I swear I did not put that squash and those tomatoes in this baby carriage. This person's just got it all figured out. I suppose you could have both a baby and a farmers' market to go to, but then you'd need a second cart.

Know what all this squash means? Farmers' markets will soon be shutting down for winter. Not Jean-Talon, Atwater, Maisonneuve and Lachine (they go year-round), but the Plateau Market, the Mile End Market, Verdun Market, and Frontenac Market all end in two weeks (the 17th of October for the Plateau; the 14th for Mile End; and the 16th for Frontenac and Verdun, as well as St-Henri, and Little Burgundy). The Outremont market is already closed.

So you need to take advantage of farm-fresh, local produce while you can. For some that means canning what produce is left, and for others that simply means a lot of tomato soup, corn if you can still find it, and stuffed or roasted peppers. Either way, I say you should bring a cart or carriage and save yourself a week of back pain. Then there's Thanksgiving coming up. Try getting a few pounds of potatoes, some squash or sweet potatoes, carrots, and a pound of apples home all by your lonesome. At least the market is still open for Thanksgiving. Here in Quebec we're lucky that we could actually do an entirely local (100-mile?) Thanksgiving, including the turkey. That's a fun challenge for your turkey weekend.

Thanksgiving is also a time to say what you're thankful for, and after a summer of farmers' markets, here's my list:
1. The sourdough bread at LaPerle et Son Boulanger, Plateau market, Sundays 10am-3pm until October 17th. In two weeks I'm going to have to start making my own sourdough bread because this is the best stuff in the world and I don't know where to get it outside of the bakeshop in Dunham. Montreal has other great bread, but this is heavenly - tangy and fresh - and the toasted hazelnut version makes my Sunday. Here's a video from the Marché Fermier website about LaPerle et Son Boulanger and their market breads. 2. Chili peppers from Les Jardins du Matin, Mile End Market, Thursdays until Oct. 14th, 4:30-8:30pm. Every time I bought a pound of long red chili peppers I got a funny look, and then a smile.

3. The sense of community that the markets create - the producers, the consumers, sometimes the music - all outside under tents. It's actually to the point where I see tents and automatically think farmers' market.

I'll also miss Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue because of the amazing feeling of standing on the edge of the water on a sunny summer day. I'll miss the McGill market because it feels like it just started growing. Each week feels bigger, with different vendors and more students experiencing a market for the first time. Mostly I'll miss the producers I met over the course of the summer - my farmer John and his tomatoes (that got better later in the summer. Good thing I stuck it out), and Stéphane from Jardin Biologique Kale et cie who doesn't even know my name.

I won't miss the beautiful teas from Ochado that I smelled every week and finally bought this week (both practical and in good etiquette since I'd had so many samples) because you can order them online. Also, the colder it gets, the more you need tea, but the less you want to make the trip to the farmers' market to get it. It's kind of counter-productive to make yourself cold in search of something to warm you up.

So if you really feel like you need a use for that cart, maybe October 18th is a good day to start thinking about having a baby. You know, once the markets are closed.