Leslieville Farmers’ Market

I haven’t had much luck with tracking down 100% grass fed beef or pastured eggs for a reasonable price at markets in Toronto. On a whim I decided to try this market as it’s fairly close to home. I was really impressed. I showed up several hours into the day and the vendors were still stocked on most things. I found grass fed beef cheaper than any other source I’ve located, I found pastured eggs cheaper than I usually pay, and as a bonus there was a Monforte Dairy booth to sell me one of my favorite cheddars. The trip was well worth it and may become a Sunday morning regular.

The best thing about this market is the community vibe. I like that people dig it enough to come, throw down a blanket, and hang out there after making their purchases. Okay so yah, some of the stalls are local businesses; why is that a bad thing? Maybe people would be content if the name was changed to Leslieville Community Market. I have enjoyed having lunch here; last time I tried a sausage from City Gourmet that was really good! Today I think I may give the jerk chicken a go. Yum!!! There is a good selection of vendors offering produce, meat products, cheese, flowers, baked goods, honey, and so on. Totally worth checking out if you are in the east side!

This is a wonderful example of a neighborhood, park-​based farmers market.
You can tell it’s a neighborhood scene because of all the strollers and dogs (this is the Beaches!).
No-​one has to drive here (which is how farmers markets solve the problem of pedestrianizing the city and the food system!), so it’s just another part of a family outing — which is what food shopping with neighbors should be like. Whoever said the place to buy food is in an air-​chilled supermarket.
The range of choice for a small market is incredible, especially in ready-​to-​eat food. There’s a stand there for first-​rate processed tofu, that tastes as different from store tofu as fresh-​baked bread does from store bread. There’s fresh roasted coffee, from solar roasters, from Merchants of Green Coffee. There’s horizontally readed cacao from mexico, mixing it up with as many Ontario ingredients as possible. There are two bakers and a fish place.
Fresh-​farmed food is also plentiful.
Bought some fantastic sour cherries (they had about 3 kinds) from the Local Sustainable Plus-​certified Bizjak Farm in Niagara. Bought some calaloo, the delicious and nutritious green popular in the Caribbean from Ujama Farm, grown by youth in North Toronto.
Lots of natural meat products, but I didn’t try any.
Had a great drum band the day I was there.
In my e-​book on Food for CIty Building, I try to make the case that parks should sponsor farmers markets as a way to support artisanal producers, and save them from having to have the upfront capital to lease a storefront over a long time, and as a way to build neighborhood spirit and togetherness.
My wife and I came here after working out Sunday morning at the local gym. We met about 5 people we knew from the gym and introduced ourselves.
This is what farmers markets do!

Not really a farmers market but more like a country market. I can only give 3 stars because although I like going here on Sundays for the lunch, I hardly can consider it a farmers market given the limited number of farmers selling their goods. They really only have one farmer selling artificial non-​organic but priced organic claiming to be certified locally sustainable. I’m not sure what that means but people seem to fall for it. He also uses terms such as lightly sprayed when it comes to the chemicals he uses on his produce. I have no problem with someone selling non-​organic, just don’t pretend and create all these confusing terms. I feel an obligation to mention this because it feels very deceptive to me and takes away from those who truly do sell organic. I don’t want to take away from the fun of this market, it is a lot of fun with great vendors selling everything you would find at a country market and it is worth checking out. I would just not bother buying the produce that is lightly sprayed certified locally sustainable for a premium when you can buy the same stuff at the supermarket equally sprayed with chemicals for half the price.

Since when have «Farmer’s Markets» become «Shop Owner’s Markets»?
It’s hard to call this a Farmer’s Market when more than half of the vendors are shop owners and restaurateurs in Leslieville.
I went on a nice summer’s morning in August 2012. It’s the park next to McD’s between Eastern and Queen. In total about 20 – 25 vendors and it took us about 15 – 20 minutes to get through.
There were a number of vendors offering prepared breakfast foods like waffles, mini pizzas, healthy smoothies, bacon crustinis and other items.
Of the vendors who looked like farmers, the produce was fresh and nice looking. It was a bit on the side of expensive as some farmer’s market can sometimes be. One vendor was selling wild blueberries at $ 9.00 a pint. I don’t think this is over the top for wild blueberries but it’s outta my realm.
There were booths selling honey, eggs, cheese, mushrooms, peaches, sprouts, as well as carrots, beets, etc.
Of the vendors who were retailers and restaurateurs, I can remember Merchants of Green Coffee, Le Petit Matin, Le Papillon on the Park, Le Canadian Pie Company, and LPK. I wanted to have a look at the baked goods at Le Matin but the swarming wasps made it hard to get close but they did look really nice. LPK was selling beautifully made ice cream sandwiches and they are delicious.
The karaōke style music being played and sung by two guys with a fully amped guitars in the centre of the area was too loud and kind of awful (someone please take his mike away). It detracted from the quiet Sunday morning ambiance.

Great mix of different types of stands. Various meat, cheese, produce, wool, food vendors. Everyone is friendly and proud of their products and take the time to explain where they come from and how they are grown/​raised.
The prices are typical, and kept competitive by having a decent selection of vendors to choose from.
Most definitely you want to check this out for your organic food needs!

I visited this market for the first time on the gorgeous Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. I am so very in love. The market runs from June to October, on Sundays (9 – 2), which is the perfect time for a farmers’ market. Rather than rushing in on the way home from work, you can spend some time snacking, relaxing, and chatting with vendors who, I discovered, are very very friendly.
The market is in an open park area, so there’s lots of room to wander around. The fifteen or so vendor booths are set up in a circle around a central area where (this visit) there was a duo playing folk music on guitar and hand drum alongside a couple of families lazing on blankets and enjoying the sun.
There are a few places serving up yummy snacks to nibble as you wander around (one vegan place, one gluten free bakery serving ICE CREAM SANDWICHES!, a place doing waffles, and a fish stand frying up fish cakes), as well as someone selling mugs of locally roasted coffee. There’s a couple of beef/​pork vendors as well as local fish (we bought Lake Erie pickerel — what a treat!), a specialty garlic vendor, and a good selection of produce-​sellers. Among other things.
Thank you, Leslieville Farmers’ Market, for being in my new neighbourhood! I can’t wait to visit next Sunday.