Most people are aware of the benefits of eating locally. Not only does fresh taste better, but eating locally supports farmers, helps reduce our carbon footprint, and strengthens the local economy. Chefs, authors, and activists alike have been spreading the word, and people are listening. Many restaurants now offer local fare, and the term 'locavore' has become a part of the Canadian vocabulary.

For the organizers of the Stonegate Farmers Market in South-East Etobicoke, this is not the end of the story.

On June 23d the market will open for its 5th season, with more farmers on board. Every Tuesday, as always, the church parking lot where the market is held will be transformed into a bustling hub of activity, with tables of brightly colored produce, the smell of freshly baked bread, and vendors selling everything from pastries to pasta sauce. There will be musicians, weekly events, even a masseuse. And people will shop as they would at any of the other markets in the GTA.

For Stonegate, however, the market is more than just a sustainable alternative to the grocery store. The market is organized in part by the Stonegate Community Health Centre, where staff see first-hand the effects of social isolation and food insecurity in this culturally diverse and often low-income community.  The market provides fresh, high-quality produce for local residents who may otherwise have limited access to it, and the Health Centre has been working on ways to make the produce even more accessible, offering subsidies, and making links between the farmers and centre programming.  The market is also an important local gathering place, where people from all walks of life can come together and enjoy entertainment, cooking demonstrations, hands-on activities and - of course - food.

The Stonegate Farmers Market runs Tuesdays from June 23^rd to October 6^th, from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., at 194 Park Lawn Road, in the parking lot of the St. James' Humber Bay Anglican Church.

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