 minute walk for me 

This year we want to try to make it out to Cabbagetown to Riverdale farm to see what they have to offer.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I don't have a balcony unfortunately 

Ya my gran loves the st. lawerence market a lot.  

I am going to try to get to the brickworks one this year. I love feeding the fish in the back too.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

If you have ever been to KW you can go to the st. Jacobs market. That is a sight to see when all the veggies are in season. They have loads of great stuff.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

There are some that are open all year. There's one at Dufferin Grove park, Dufferin between Bloor and College, open 3-7pm every Thursday. There's also one at the former Wychwood streetcar barns, which has a lot of other gardening and eco-related activity, including greenhouses and demonstration plots, courses, etc. The market is on Saturdays. Bathurst and Davenport, more or less.


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Or the Stouffville Country market up in no place other than... Stouffville. More like a big combo of a farmer's market and a flea market. Buy live chickens, rabbits, sometimes even goats and sheep. plus veggies and stuff. One year they even auctioned off an elephant, LOL.

I like the one guy who's got all types of roasted almonds and pistachios and such, om nom nom nom...


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## Aquatic Designs (Apr 2, 2006)

I heard the Stouffville market is no longer. I was there last year and it was open but was a ghost town. There was very little vendors and a whole heap of crap for sale. I did not buy a single thing. I used to love that place.


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## Octavian (Sep 30, 2009)

My wife and I go to Downey's Farm Market on 13682 Heart Lake Road.
Lot's of good stuff here. Be prepared to spend more than you originally planned to spend when you go here.

http://www.downeysfarm.com/


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Aquatic Designs said:


> I heard the Stouffville market is no longer. I was there last year and it was open but was a ghost town. There was very little vendors and a whole heap of crap for sale. I did not buy a single thing. I used to love that place.


Musta been during a slow time maybe during the winter? I was there around Christmas time and it was a complete zoo of people. Wait till the summer and it should pick up again.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

50seven said:


> Or the Stouffville Country market up in no place other than... Stouffville. More like a big combo of a farmer's market and a flea market. Buy live chickens, rabbits, sometimes even goats and sheep. plus veggies and stuff. One year they even auctioned off an elephant, LOL.
> 
> I like the one guy who's got all types of roasted almonds and pistachios and such, om nom nom nom...


The hell!!? ;; Other then the Metro Zoo are you even allowed to own an elephant in Ontario? Chickens I know in Brampton you can own them in your backyard. I've always fancied wanted to own a pair for fresh eggs and extra deweeding helpers. What's a chick going for now a days? Or are they the full sized chicken?



> Ciddian I don't have a balcony unfortunately
> 
> Ya my gran loves the st. lawerence market a lot.
> 
> I am going to try to get to the brickworks one this year. I love feeding the fish in the back too.


Well if you've got a window with light (does not have to be sunlight but that would be ideal) you can have a small 3-5 pot indoor garden with small useful plants in there. Just don't grow cat grass or catnip (same thing?).    . You can build a simple wodden cover over top of it and have the store precut it for you say 1' x 2-3' long then you just just screw or hammer it together at home. Zip tie a cheap ~$12ish bar light from HomeD and you're good to go to suppliment the lighting if you're not getting direct sunlight.

Fish in the back of Brickworks? Like a fish feeding pond?

Mel Lastman Square has some Farmers Market I've been meaning to check out for 2 yrs now. Anyone been to it before? Speaking of which do they still have their winter festival thing there? I remember as a kid loving library and winter events there. Man.. must make time and trip over there when the markets are up. Miss that place.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

AquaNeko said:


> Chickens I know in Brampton you can own them in your backyard. I've always fancied wanted to own a pair for fresh eggs and extra deweeding helpers.


You don't need a rooster to get eggs from hens, and your neighbours for a remarkable distance around will not appreciate the crowing.

As for deweeding, they'll eat or scratch up everything, weeds or not. They'll give every tomato one peck, they'll eat raspberries, they'll fly up and break down cornstalks, etc. However, you can use your chicken run as a compost pile. Anything remotely edible will be eaten, everything will be turned over several times a day, and it will all be laced with extremely concentrated natural fertilizer. The eggs will be wonderfully rich flavoured, and especially if you give them greens (fresh grass clippings are great) the yolks will be extremely dark orange.

NB, they won't lay in the winter without artificial light.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I'll try some herbs on my window sill again and see if the cat notices.. LOL I know i've seen some of those small windowed boxes before..

Yea the brickworks has a bunch of ponds in the back with some big goldfish. Some of the really big guys seemed to have gone missing. I don't know if someone netted them out or not. They arn't supposed to be there anyways but I like them.

There is also bullhead catfish and sunfish, we had a small meet there one day, it was a lot of fun.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

bae said:


> You don't need a rooster to get eggs from hens, and your neighbours for a remarkable distance around will not appreciate the crowing.
> 
> As for deweeding, they'll eat or scratch up everything, weeds or not. They'll give every tomato one peck, they'll eat raspberries, they'll fly up and break down cornstalks, etc. However, you can use your chicken run as a compost pile. Anything remotely edible will be eaten, everything will be turned over several times a day, and it will all be laced with extremely concentrated natural fertilizer. The eggs will be wonderfully rich flavoured, and especially if you give them greens (fresh grass clippings are great) the yolks will be extremely dark orange.
> 
> NB, they won't lay in the winter without artificial light.


By a pair I meant 2 hens and not having a rooster..tho it is cool to have one for the sound.  I downloaded a video called 'Gardening Australia' off bit torrent which uses Permaculture techniques on a home build there as the person there transfered another home from scratch into a ediable garden and flowing landscape. I would have two chicken runs at the least if I could house chickens and alternate them from time to time so one side gets some grow back for their scratching. I hear 'hi-land brown' chickens are non flighty and rather quiet good layers. The video if you download it also covers how to keep the birds healthy by planting some plants around with chicken mesh arund so as the chickens pluck on it it'll also keep lice and such off the birds naturally. GIve that video a check out on this torrent search engine www.btjunkie.org and for the download client I recommend www.utorrent.com


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

I think you can buy both depending on who's selling them, as chicks or as fully grown. Just be careful having chickens within the city of Toronto. You might get away with a couple egg layers, but if you had a rooster, they'd definately take it away from you.


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## okoolo (Nov 1, 2009)

at my house we grow most of our veggies .. carrots, beans,lettuce, onions, beats, paprika, tomatoes, brussels etc.. as well as apples, pears, cherries, strawberries, blackberries etc..

I also smoke my own fish and meats like ham,bacon,chicken & kielbasas (and until you've had home made bacon, you haven't lived)

but I have to say I'm disappointed with many farmer markets.. often farmers buy veggies and fruits from a wholesaler and sell them as their own.. you end up getting the same stuff that's in the store and you don't even know it (often at higher prices too)

I do recommend honey, maple & birch syrup.. they have much better quality then stores. And if you want real organic stuff visit the Mennonites around Kitchiner..


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