The Market Basket – Liberty Village MyMarket

Liberty Village MyMarket
Green P Parking lot, corner of Liberty Street and Atlantic Avenue
Sundays, 9am - 2pm
June 1st - November 2nd

In the summer months, our Sunday morning ritual almost always includes a walk over to Liberty and Atlantic for the Liberty Village Farmers market. Started last year as one of a few certified markets (in which all vendors must also be the producers of the goods they sell), it’s become one of our favourites not just because of the close proximity to home, but because of the great cross-section of vendors and items for sale.

With 13 – 15 vendors, including Thames River Melons, Leitch’s Honey, Monkton Organic Farms and Bakery, Bob and Julie Proracki and their sweet potatoes, Peterborough Buffalo Farms, Bizjak Farm and starting this week, Monforte Dairy, to name but a few, customers can cover almost all their fresh food needs in one stop.

Market manager Patrick Slimmon explains that the market got started with a grant from the Greenbelt Foundation to set up markets for farmers from the newly protected land. “Farmers' Markets Ontario, which runs markets throughout the province, chose Liberty Village for its great location, peaceful Sunday morning atmosphere, and its sophisticated and growing population,” he says.

Vendors are required to be certified as the producer of what they are selling, but the MyMarket group have loosened restrictions from last year and are now permitting more “value added” items at the booths, allowing things like baked goods made with the primary ingredient sold. For instance, when I ask about snacks available, Slimmon points out that, “all of our vendors have something you can eat right at market. Whether a freshly picked fruit or vegetable, a honey stick, a cookie, muffin, or pie made from peaches, cherries, or sweet potato, breakfast beef sandwich - (think peameal-on-a-bun, but beef) or even a stick of buffalo Jerky.”

Liberty Village Market doesn’t offer kid-specific activities, but there is live music and contest draws each week, as well as other specials like free massages, and a whole schedule of seasonal events such as the Canada Day Strawberry festival, Simcoe Day corn roast, Thanksgiving Harvest Day and more. It’s also dog-friendly, so it’s a fun mix of kids, dogs, shoppers and music. Slimmon says they’ve also got chef demos planned to coincide with some weekly events.

We shop at the Liberty Village market because it’s the closest one to home, but we’d probably visit this market regularly anyway. It’s got a good vibe, is professionally run with plenty of space for shoppers, and offers a diverse selection of produce, meats, cheese, eggs, bread and even cut flowers. It’s also a fun and relaxing way to spend a Sunday morning, and as Slimmon points out, “There is no fresher food available on Sunday morning in Toronto than can be found at the Liberty Village MyMarket!”