Help Save The Environment-
Use Canvas Bags
 
The days of the plastic bag are numbered. Most are made from petrochemicals and sit in the landfill for centuries after use. Some cause wild life to be ensnared, causing pain, suffering or death. New greener plastics are on the horizon bearing names like "biodegradeable" and "compostable". Some of the new plastics break down quickly when exposed to sunlight or oxygen. But buried deep in landfills, there is little of either so they are very long term biodegradeable. Others have been seen to break down to the molecular level in months using different compounds. But they are still bits n' pieces of petrochemical compounds.

The Cities of Barrie and Toronto are quick to point out the bag of choice is one that composts. Paper fills the bill, but everyone knows what happens to groceries bagged in paper in the wet. They get mushy and fall apart. The answer is canvas or other reusable recyclable plastic shopping bags.

Canvas bags can replace up to a thousand or more plastic bags. They can be washed, dried on low heat or hung up to air dry hundreds of times. The faded look that reveals a bag well used is a badge of honor that tells the world the owner is concerned about the environment. Warm water, soap or detergent work well to bring canvas bags back to life. Turn them inside out before washing to get grape stems, leaf parts, seeds and other vegetable pieces out in the washing.

Meats and fish pose a different challenge. Because fresh meat, poultry and fish often bleed, a pocket full of biodegradeable or better yet compostable plastic bags makes a good liner. Without the liner, a canvas bag can become a food safety risk. Most folks using canvas bags for meat, poultry and fish usually say "Yes" when asked if they want a plastic bag, and then put the purchase in the plastic, then into the canvas. Those real savvy bring their own plastic bags to line their canvas carry alls.

Action Pak Coupon Winner

The winner of the Barrie Farmers' Market Action Pak coupon draw was drawn December 6th.  The winner received two crisp $50 bills and canvas bags to hold the Market purchases.

The winner is Shane Rutter, Barrie Ontario. 

What Happens in Winter?

When the snow lay round about deep, crisp and even, what happens to local produce? Simcoe County pioneers made this the season for dipping into the root cellars and jars of preserves.  Root crops were the main staple then. Potato, carrot, parsnip, garlic, horseradish, leek, onion, radish, rutabaga, shallots and beets pretty well filled the winter larder (and root cellars) of the pioneers.

Today the demand for off-season produce, as seen above, is provided by large green house operations. Situated mostly in the sorthern part of Ontario, they do not strictly meet the definition of zone local unless one considers a hundred kilometer circle as local. Energy costs for smaller green house operations in Simcoe County are onerous, so most shut down over the worst winter can offer.

That's why off-season produce continues to be available to customers of the Barrie Farmers' Market over winter.

Organic is not organic without
proof of certification

Organic is not just a word. It's a regimen for growing, with rules so strict few farmers can meet the mark or expense. Certification is the only way smart shoppers can be assured they are buying actual organic produce, fruit and meat. The world organic has been tossed around loosely for years, but now usage comes under the watchful eye of the federal government. They have just introduced federal standards for using the term. Unfortunately, many foreign countries are not bound by the same standards, so much of what is claimed to be imported organic is not. That's why smart shoppers are buying local organic food. And imported organics from known-good countries.

Organic farming means growers cannot use petrochemical herbicides, pesticides or genetically engineered seed. And before the first plowing, the land has to sit for five to seven years to permit old agricultural chemicals to wash out.

Something like the practice of the very first farmers. They had no herbicides or pesticides. Seed was planted, crops grew. Sometimes insects and blight took most of the crops. There were good years, and bins were filled. There were bad years, and famine followed.

Most home vegetable gardeners going organic bargain on harvesting only a portion of what is planted. Professional organic growers, such as McBride's Organic of Oro Station know what plants grow with what to deter insects and blight. Growing organic is a different skill set from regular farming, with regular inspections from certifying agencies to ensure proper practices are followed.

The effort is worth it, as organic produce, fruit and meats commands a premium price in this health-conscious era.  More and more conventional and new farmers are making the switch to organic. The costs and wait times to see first cash paying crops are high, but the end result can be healthier bottom line family farms.

