Happy Autumn, Harvest, & September.....

This is the time of year to savour. The weather, your time with family, and those autumn soups made with fresh veggies from the market. I love this season and it always seems to go faster than the other 3 - already, October is upon us. This leaves just 5 Market days remaining. Five more Horton breakfast sandwichs, 5 more opportunities to shop direct from the farmers, 5 more Saturdays to savour.

With October comes Thanksgiving weekend. Oegemas Turkey Shoppe will be at the market that weekend and will have fresh turkeys - please check with Annie to place your order ahead of time to avoid disappointment. They will only have a limited number of whole turkeys available at the market and of course, plenty available at their home shop in Talbotville.

What's your favourite part of the market? Something to think about as I will be collecting this type of data in the off-season to help us sustain the growth and viability of the market. The process will be easy and pain-free! You can send me an email or chat with me at the market. The official stats will be collected via survey. There is a large majority of you who are silent type - this will be an opportunity to share your thoughts.

Then there is those whom I have heard so much positive feedback from and I am very grateful for that. The information is shared with everyone who is involved in making the market possible. That list is long and includes the Board of Management, City Council, the vendors, community fans who promote the market just because they love it, and you the customer.

We will have one new vendor at the market this weekend - Mother Natures Kitchen will be bringing handmade granola to be eaten alone or in a variety of other meals. And as a side note, there are a few vendors who had originally planned to be finished by now but have enjoyed and benefited from the market so much that they are staying until the end of the season (Oct 31).

A few more vendors are winding down for the season including Mark Wales Produce and DeBackere Farms and a few vendors will be at the market perhaps once more like Susi Q jewelery (this weekend) and the St. Thomas Public Library (next weekend).

And we have music planned for this weekend. Centre Piece Marketing presents Jim Macdonald. A performer at heart; his passion for music and his obsession to entertain have been a driving force behind his dynamic songwriting and live performances. His diverse musical influences provide a backbone to his creativity that captures the listener with intimate and powerful images that are straight from the heart. His strong descriptive lyrics carry with them the integrity of universal experiences and emotions, woven together with a blend of metaphor and realism. Now at the of 31, Jim and wife Sandy are the very proud parents of 3 sons Jonas, Remy and Jude. His children offer new inspiration for his creativity, and desire to pursue his dream. Jim is currently promoting his new CD produced by Don Kerr in Toronto released last year. The original music of Jim MacDonald is a fresh and poignant sound that is paying its dues and will always leave the listener wanting more.

Invite friends and family to meet you at the market, plan to stay awhile and listen to the music, enjoy your breakfast and finish your shopping.

See you at the market!

Cheers,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

And the market grows...

....... continuously, although, not due to any rain we have had lately. This lack of water from the sky has seen a continued delay in some of our fall harvest. The sweet potatoes aren't sweet yet and the watermelon are just bursting now in time for our beautiful late summer. Try RGrow's Watermelon Salsa this weekend - you can get the recipe on our blog.

The ladies from the Senior Centre are back the week, this time with Apple Pies. You can also pick up a pie or apple crisp, or pasturized cider at Gredig's booth. Tammy Gredig works in conjunction with the cluinary class from Arthur Voaden Secondary School to bring the fresh baked apple goods to the market each week.

Welcome to Peter of SWGardens who will be bringing a variety of asiatic lily bulbs and potted hostas for you to take home and plant. The weather has certainly been cooperative for fall garden cleanup. And to add a seasonal touch to your garden, the fall mums are in bloom at Hertiage Greenhouses and Erie Gardens.

Kim McCarvel of Green Leaf Pastry is away this week as she is participating in the London Doors Open program as part of the working artist team at the Eldon House. Watch for her return on Sept 26th with several gluten free products and lunch bag treats for little (and big) kids.

New vendors this week include Canados Mini Doughnuts. Fresh mini doughnuts made right before your eyes. They will be inside the market building. Take home a dozen for only $3.

Nikki from TipToes Body Care Products will be returning indoors for her second week at the market.

Also new to the market, but certainly not to our community, is Big Brothers Big Sisters. September is Big Brothers/Big Sisters awareness month and they double-dare you to be a kid again. My 'little sister' lives in another city but recently reminded me that she is now the age that I was when she and I were matched. There are little and big ways to volunteer for this agency that can make a world of difference.

The Horton Market Harvest Fest will be held at the market this year on November 7th. Tickets will go on sale for this event starting next week. The venue is slightly different this year as we wanted everyone (particularily the vendors and their families) to be able to socialize and enjoy themselves - stay tuned.

Short and sweet (because the potatoes aren't) this week.

See you at the market,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

Can you 'can'?

Last week at the market was a record-day! We had 38 vendors at the market. Wow! Thank you for coming out in droves.

It was one of those days where I couldn't tell what time it was as there wasn't a lull at any point in the day. Our vendors were busy right up til closing time. The beautiful weather combined with a shift in our schedules - back to school, back to work, back to cooler, shorter days- kept everyone close to home.

Our canning display this weekend will give you a starting point - the basics of canning and preserves. We will have a mini display set up inside the building with a quick reference sheet for you to take home. Several of our vendors have their canned goods for sale and sample.

McSmiths Organics are bringing cases of pickled beets and some for sampling too. Kim McCarvell of Green Leaf Pastry will be sampling her 'Sugar Plum Fairy Jam'. She also has a special on her organic Italian Antipasto & handcrafted organic Sundried tomatoe and Herb Focaccia bread. Purchase these together for $7.25 (a savings of $1.25) - you might want to see her first as she has sold out on the bread for the last two weeks before 10am!

