As many of you have noticed, Jan’s Country Pantry has not been at the market regularly this season. That is due to very low energy I’m experiencing because of very low iron. The iron pills aren’t getting the job done, so I will be having some iron infusions in early July and should be much improved after that. Thank you to those of you who have called to inquire about my well being. I hope to be at the market again very soon.
The next new vendor I’d like to introduce is Cindy of Omtoria. Cindy was born in Etobicoke and spent her summers and school holidays playing in the forest and lake systems of the Ottawa Valley. Her love of nature and everything natural can be traced to those childhood experiences. While very young, she helped her grandparents harvest food from their large vegetable garden. She shelled a few peas, ate some, then picked beans and ate some of those, fresh, raw and crisp. These experiences helped foster a love of gardening and nature. She developed an early understanding that we are all connected to nature and need nature to survive and flourish.
As Cindy got older, she felt herself pulled further from nature by the demands of being an adult and needing to work in the city. When her son was born, she was given a jar of “natural” cream. She liked the aroma and decided to look at the ingredients. She was horrified to see that most were not natural. That was a turning point for Cindy. She decided then that she would make something natural that would be just as good or better than the products currently available.
“Omtoria” is named after Cindy’s two moms—her mother-in-law, Omo, and her mother, Victoria. She thought that this would be a perfect way to celebrate Mother Nature and nurturing. Cindy studied aromatherapy and continues to study herbalism. She incorporates both into her products. She grows all of the medicinal plants that are used in Omtoria’s face cream and serum and infuses each one by hand. You can’t get botanical extracts fresher than that.
Every product from Omtoria is handmade with love by Cindy and each product is an original recipe that meets her strict criteria. She personally guarantees that each product is beneficial to the skin, body and soul. It must hydrate without clogging pores and smell divine through the use of safe essential oils and herbs that are used. These components must come from natural, organic sources and be safe for everyday use.
Cindy will be at the market just until the end of the month, so be sure to drop by her booth in the park to sample her wonderful products.
Our next Special Event is one of our most popular—Strawberry Fest. It takes place on Saturday, June 24th. There will be plenty of farm fresh, local strawberries, baked goods with strawberries and samples of fresh berries from our farmers. As usual, there will be crafts for the children and a draw for a market bag. Our entertainment will be provided by the fabulous Aurora Community Band. It should be a great day so plan to attend.
See you at the Market!