If you’ve been reading Talkin’ Trash, you know we love us some local food and farmers markets. Lucky for us, SickKids hosts one every Tuesday right next door to 3 of our UHN sites. Whether you go every week or have never been in your life, we’d like to ask you a few things to make the market even better for you. We’ll make this worth your while … 6 quick questions and you could win Market Bucks for this and others**

farmersmarket-survey

(SURVEY now closed)

Last week, I chatted with Cookie Roscoe, Market Manager for the last few years. She’s been in the farmers market game for over a decade now and came to SickKids to extend their market season though the winter (indoors, this is Canada people). She liked it so much, she stayed.

Cookie Roscoe chats with Lisa Vanlint while shopping the market
Cookie Roscoe chats with Lisa Vanlint while shopping the market

Cookie brought in a lot more small farms. She personally vets every farmer and seller to make sure they are quality producers and only sell what they grow or make themselves. She is passionate about food and food producers, quipping that “real food is real fun”.

There are so many wonderfully producers, I couldn’t pick a favorite. I can say that my bags were very heavy when I left as we’re in peach season and cheese season (we’re always in cheese season). Here’s just a smattering of what you’ll find:

Gorgeous farm-to-face personal care products
Delightful farm-to-face personal care products (and you thought we’d show you veggies first)

 

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Harvest is lookin’ good! (here are those veggies)

 

say (ontario artisan) cheese!
Say (Ontario artisan) cheese! Feel free to sample before you buy (love samples).

 

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Pickles that tickle the tastebuds, freshly brined from this year’s harvest (and more samples!)

 

Meghan Hass makes her Recipe of the week with ingredients from several stalls. Cookie showcases those market bucks! Which you can win if you do the survey
Meghan Hass makes her Recipe of the Week with ingredients from several stalls. Cookie showcases those market bucks (which you can win if you do the survey).

 

As Cookie says,

Food is joy. If you’re not getting joy out of your food, you’re doing it wrong.

Here’s to some fresh and local joy!

-Lisa

**Market bucks can be used at lots of great markets around Ontario. Here’s your greenbelt cheat sheet…

farm-list

 

The SickKids Market is on their University Avenue circular drive, just south of Gerrard. It’s every Tuesday, 8-2 throughout the summer months. Stay in touch with Cookie’s amusing weekly newsletters you can find on her facebook page.

(survey now closed: congrats to our lucky winners Jean Paul, Vanessa and Helen who each got $10 in market bucks)