Happy October!

We have five remaining market days! REALLY? Only five Saturdays left in the 2010 market season. Thank you to everyone who is a part of this amazing process. There are so many 'behind-the-scenes' folks, the vendors, the customers, and those who don't say a thing but support in so many other ways. We have been building on the foundation that has been laid by many past supporters over many years - I would love to know what the original founders/organizers think now - my how times have changed and yet some things are very much the same.

We are putting the details together for our year end celebration - Harvest Fest. I will have a sign-up sheet starting this Saturday at the market for pre-ticket orders. We are organizing the event very similar to last season - we will be using the market vendors product and will have a sampling of wine and cider to toast the evening. November 6th is the date - 6:00 to 9:30pm. Mark it on your calendars. The night is a true celebration as everyone gets to mingle and chat.

With the winding down of the season and the early crop we had this year, a few more of our vendors are finished selling for this season. Mark Wales Farms and Ralph Troupe Farms are finished. Kim McCarvell of Green Leaf Gourmet will be back this Saturday and she will be taking Christmas baking orders. Gredig's Orchards will have some baked apple treats along with their apples and cider, and the Senior's Centre pies will be back for this weekend. On Thanksgiving weekend (Oct 9th) the St. Joe's Hawks Go Blue Go Bald fundraiser will take place at the market! The boys from the team are raising funds for the Make A Wish Foundation - they are dyeing their hair blue to raise funds and shaving it all off at the market at 9am Oct 9th. They will be in the North Pavilion seating area.

We will also have all our IPM vendors back including Nature's Perfect Mushrooms, Grammie's Creations, and Succulent Wonders. Farmgate Markets will be there making breakfast sandwiches for sure; but likely very little else this weekend as they are in "Moving Mode". Visit them at their new location at 19 Elgin Street, just behind the TD Bank on Talbot Street.

Time to start thinking about your Halloween costumes for October 30th at the market! For many people, Halloween is their favourite time of the year. I still smile when I think about some of the creative costumes of last year.

Look forward to seeing you at the market!

Cheers,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

http://www.hortonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/

hortonmarket@hotmail.com

Fall officially arrived on September 21st with the Autumn Equinox. The leaves are starting to proudly display their artistic talents and it is safe to turn the oven on for long periods of time without sweating out the entire day's water intake in 15 minutes. This week I made sweet potato filling (baked 5 large sweet potatoes wrapped in tinfoil @ 400 for 2 hours - the skin just peels off, mash with a fork and freeze in 2 cup portions - made 8 cups) and a huge batch of applesauce. All stored in the freezer.

When winter comes and I am really missing the market, I thaw out a serving of sweet potato and make biscuits, or muffins, or hummus. The applesauce gets warmed and served with vanilla ice cream and I stay connected to the source of my food and my comfort. I miss the weekly social gathering but the memories get me through until next market season.

We are putting plans in place for our annual market Harvest Fest. We are planning for a open-house type gathering for the evening of Saturday November 6th - stay tuned for more details and ticket sales.

This projecting into the near future also brings up another season - Christmas. Crazy as it sounds, it is just two months around the corner. Carol and Gladys and all things Christmas are starting back at the market this weekend with their beautiful miniature trees and decorations. Their display always attracts a crowd - especially the 10 and under crowd. I had mentioned earlier about the International Plowing Match and a few of our vendors being away this weekend. Most have managed to arrange coverage for both the IPM and our market so it is market morning as usual (with the exception of Kim McCarvell of Green Leaf Gourmet will be away this week). I might have mentioned that Farmgate is away this weekend which is NOT the case. They will be at our market as usual - they MIGHT be away next weekend (Oct 2nd) for their big move but I will keep you posted on that. There will be pumpkins by the trailer-full and plenty of squash and root vegetables to stock up on. And if you really are keen about Christmas, don't forget to visit our jewlery, artist, and natural skin care vendors. The perfect way to shop ahead and give gifts with a local flavour.

