MyMarket in Liberty Village is the neighborhood’s favourite farmer’s market, taking over the Green P parking lot on Hanna Street every Sunday from 10 am until 2 pm from June 2ND until November 26TH. Now that we are in the heart of the 2017 season, find the opportunity to head down to Canada’s first verified local farmer’s market.
Bringing local Ontario Produce to the Neighborhood
Diverse, urban marketplaces such as Liberty Village have notoriously found it difficult to supply its market with easy access to local Ontario produce. Originally founded in May, 2007, MyMarket promises a level playing field for all local Ontario producers, bringing their goods to urban marketplaces such as Liberty Village – something that has proven to be highly successful in the past few years. The neighborhood has welcomed in MyMarket with open arms, helping to champion the cause of real Ontario farmers and producers from across the province. Joining farmers with urban marketplaces means that Liberty Village residents now have the opportunity to buy local, fresh produce and goods without having to leave the neighborhood. MyMarket is made up of real farmers selling what they grow. Currently, the organization oversees markets across three locations, including at Bloor-Borden and at East Lynn Park in addition to Liberty Village.
The Benefits of Going Local make a Long List!
There are many benefits to eating foods that have been locally grown. The fruits and vegetables are among the freshest you can ever get, ripening in the field and then brought directly to you. Shopping and cooking using seasonal foods such as those found at the Liberty Village Farmer’s Market allows one to reconnect with the cycles of nature prominent in the southern Ontario region. Also, you will be supporting local, family farms; buying foods that have not used as many natural resources to produce, compared to corporate brands; eating fresh product with no pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetic modification; getting a more varied produce selection; and, all the while, connecting with the community around you.
What to Expect on Sale at the Liberty Village Farmer’s Market
Ontario farmers come together to offer a range of different produce including, but not limited to, beans, beets, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumber, lettuce, onions, peaches, peas, peppers, plums, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, strawberries, and tomatoes – all of which are available for purchase at various times throughout the farmer’s market season.
In Tune with Liberty Village Values
Ever since MyMarket came together with the Liberty Village Business Improvement Area, it has helped foster a healthy, green-friendly spirit across the neighborhood. Among the various farmer’s markets that occupy Toronto, what makes MyMarket so different is the amount of effort put in to its organization. This is more than just a collection of vendors. MyMarket is an opportunity for rural Ontario farming families to sell their goods outside of the corporate structure that so many are pushed to deal with. Consumers now have the opportunity to buy fresh, local food at affordable prices in a setting that they do not have to go far to reach.
Visit the Farmer’s Market this Sunday and Enjoy Summertime in the Village
The weather has not been the greatest this year, hitting some Ontario farming families hard. This has meant smaller yields and sometimes later harvests. Selling produce is not easy in this province – just ask any of the farmers who have braved the 401 to make it down to any of the farmer’s markets in Toronto. This makes it all the more important to support the farmers that do make the journey, and to support our own local neighborhood and the effort that we all put forth to allow these farmers to make a living.
So this Sunday, if you’re looking for something to do in the late hours of the morning or the early hours of the afternoon, take a stroll to the Market. If you’ve never been, the Liberty Village Farmer’s Market is a great way to get out into the community and to learn a little more about rural Ontario. Residents from across the neighborhood can experience the local yields of some of the province’s hardest working families. Having a market like this in Liberty Village is priceless and it is the hope of all involved for MyMarket to continue as a neighborhood staple in the months to come.
This is one of my go-to Sunday travel destinations in T.O. It’s an opportunity to meet people – both the vendors and the shoppers – and try new food products.
Sunday is the traditional day for Latin American (and in particularly Venezuelan) families to go out together, and I’m likely to bump into some while at the farmers’ market, and hear them carrying on a conversation in Spanish.