HighTales Alpaca Farm

Trying to keep warm this winter? Invest in toasty, warm boot, shoe, and slipper insoles made from alpaca felt! Available at the Marché Moncton Market at Exotic Fibres from HighTales Alpaca Farm, these insoles come in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses and can be custom-made to fit any footwear. Made from 100% alpaca wool, they are easy to care for and are durable. Created by Mike and Brenda Urquhart of Portage Vale, New Brunswick, their wonderful kiosk at the market also carries such alpaca-related products as skeins of yarn and their handmade MoonGate soap perfect for sensitive skin, acne, allergies, or eczema.

For Mike and Brenda, rearing alpacas is a labour of love. The perfect challenge for this retired couple, HighTale Farm has been a rewarding venture. Their group of 23 alpacas is now an extended family of sorts, each displaying a distinct personality all its own. "They are gentle, curious, intelligent, and playful," says Brenda. Native to the high Andes of South America, alpacas are kin to the camel. One of the earliest domesticated creatures on earth, they have had a working relationship with humans that go back 7,000 years which is longer than that between humans and the horse. Hardy creatures, alpacas can tolerate harsh climate conditions, so they adapt well to New Brunswick’s cold wintertime temperatures.

A hands-on couple, Mike and Brenda not only rear this family of exotic creatures, but they shear them regularly, sending their fleece to the "Legacy Lane" fibre mill in Markhamville where some of the fleece is prepared and blended with bamboo and Australian merino wool to produce wonderful yarns with natural brown and/or black colouring. Brenda also knits profusely and has a great selection of hats, mitts, socks, and alpaca wool-filled pillows for sale at the market. Durable and easy-care, HighTales yarn is easily cleaned using mild soap and warm water or by dry cleaning.

Brenda and Mike can be found at the market in the fall and winter, but take the spring and summer away from the market to attend to their brood onsite. Feel free to visit them at 949 Portage Vale Road in Portage Vale, but call ahead at (506) 756-8234 or e-mail at mailto:urqum@nbnet.nb.ca for more information. A truly remarkable couple, Mike and Brenda also have one llama and a menagerie of cats and dogs. A talented photographer, be sure to enjoy Mike’s gallery of warm-hearted moments with their special family of wonderful animals! Below are a few "alpaca facts":

Alpaca fibre:
* is an environmentally-friendly fibre
* is processed pollution free as well – the gentle citrus-based soap used to wash the fibre is 100% biodegradable
* is a versatile, renewable resource – alpacas are glad to share their fibre (sheared annually and without harm) before the heat of the summer
* is lightweight with high thermal qualities
* is durable – archeologists have found alpaca textiles dated over 2,000 years old
* is strongest animal fibre in the world
* is water resistant – precipitation is not readily absorbed, allowing the wearer to remain warm and dry, also wicks moisture away
* does not easily pill, stain or create static
* boasts 22 natural earth tone colours
* was a favourite of Princess Diana who had 17 alpaca suits
* has a "POO" by-product – PH balance, an excellent, natural, slow-release and low-odour fertilizer
* has major producers of hair fibre from Peru – 4,000 tons annually

Aliper’s Hearth Organic Bakery and Chocolate Shop

Aliper’s Hearth Organic Bakery and Chocolate Shop is a wonderful bake shop filled with homey charm, exuding the goodness of home cooking in finely crafted baked goods, confectionary, and hearty soups. Located at 38 York Street in Downtown Sackville, NB, Aliper’s Hearth specializes in freshly baked goods, cakes, cookies, and soups all made from the finest ingredients. Organic and gluten-free, Aliper’s Hearth offers up daily specials including lunches that include a side of tasty, fresh bread. A few of their regular specialties include such diverse choices as Red Fife, multigrain bread, kayak bread, beer bread, baguettes, focaccia, challah, rice bread, and a variety of cookies and muffins. There are tasty elf cakes, flax squares, cupcakes, and handmade, organic, fair-trade dark chocolate treats! Their vegan groundnut soup is a triumph of taste – spicy, rich, and hearty, served up with Portugese cornbread! A smorgasbord of desserts include dark chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate creme filling and yummy frosting. Wholesome, delicious, and filled with goodness, Aliper’s Hearth’s fare is all about healthy eating! Need a cake for a special occasion? Aliper’s Hearth can custom-make organic and gluten-free cakes for your special day. A champion of fair trade, Aliper’s Hearth wholeheartedly believes in global opportunity for all the small entrepreneurs of the world!