I have been to the IPM to help out a little with the farmers' market there and it is amazing to say the least. Tomorrow I am taking my kids and attending as a visitor rather than a volunteer. If you can manage the crowds, it is worth the trip. There's a shuttle service from the railway museum on Wellington Street here in town to the site if you want to avoid the parking and wagon ride from the airport.

So far, my favourite exhibits include the farmers' market tent with sample fest (of course), the live animal exhibit in the education tent, the City of St. Thomas' mini replica of the train station complete with concrete floor and bricked walls, and the rodeo corral. I'm looking forward to the tractor square dance and a ride in the hydro bucket to see an ariel view of the entire site but I'll need to convince the kids on that one.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at the market on Saturday - that is one thing that I miss at the IPM Farmers' Market - connecting with you all!

Cheers,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

Horton Farmers' Market

2 Manitoba St. (north of the lights at Giant Tiger on Talbot)

519.777.9529

http://www.hortonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/

hortonmarket@hotmail.com

Our market customers build community....

We track all sorts of statistics about vendors, revenue, and numbers of customers at the market but how do we put into numbers what happens on the subtler level of connections made and memories shared?

I continue to hear new stories and meet new people every Saturday at the market. I over-hear folks saying: " I haven't seen you in ages, how's the family?" People ask me about the compostable coffee cups after I make one small request in this newsletter. Vendors help each other out by expanding the circles of business outside of the market hours and operations. Partnerships are happening with other community groups just because people care, not because there's something in it for them.

I love when a customer comes to the market and is still excited to discover a new way to cook sweet potato, or when I can tell what time it is just by which customers are purusing the isles. I know that there are several folks that come to the market before an appointment then come back after the appointment because they didn't get their full Saturday morning experience. Then there are customers who will stop at all the new vendors and make an extra purchase, just to help those new vendors along a little.

I like that customers are amused when there are 'traffic jams' rather than annoyed. I like that there are traffic jams - it means people have time to stop and chat, to catch up, to connect.

This weekend at the market you can take in a little history around the story of Jumbo. The library will be decorating their space in circus style and serving up elephant ears made by The Dutch Bakery. These tasty treats go on sale ($3 each) at 10am and will have various toppings for you to choose from. Rumour has it there will be a special guest on hand to enjoy the first serving. Plan to be there around 10am if you can.

Gail McNaughton will be back will her commemorative Jumbo and IPM postcards. The International Plowing Match is less than one week away! Each time I visit the site, I am amazed at all that is happening there. A mini city is about to come alive complete with a daily farmers' market and daily sample fest (noon to 5pm) within the farmers' market. Bring your shopping bags as there will be lots to take home from this major event.

Kim McCarvel of Green Leaf Pastries is back this week with mini-scones perfect for the kids lunch boxes, (I ordered extra!) and Ralph Troupe will be back with apples, pears, and plums. The Seniors' Centre is bringing apple pies and our apprenticing face-painter will be stationed in the North pavilion. I purchased a beautiful fall/winter wreath from RGrow Farms and I am looking forward to my half bushel of apples from Gredig's Orchards - it's applesauce time! Today I simmered soup stalk, baked up sweet potatoes, and made a batch of biscuits.

Don't you just love this time of year?

See you soon at the market!

Cheers,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

hortonmarket@hotmail.com

http://www.hortonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/

Autumn chill already?

It was a chilly day at the market last weekend. A few people mentioned that it was almost as cold as our first market day - well, maybe not that cold. Brisk, fresh, invigorating for sure. It has been a welcome break to the heavy heat of the summer. And it looks like more of the same for this weekend. This is the short time of the season where the temperature is just right inside the building!

A few vendors are away this weekend including Green Leaf Pastries, The Mixing Bowl, Troupe Farms (peaches) and the Mennonite Martin Family produce. And a few vendors returning this weekend such as Gail McNaughton with her new IPM 2010 postcards, En Fleur Lavender In Bloom, and Janis & Mark Harris with flowers.