If canning isn't for you, there are plenty of preserves at the market for you take home, ready-made!

Gredig's Orchards are returning with two varieties of apples - the cider is not ready yet but possibly next week. And some of you may be planners and thinking about a season coming up that includes sparkling lights and wrapped gifts - Carole Smith is returning with her beautiful handmade miniature christmas trees.

Look for a new vendor - TipToes Body Care, a local business with natural skin care products for Baby & Mama and special products for Seniors. They will be located indoors.

This will be the last week of the season for some vendors. Birdman on the Marsh with his handcrafted birdhouses will be done for the season. Birdhouses make awesome gifts for the hard to buy for person on your list - you can never have too many (in my opinion) and they keep on giving year round.

Have you heard about Doors Open Ontario? This province wide program is sponsored by the Ontario Heritage Trust and has several participating communities opening their doors to heritage sites for a self-guided tour of history and heritage. St. Thomas is new to the venue this year with our dates of October 17 & 18th. The St. Thomas Horton Farmers market is on the venue for Oct. 17th. It will be business-as-usual that day with market hours from 8am to noon but then the building will remain open until 4pm for participating tourists. Please visit the Doors Open booth at the market for more detailed information and other sites in St. Thomas.

One other record high this past weekend - the Horton Breakfast Sandwich Combo! Sandy Lyle and the combo team (his family) were hopping last week, making over 140 sandwiches in 3 short hours. I did my share of keeping them busy by having two! I am up at 5am so for me its one for breakfast and one for lunch!

And the winners are..... last week Sears St.Thomas had a booth at the market handing out the Christmas Wish Book and signing folks up for a free draw. I have drawn the names and made the calls - Christmas every week for me I keep saying. And the customer appreciation draw is always a highlight of my week. Congratulations to all our lucky winners - see me on Saturday to collect your prize!

We have been dicussing a 'Friends of the Market' idea in our meetings. This would be an informal group of volunteers who would like to help out with the market in any capacity. There are always little things that need to be done that can contribute in larger-than-life ways. If this might be of interest to you please see me at the market or email me.

I could keep writing as there is always so much to talk about when it comes to the market. Someone asked me last week how much coffee I had - what? Was I chatting too fast to keep up? This is not a bad thing - the growth and support of the market in the past 3 years has been amazing! I have jokingly mentioned that we might need a support group for the months of Nov-April to keep everyone connected in the off-season - also not such a bad idea!

See you soon,

Cheers,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

Jam-Packed Weekend Starts at the Market...

It is Labour Day Weekend and for St. Thomas and surrounding community that means MANY activities to chose from. After your trip to the market, why not take in the dowtown sidewalk sale? Many merchants are having fantastic bargains for this one-day only event on Saturday. From there, you can take a free bus shuttle to the Fire Muster Days at Pinafore Park and /or a Mens Fastball Game at the Doug Terry complex.

Although the market is always a fantastic place to bring the kids as they experience first-hand what it means to buy fresh and local, this weekend is especially about and for the kids!

Razzle Dazzle Jam! Do you know what is in this special concoction? Me neither! A great way to involve your kids in your shopping: plant a little seed with your children to find the vendor who produces this jam and bonus points if they kids can find out what the ingredients are. Here's a hint: this vendor is in the South Pavilion and has the initials BHFF. Be sure to find me on Saturday and let me know what you find out!

Kids Kraft Korner & Erie Gardens are back this weekend! You may have noticed Mary Joicus' picture in the Super Shopper this week. The girls are back with a fun craft for the kids to make and take home. The girls have been doing a fantastic job of running the kids kraft korner on a donation basis only to help off-set the cost of supplies. We have missed them the last few weeks as they finished up soccer and vacation and are happy to have them back to the end of the market season (October 31st).

Perhaps your 'kids' are of the four-legged, furry kind? Dogs We Love is a new vendor located inside the building. They produce REAL FOOD for your dogs using only fresh, local, human grade ingredients. Be sure to stop by Ashley's table and take home a order form and a few specialty cookies for the 'kids' waiting at home.
The St. Thomas Public Library will be back as it is the first saturday of the month with books for sale and books to check out with your library card. No worries if you don't have a card - they can sign you up on the spot!

And for the kids of all ages, you will surely love the special 'treat' Farmgate Markets has in store for you; or actually, on the street for you.

Last week, I mentioned the literature about My Pick vendors, which is displayed in the back lobby of the building. The Horton Farmers Market currently has 3 vendors on-site that are verified or in the verification process. Please visit Empire Valley, RGrow Farms, or McSmiths Organics to find out more information about this new process from Farmers' Markets Ontario.

This will be the last week for Belmont Village Pantry and their variety of gluten free products. Christine Noble has been successfully balancing two businesses and has sold the Village Pantry. Look for her to be returning to the market in a few weeks with products from her other business, Guided Balance Hypnotherapy.

I love this time of year. The signs of fall are showing up in the returning vendors to the market. Watch for Gredigs Apple Orhcard to be returning shortly with the first of the apple harvest and fresh, pasturized cider. And Christmas trees by Carole Smith - permanent, already decorated, minature displays - Carole will also be returning to the market as a seasonal vendor.

We are making plans to celebrate the market season with our now annual Fall Family Harvest Dinner for November 7th, 2009. Stay tuned for details such as menu, location, and ticket sales.

Enjoy the settling back into routine. Enjoy the beauty of what Mother Nature has to offer. Look forward to seeing you at the market.

Cheers,

Tricia Herbert
Market Manager