Which way to Wychwood?

Last Saturday, my roommate Catherine and I woke up early to check out the farmers' market at the newly-renovated Artscape Wychwood Barns at St. Clair and Christie. The former streetcar repair barns got an eco-friendly makeover that still maintains the original feel of the place (high ceilings, exposed brick, plenty of natural light). The barns now house a daycare, a greenhouse, artists' studios and, on Saturday mornings from 9-12, the "covered street" barn hosts a farmers' market with lots of yummy, locally-grown fare. A dog park, a skating rink and a jungle gym surround the exterior and presumably provide endless hours of outdoor glee. Checking out the market was something that Catherine and I said we wanted to do since the barns opened at the end of November and now, after weeks of lip service, we were finally making the trek.

The market was bustling and smelled like breakfast, which is exactly how Saturday mornings should smell. We bought a cup of organic, fair-trade coffee for a buck fifty, tasted a chatty vendor's all-natural honey (Catherine bought a jar), sampled gluten-free blueberry scones and ogled the overprized cupcakes at the "healthy junkfood" stand (I prefer my junkfood junky). On our way out, beautiful blooms of oyster mushrooms caught our attention. We approached the vendor and inquired about his goods. "I'm the 'fun guy,'" he said and we laughed politely, quite enjoying his culinary pun.

The market is one of my new favourite things - a great neighbourhood gem that isn't a total zoo (this ain't no St. Lawrence Market of the north). The goods are pricey, but all of the items that we bought (organic lettuce, two loaves of bread and that honey I mentioned) were delicious. I'd say it's worth a peek, even just to check out the cool new renovations.