This Week At The RFM (Wed Sep 11 & Sat Sep 14)
This week you can find us on Wednesday, September 11 and Saturday, September 14 from 9 am to 1 pm. Farmers’ markets take place on City Square Plaza until October 12, at which point we move to our indoor location at Core Ritchie Neighbourhood Centre.
What’s in season RIGHT now (and where can I find it)?
Weather Forecast Says: Rainy Wednesday, Sunny Saturday
Click the dates below to visit our Market Calendar and see a Market Map complete list of scheduled vendors (updated the evening before market):
Wednesday, September 11 (9am-1pm)
Saturday September 14 (9am-1pm)
What’s In Season RIGHT Now (And Where Can I Find It)?
Onions - Now's the time to start stocking up on this pungent, healthy, and delicious multipurpose allium!
Peppers - From sweet to spicy, you'll still find lots to choose from! Check out the beauties pictures above from Rocky Acres Orchard!
Gourds & Squash – with an incredible number of varieties to choose from, ranging from zucchinis to patty pans to spaghettis, acorns, and more, the Sask squash options are nearly endless! And we’re just getting started… lookout for more varieties to keep appearing at every market from now until Thanksgiving... like these pretty gourds from Rocky Acres Orchard.
Apples – Whether you fancy crab apples or Honey Crisps, you will find lots of apples to choose from right now at the market. Looks for Saskatchewan-grown fruit at Heliotrope, Over the Hill, and Rocky Acres, and BC-grown varieties at Kim’s Fresh Fruit!
Weather Forecast Says: Rainy Wednesday, Sunny Saturday
We've noticed that there is certainly a crispness in the air these days and the sun is just beginning to rise when we arrive to set up the market at City Square Plaza. We know this means that the dog days of summer have passed and surely autumn is on the way. We're hoping for some warm sunny market days before the arrival of the white fluffy stuff but, as always, we will take what we get!
This Saturday is predicted to be a warm and sunny day (hooray!) but Wednesday will very likely be cool and wet. A little rain doesn't stop our most dedicated vendors from coming to market and we hope it won't stop you either! You'll still be able to find all of your favourite items like honey, fresh baking, fruit, prepared meals, locally raised meats, and mountains of fresh Saskatchewan-grown vegetables. Pull on your rubber boots and grab your umbrella and join us to enjoy the local bounty available at this time of year!
Customer Reward (Sep 11) – Lincoln Gardens
Boasting a veggie selection from aubergine to zucchini, Lincoln Gardens has been a part of the market since approximately 1999. Located in the Qu’Appelle Valley near Lumsden, Lincoln has always been a market garden; operating their own country market in addition to vending at the RFM.
Lincoln is a vegetable, herb, and pumpkin farm, with 130 acres currently under production. Almost 30 acres are organic and the remaining 100 are a combination of organic and IPM production. They are passionate about food, sustainable farming, and providing healthy vegetables and fruits to customers.
At the head of the production side of the operation is Wayne Gienow, a 3rd generation market gardener who purchased and started operating Lincoln Gardens in 1987. He selects the plant varieties, plants the seeds in late February-early March, and organizes the labour necessary to operate the farm. His passion for the farm is very evident as he’ll most likely be found in the field until 9 or 10pm doing land-work or checking irrigation.
Stop by Lincoln Gardens’ booth and say hi to Wayne while you stock up on an entire alphabet of fresh produce! PLUS, if you've collected 20+ RFM customer reward punches (powered by the Flok app), redeem them on Wednesday, September 11 for a whopping $20 off your purchase from Lincoln Gardens!
Rainy Day Chili Recipe: Hello, Cozy Comfort Food!
Hello folks! RFM Operations Manager, Holly, here. With the cool day ahead this Wednesday, I'm planning to make a big pot of chili for my family to help warm us from the inside out. I'm sharing my recipe today but I can't claim full credit for it as it sprung from my Grandma Laird's recipe (or as we called her--Nanny). Before she passed away, Nanny made me a handwritten cookbook containing all of her tried and tested (and super-secret) recipes. I've put my own spin on this one over time but I still consider it a collaboration with her as that's where it all started. If you're interested in making a pot for yourself you can pick up most of the ingredients at the market!
*2lbs ground meat (I like a mixture of beef from JE Ranch and wild boar from Golden Prairie Wild Boar)
*1 large onion (Waldeck Colony)
*3 toes of garlic (The Garlic Garden)
*6 ribs of celery (Heliotrope Farms)
*2 large bell peppers (Lincoln Gardens)
*2x 540ml cans of kidney beans (or 1 cup dried - soaked and cooked)
*1x 398ml can of black beans (or 0.5cup dried- soaked and cooked)
*1x 398ml can of pinto beans (or 0.5cup dried - soaked and cooked)
*1 quart of canned tomatoes (drained) (Rocky Acres Orchard)
*1 500ml jar of salsa (Rocky Acres Orchard)
*lots of chili powder (3Tbsp?)
*salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Brown the beef with salt and pepper. Add the onion, celery, bell peppers and garlic. When the vegetables are cooked add the seasonings and combine. Add the tomatoes, beans, and salsa. Correct the seasoning and simmer for a 1/2 hour or longer.
If you want to make it spicy be sure to check out the wide variety of hot peppers available at Rocky Acres Orchard. They've got everything from scorpions to jalapenos!
Serve with a fresh bun from Mila's or Going with the Grain the ultimate comfort food!
Customer Reward (Sep 14) – Heliotrope Farms
One of the first veggie vendors to join us in the early days of our outdoor season every year, Heliotrope Farms is a favourite among many market customers. Established in 2004 by Hayley Lawford and Rick Letwinka, Heliotrope has been vending at the RFM for the past 15 years.
Located around 10km east of Craven, Heliotrope Farms is nestled in a spot of the Qu’Appelle Valley with its own natural spring. They use organic and bio-dynamic practices to grow for flavour instead of quantity, and plant by the calendar. Certain days are better for leaf or fruit crops, so they try to give all their plants the best start they can.
They also use compost teas (made by steeping compost in water) for all the fields, grow as many seeds as possible and start plants in greenhouses. Compost is the secret to making those veggies sing, as Heliotrope has a two-year cycle for their waste product; waste from this year will be put into the seedlings two years from now.
Find all your organic veggie needs at Heliotrope during your next market visit!
PLUS, if you've collected 20+ RFM customer reward punches (powered by the Flok app), redeem them on Saturday, September 14 for a free head of cabbage from Heliotrope Farms!
