FARMER UPDATES: Glencolton, Earth Haven Farm, Mike Lanigan, Jim Giffen, and more...
In farmer news, Glencolton Farms returned last week to a strong welcome from customers and vendors alike. Occupying four tables and a bread rack along the west rainbow-painted wall of the Market space, Svenja and Elisa (photo above) were busy all morning taking care of customers -- both Village Market regulars who were discovering Glencolton Farms for the first time, and long-time blue-bus coop members who will now be coming the Village Market to pick up their orders on Saturday mornings. Glencolton Farms sells organic meat, breads and other farm baking and produce. The big news for this Saturday April 14th is that farmer Michael Schmidt plans to be at the Market in person!
Baker Vitold Kreutzer, whose bakery is being taken over by Glencolton Farms, was there as well to help get things off to a good start. Vitold may be at the Market again this Saturday. We'll see. In any case, his bread and other baked goods will be at the Market even if he is not!
Braden, Earth Haven Farms new apprentice, was at the Village Market to represent the farm, with a full table of preserves, grain products from Loon Song biodynamic farm, black beans, maple sap, and much more. Earth Haven plans to be at the Village Market regularly now, all through the growing season at least.
 Long-time Village Market main farmer Mike Lanigan surprised us all with fresh-dug over-wintered parsnips last Saturday. That's Mike's son, Rowan, who helps run the farm, with a tray of fresh-dug parsnips, at the Market last Saturday. And Mike still has the baby leaf spinach grown inside his greenhouse, which first appeared at the Market a few weeks ago.
Of course farmer Jim Giffen has had local organic baby spinach and baby salad greens all winter long, from his greenhouses on his farm northwest of Barrie. And he still has them.
Brampton-area organic farmer Peter Seenath likewise has been selling mixed baby greens from his greenhouses all winter, along with periodic harvests of other winter greenhouse crops such as chard, kale and even a few cucumbers once.
Secret Lands Farm, which was away last Saturday, is expected to be back April 14th with their full line of sheep milk products and meats.
Country Meadows farmer Linda Kapeleris is finding that the cold dark weather is resulting in slower than usual growth of her garden plants which she usually brings to the Village Market for the start of May. As a result, she's leaving Angelo in charge of the greenhouses while she jets off to somewhere where it's sunny and warm for a couple of weeks. This means she won't be at the Market April 14th or 21st. Look for her again on the 28th. And her garden plants may not be ready for the beginning of May. We'll have to see how things progress.
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Birgitta Adrian-Morley will be back at the Market this Saturday with her soaps and creams. 
