Celebrating the Day of Love: Simple Ideas for Non-Romantics on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a special time of year to celebrate love, but what if you're not in a romantic relationship? That doesn't mean you can't enjoy the holiday! Here are some simple things you can do on Valentine's Day to treat yourself and those around you with love and kindness.

1. Take care of your mental and physical health - Treat yourself to a relaxing spa day, go for a walk, or try a new workout. Doing something for yourself can help boost your mood and make you feel good.

2. Show love to your friends and family - Reach out to someone you care about and let them know how much you appreciate them. You could send a text, call, or write a letter.

3. Volunteer - Volunteering your time and energy to help others is a great way to feel good and spread love. Find a local organization in your community and offer to lend a hand.

4. Practice self-love - Do something that makes you happy and feel good about yourself. Read a book, try a new hobby, or simply take a relaxing bath.

5. Give back to your community - Donate clothes, food, or money to a local shelter or organization.

6. Cook a special meal - Cook your favorite meal or try a new recipe. Share it with friends, family or coworkers.

7. Watch a romantic movie or show - Whether you're single or not, watching a romantic movie or show can be a fun way to spend the evening.

8. Treat yourself - Buy yourself a small gift or treat. It could be something as simple as a favorite dessert or a new pair of shoes.

Valentine's Day can be a day to celebrate love, but that doesn't have to mean only romantic love. By focusing on self-care, spreading kindness, and being grateful for the people and experiences in your life, you can make it a special and memorable day.

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Supporting Aspiring Vendors: How the Spryfield Farmers Market is Encouraging Entrepreneurship in the Local Food Industry During the Off-Season

The off-season is the perfect time for aspiring entrepreneurs to start thinking about their business ideas for the coming spring season. And for those interested in starting a business in the local food industry, the Spryfield Farmers Market in Nova Scotia can be a valuable resource.

The Spryfield Farmers Market understands that starting a business can be a challenging and overwhelming process. That's why, even during the off-season, the market offers resources and support to help aspiring vendors get their businesses off the ground. From providing information on the regulations and requirements for selling at the market; to offering mentorship and networking opportunities, the Spryfield Farmers Market is committed to helping aspiring vendors succeed.

In addition to offering support, the Spryfield Farmers Market also provides a vibrant and supportive community of vendors and customers. By networking and building relationships with other like-minded entrepreneurs, aspiring vendors can gain valuable insights and advice on starting and growing their businesses.

For those interested in starting a business in the food industry, the Spryfield Farmers Market is the perfect place to take that first step. Whether you're looking to sell produce, prepared foods, or handmade goods, the market provides an ideal platform to get your business off the ground. With its supportive community and commitment to helping aspiring vendors succeed, the Spryfield Farmers Market is the perfect place to bring your business ideas to life.

So, if you're looking to start a business in the local food industry and make a positive impact on your community, be sure to fill out the vendor interest form. The off-season is the perfect time to start planning for the spring, and the market can help you achieve your goals and turn your business dreams into a reality.

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Buying Fresh - Eating Fresh

Three years ago, after having my second child I spent two years as a a homemaker. At the same time the Spryfield Farmers Market was opening it’s doors. The market became a place I could get “me time” every other Sunday. 

I enjoyed the social aspects and surrounding myself with crafty people. I learned more about community businesses and non-profits. I learned a lot about food seasonality, diversity and preparation. 

I have left every market wishing I had grabbed something else. To be honest this still happens today but I am learning to appreciate the true value of a market product. Here are a few things to consider every market trip.

What to buy at the Farmers Market?

I love treats! I love original crafted items! I love to get my family’s food from the Farmer’s Market. I don’t try to recreate our grocery basket, I aim for diversity. I buy what’s available rather than ingredients on a recipe card. This helps me vary the food we consume. Our menu remains simple and seasonal. 

I buy enough leafy greens to make a large salad mix base. A handful of nuts and there’s lunch through the first week. Root vegetables, cabbages, squashes like zucchinis will last well into the second week. Ask your farmers for instructions for how to keep your produce fresh, or find some tricks here: https://www.halfyourplate.ca/fruits-and-veggies/store-fruits-veggies/

Many thanks!