A smaller version of the farmers' market will be happening everyday at the International Plowing Match happening September 21-25th on Highway #3 just before the St. Thomas Airport. What a site to behold as the mini-city begins to take form. What this means for you is you can access a farmers' market for 5 days, 8:30am to 5pm. It also means that some of our vendors will be working like crazy to cover both that event and our regular market day on September 25th. A few vendors will only be at the plowing match that weekend but we will still have a full house. Farmgate Markets will be away that weekend also for a very exciting new venture they have taken on - they are moving their business location to a much bigger space! Congratulations to Sandy and Ray and the whole Farmgate team as they move shop that weekend and open for business in their new location (Elgin Street behind the TD Canada Trust on Talbot) on October 4th.

The other exciting thing happening at the market occurs on September 18th. The library is helping comemorate the historical events in St. Thomas being the 125th anniversary of Jumbo the elephant's death. They will have a collection of books and historical information regarding Jumbo and there will be special treats that day to sample (more details to follow). There will also be a video display and art work on display. We are looking for donations of the extra large pickle jars if anyone has any they would like to contribute. They can be dropped off in my office at the market (I know you would think I don't have an office as I am never in there - I do stop in there occasionally :-)

I saw lots of folks back at the market this weekend - everyone's back from holidays, settling into Autumn's rhythm. You may not see Amber deJong from Frisa Farms (egg vendor) back to the market yet - she gave birth to a bouncing baby girl. But then you never know, the market babies seem to love it there too! (sorry, I tried to add more pictures but the service is not letting me right now - more photos next week)

A big thank you to all that responded to last week's newsletter - there were plenty of good suggestions and positive comments about the market. Like one of my favourite sayings: It's all good.

Pull out the socks and sweaters and see you bright and early at the market!

Cheers,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

hortonmarket@hotmail.com

http://www.hortonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/

What do you like about the market?

September is officially here! I am excited as it always feels like the new year - the weather seems to change the quickest during this season transition. One day it's summer, the next it's fall. The kids go back to school, rountine is a little more settled and comforting, and fall mums and root veggies start filling the stalls at the market.

In the community we are getting ready for the International Plowing Match happening Sept 21-25. There will be a local food tent including a daily farmers' market there. If you are interested in vending your agricultural products there please let me know ASAP. The fees have been supplemented by secured funding so this is a great opportunity to showcase what Elgin County has to offer.

We are continuing to average 40 vendors per market day. Luckily a few vendors are on vacation every week so I can shuffle a few to different tables to keep everyone withnin the pavilions and building.

This weekend, the plan is to make peach jam, red-pepper jelly, and applesauce - pretty keen I know. This is my one way of making the market memories last well into the winter. What about you? Let me know what you think about the market, the hours of operation, what a year-round Saturday market might look like to you. We'd love to hear your ideas, thoughts, suggestions - I do keep track and pass them on to the Board of Management. Send me an email or track me down at the market - much progress has been made in the past four years; let's keep the momentum going.

Yet another bonus to my position as market manager - I often to get to sample the new things vendors are trying. Like the creamcheese and crab dumplings at Lotus Thai, or the freshest multi-grain garlic bread at Spicers. The organic tomatoes at Chris Dancey's booth and the hot peppers from Kosic's Greenhouse are also a big hit. Then there's apple fritters from the Dutch Bakery, thin crust pizza from Uncle Dad's and an assortment of natural soaps from Moonstone Aromatherapy. Have a look around, you never know what you might see that you previously passed by.

Congratulations to Michele Martin who won the customer appreciation draw this week. Always a bonus highlite every Saturday!

Many thanks for your continued involvment in the market's growth and see you at the market!

Cheers,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

hortonmarket@hotmail.com

http://www.hortonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/