Farm Friday: St. Lawrence North Farmers’ Market

Name: St. Lawrence North Farmers’ Market
Location: Front & Jarvis, North Building
Date & Time: Every Saturday, year-round, 8am – 2pm
# of booths: 49
Contact: 416.392.7130

A roundup of farmers’ markets in the city would be incomplete without mentioning Toronto’s oldest and most recognized market. Founded in 1803 by governor Peter Hunter when the immediate neighbourhood was designated ‘Market Block’, the St. Lawrence North Farmers’ Market has loyal shoppers who have frequented the market since they were toddlers with their mothers.

While the Saturday market has been a landmark for over 200 years, the St. Lawrence South Market, housed in Toronto’s first City Hall building, has been open throughout the week since 1903. Currently, they are open daily from Tuesday to Saturday. The St. Lawrence Market is a recognized tourist attraction, acknowledged by TripAdvisor as one of the top places to visit while in Toronto. The South building is home to 67 full-time vendors, while the North Building’s Saturday market is home to 49 farmers.

Of course, a building that has been around already been rebuilt four times since 1803 has many issues in keeping up with the demands of an ever-growing market. There is no hard-wired electricity in the North Building, and therefore farmers who require refrigeration or the use of electronic scales must hook up to extension cords hung from the ceiling – with wires so frayed and taped together that the power frequently cuts out on vendors. Jorge De Andrade, owner of Uncle Jacob’s Farm, experienced problems with his electricity just this past Saturday. In order to properly price his produce, he usually weighs it. “I’ve fixed the price to your advantage, my scales not working” he tells one shopper purchasing summer squash.

Market manager, Jorge Carvalho, recognizes the inflexibility of the building that he has seen deteriorate in his 34 years as market manager. “It was not built thinking of the future,” he says, adding that they try to rent it out during the week, but it’s simply too hard to modernize and decorate for functions.

De Andrade eagerly anticipates the building of the new North market, but knows that it will come with a little instability. “At the back of my mind, I know it’s going to be a struggle for the next three years, but you have to have a positive attitude, and I know that my loyal customers will continue to support me.”

Carvalho says that the goal in the upcoming year is to make the move from the North market, to the temporary building behind the South building and back to the new building as impact-less as possible. “The farmers will one Saturday be in the north market, and the next Saturday be at the south market, so it will be uninterrupted service. It won’t go down even for one day,” he says.

De Andrade has been a staple at the market for the past five years, selling free range chicken and turkey as well as a variety of lettuce, squash, mushrooms and tomatoes. At this past Saturday’s market he brought with him some of his flock – duck and turkeys – that were located at the West exit, just outside from his booth. “I like to teach people about how the animals are raised and it adds a positive feeling to the meat you are selling and the people you are selling it to.”

Shopping at the market could yield everything you need for the week, from all-natural peanut butter from Internuts Co. to kefir yoghurt from MC Dairy to a wide variety of berries, peaches, peppers and beans which are all in season, on the markets website, there is even a handy guide with a map and booth location for all vendors and a description of their products. For the best sausage from El Gaucho Chorizos you have to arrive early in the morning, otherwise expect an empty refrigerator. A trip to the market is incomplete without a stop in the South Market for St. Urbane Bagels for their Montreal-style bagels baked fresh in a traditional brick oven right in the market.

Corn season started early this year, which means that we’re in for a long fall of sweet & sour and peaches and cream flavoured succulent and juicy corn. It also meant that this Saturday the market held it’s Annual Corn Roast. The market regularly holds events as a thank-you to their long-time customers and to generate interest for new clients, such as the corn roast and strawberry social at the beginning of their seasons.

With a line-up outside the west side of the building, winding through the crafter booths, it was obvious how popular events like this one are. For free corn on the cob, roasted over a fire, shucked and dipped into a vat of butter, who wouldn’t be excited?