The Spryfield Farmers Market is ready to put the Market Tokens in circulation. We are only too happy for this opportunity to give back to our community. Thank you for everyone who have already supported our program in any ways. A big shout out to Brendan McGuire and his team for funding the start up cost of this innovative promotional program. Their support in buying our iconic tokens helped us leaps and bound. We truly hope this program makes the market stronger and better for our community. While doing so we are very proud of launching an initiative that will fight food insecurity.

To learn more click here to check out the CBC newspaper article from July 2019.

What’s in the garden with May at our doors?

It’s sometimes hard to imagine what is happening in the darkness of the earth when it is covered by snow piles. Now that the snow is gone and the ground is warming up, sprouts of greens are appearing. Bulbs like tulips and garlics are showing themselves through leaves dropped in the fall. Now, your grass may not be quite green yet, but your local farmers have been busy and there is fresh food to put on the tables. Here is a selection of produce you will find now by visiting your local farmers’ markets. Hope you will enjoy a few tips about how to store them and the delicious meals you can make with them.

The first things to come up from the ground in early May are:

Baby Kale: For green leaves, it's all about avoiding excess moisture. Store the bunch of kale (no elastics) in a large container with a napkin or a folded piece of paper towel. Keep it in the fridge. A fresh bunch will last you over a week.

Spinach: Same as the description for baby kale above. Make sure to inspect your spinach on a regular bases to get ride of any yellow or wilted leaves. This will allow you to enjoy your fresh spinach for much longer.

Green Onions: These can be store in a glass jar of fresh water for a few days. Changing the water daily will help to preserve your green onion. If you prefer you can store chives or green onions in a large plastic container. This way they will last for at least a week. You can lay them next to your greens in the same container. Or chop them ahead of time and store them in a smaller container in the fridge. This makes it very easy to add chopped onion in any dish.

Radish: Radish wrapped in a reused plastic bag will last for months. I recommend that you cut the greens fine and add them to your salad mix. Radish greens contain important nutrients and can help to fill out a healthy diet. Radish greens are an excellent source of vitamin C, with as much as 6 times more per serving than the radish itself. A unique antioxidant comes from radish greens as well as fiber and protein.

Click here for a quick Radish Greens Pesto recipe from Attainable-Sustainable. Pesto is amazing as salad dressing, in marinate or as sauce for pasta or sandwiches. It can keep for months in the freezer. Have fun and eat your yard!

When to buy starter plants?

If you haven’t plant your tomato seeds yet, don’t bother. To produce lots of ripe fruits these seedlings need the extra long season and early warm days that only extra lights and indoor warmth will give them.  They can be started in a heated greenhouse between March and April depending of where you live.  May is a good month to start hardening your seedling by placing them outside during the days and back in for the nights. They will be ready to plant in large pot or directly in the garden after the last risk of frost, which is usually around mothers’ day,

Next time you visit a farmers’ market and see a vendor that sell hand-picked varieties of tough starter plants don’t hesitate to spend a few buck. These plants and a bit of loving care will yield you such a crop you won’t regret the investment.

What to do with those dead leaves in April?

With April, comes the first interest of spending a bit more time in the yard, not for moving snow around but to enjoy ourselves. We finally get a glance out the window after work where the yard isn’t either pitch-black or absolutely covered with snow. The weekends are now accompanied by the sound of children playing outside and birds song. The warmth in the air also mean the the soil will soon be malleable and those leaves or branches you never got to last fall can finally get cleared. I usually get a flashback of bags of leaves at the curb, around this time of the year. Late fall, I put the leaves on the garden beds but, in the Spring, I prefer stirring the remaining leaves with my compost. Brown waste, food waste (green) and water are the healthy ingredient your compost pile need. I also like to simply rake out the leaves in the “living area” towards the bushes and mature trees. Trees can turn the nutrient that will decompose from the leave into large yield of fruits by the end of the summer. Don’t miss out on this free gem!