Chocolate Truffles Fit For A King
Hand made chocolate truffles, with a taste unlike any other. Going past delicious and sinful, the  chocolate treats made by Egon Keller  are   truly a gift for the dedicated chocolate lover. Individually  or in boxed  sets, they go way beyond melt-in-your-mouth to a sensual chocolate flood of pleasure. They make  a gift of distinction for those special people on your shopping list.

Craft Vendors Offer One-Of-A-Kinds

Artisan Carolyn VanWort makes fused glass jewelry in sparkling creations that are sure to please. For a different gift, she offers a unique line of gourd people (seen here) for table decorations. Artisans at the Market making jewelry are Carolyn VanWort, Bernadette Charters, Christine Gibbons and others. Semiprecious stones, silver, gold leaf and fused glass are used in the universe of pleasing designs offered by them.

Wooden furniture, racks, cutting boards, vegetable storage cabinets and a lot more are featured at the stall of Jacob Haak. Items in wood for home, cottage, kitchen and bedroom are sure to please this gift giving season. For a rustic feeling, sample the twig crafts at Green Elf. Green Elf also offer knitting kits and instructions for those new to knitting. See them for Yoga supplies, cat treats and much more.

Winter winds are blowing, and soft knitted goods from Hilda VanDam, Lee Anne Catling and Green Elf are sure to keep hands, feet and heads toasty warm.

Artwork in the form of photographs, oils, water colors, prints and art cards are available from celebrity artist Joan LeBoeuf, Bernadette Charters, Kimberly Parry, Grace Kent and Paddi Knight.

When the box is more important than the gift inside, that's the stall of Carol Owens of Out of the Woods. Intricately crafted scroll saw work in the form of boxes, toys, intarsia and wooden puzzles amaze and amuse both young and old. For a special gift, how about your favourite family photo made into a wooden puzzle?



Doreen Fernandes is known for her Samosas, Dahl Curry, Sushi and Chana. All refreshing snacks or heat and serve meals from the East. Doreen also offers wraps, tops and sweaters made from fine silk-like Sari cloth, in the best tradition of the near and middle East. Stunning fabrics and designs bring the East to you.


    Farm subsidies war sinks WTO Doha round

There are signs that the globalism engine is choking on bad gas. Just recently the World Trade Organization DOHA round to globally eliminate agricultural subsidies, crashed and burned after seven years of intense pressure by the globalists.
The picture from the globalist side and those that support it, is that eliminating farm subsidies would permit third world countries to prosper by opening North American and European markets. But the flood of cheap food from countries with labour, growing and inspection standards much looser than North America, could spell the end of small and family farms.
Global Financial Chaos May Benefit Zone Local

The global financial markets are in need of a defibrillator. Billions, perhaps trillions of taxpayer dollars thrown at the patient may not be enough. The patient is unchained capitalism, the keystone of the New World Order. The blood of capitalism is cash and abundant credit. The longer the blood ceases to move, the greater the danger of the demise of the patient and all those grand schemes tied to it.

Many reading this have already felt the sting of nest eggs and RRSP's that have shed so much the future is a road shrouded in uncertainty and fear. Many millions of lost jobs, the collapse of entire economic sectors point to a global slow-motion train wreck.

In the dire predictions remains a simple fact, proven true over millennia. Farmers and farmers' markets have historically taken all that war, famine, pestilence and economic Armageddon can dish out. They might take some shrapnel, but they heal and rebound. Buying local becomes a touchstone for all that is familiar. Not just food grown locally, but buying goods and services from people you know. Your neighbours. Village thinking at a time of global implosion seems the prudent thing to do.
--- The Market Manager

Baaaaaad is Good at the Market

Around the world, more and more folks are adding lamb to their shopping lists. Not just an Eastern treat, it is frequent fare on the plate in New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Britain and Scotland. Chops, kabobs and ribs are a sizzling difference on the grille. With the right marinade and spices, they make a presentation friends and neighbors will relish.
Lamb is available from Mur Mar Meadows in Lefroy. Choice cuts of lamb are sure to bring smiles when served by themselves or with other meats. Mur Mar also offer farm-fresh baked goods for the perfect dessert. Lamb recipes are available from the Barrie Farmer Market web page "Recipes", available from the main index page. And for a tasty market treat, ask for a plate of their special lamb ribs with that oooh so good Mur Mar sauce.
Congratulations to Mur Mar Meadows on a spectacular lambing season. Their flock is larger by over thirty newborns.





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