Aliper’s Hearth is located in a snug spot of the rear of The Cackling Goose Health Food and gift emporium. A beehive of activity from 10 am to 6 pm Tuesday to Friday and 11 am to 4 pm on Saturday, Aliper’s Hearth hums along with the help of owner/operator Marsha and her team of three part-time employees. Marsha credits her wonderful father with instilling in her a love of cooking and an appreciation for good, healthy food! A graduate of Mount Allison University, Marsha’s foray into the working world in career choices related to her field of study kept pulling her back to her passion for cooking! The result is a bakery with a distinct difference. Here, Marsha has combined her love of research and study with the art of cookery by exploring historical recipes from bygone eras, bringing back to life the culinary culture of millennia past. For example, Marsha’s black currant barley cakes date from the Medieval Age when they were a favourite treat at the court of Camelot. Other food offerings have illustrious origins that have opened up windows into the evolution of favourite food choices throughout the ages, and Marsha and her team find much fulfilment in bringing these specialities to an increasingly grateful clientele.

For more information on Aliper’s Hearth or to order any of the weekly specials, call (506) 939-OVEN (6836), or make it a point to visit this exceptional bakery. For a preview of offerings, consult the Winter Baking Schedule listed below. Enjoy!

Tuesday
Portuguese Corn Bread
Red Fife – stone ground whole wheat
Honey Red Fife – stone ground whole wheat sweetened with local honey

Raisin and Spice Red Fife – whole wheat with organic raisins

Cinnamon Buns with organic apple or pecans

Wednesday
Rye/Multigrain Bread – our healthy sourdough hearth bread loaded with 12 organic grains
Walnut Multigrain Bread – rye multigrain sourdough with organic walnuts
‘Kayak Bread’ – rye multigrain sourdough with local cranberries, organic apricots, organic walnuts and organic dark chocolate all in one loaf – portable nutrition for the active lifestyle!
Beer Bread – a light rye sourdough bread made with local Picaroons porter beer and ground flax.
Spelt Bran Muffins – with fair-trade organic blackstrap molasses and organic raisins.

Thursday
Daily Bread – a lighter bread of unbleached wheat flour, ‘kamut’ flour, cracked wheat, sesame seeds and ground flax seeds; all organic.
Baguettes – made with our Daily Bread dough and stuffed with: black kalamata olives and ground rosemary, sundried tomatoes and spices, organic pumpkin seeds, and cheese/garlic/sundried tomatoes and spices
Focaccia – Genovese flat bread topped with olive oil and spices
Pizza dough – organic dough sold by the kilo
Challah – sweet braided egg bread topped with sesame and poppy seeds; non-vegan
Portobello mushroom pate – vegan and gluten-free; good cold or hot

Gluten-free Friday!
Rice Bread – made with organic brown rice flour, plain or raisin-spice; un-yeasted
Gluten-free Rice Muffins – in a variety of flavours; also yeast-free
Yeasted 5" Rice-flour ‘Pizza Rounds’ – a good alternative to English muffins/crumpets
Our Hummus, Pesto (in season), Mushroom Pate and Double-Ginger Butter Cookies are all Gluten free as well.

Sweets’n’treats Saturday
A day for creativity here at the Hearth. No telling what treat will come out today! Check in every Saturday for what’s new!

Available throughout the week:
‘Elfcakes’ – three ways to eat ‘em: plain, maple-filled, or Dark chocolate-drizzled
‘Flax Squares’ – a raspberry filled delight
Black Currant Barley cakes – a mediaeval delight fit for the banquet halls of Camelot!
Double-Ginger Butter Cookies – nothing to say but ‘Mmmm’
Organic Rolled Oat All Butter Cookies – in a variety of flavours.
Mocha Muffins – a vegan choice in dark chocolate and locally-roasted coffee, both fair-trade and organic
Our selection of hand-made organic fair-trade dark chocolate delights

Louisa Martin-Dugay's Pottery

Local farmers markets are a great venue to showcase the talents of area artisans who not only provide items that reflect their individual personalities, but create a treasure trove of crafts that reflect our region. At the Marché Moncton Market, Louisa Martin-Dugay is such an artist. With pottery as her medium, Louisa’s unique vision is captured in whimsical, yet practical art in a range of pieces that encompasses platters, plates, dishes, bowls, cups, mugs, vases, napkin rings, and even pendants. Utilizing “landscape” glazes in earthy tones from nature, Louisa also borrows her motifs from nature in dragonfly, coy fish, frog, flower, and insect representations. Handcrafted in freeform, almost rustic finishes, Louisa’s pottery contains colours that evoke natural landscapes and imagery bordering on flights of fancy that are a delight to the senses.

A seasonal potter, Louisa came to her craft at the bidding of her husband who not only passed on to her his pottery equipment, but gave her the impetus to explore her own talent. “It was an ultimatum from him, really,” says Louisa, who has blossomed as an artist in her own right.

Louisa’s pottery is featured on a regular basis at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre’s Studio de Poterie at 4-140 Botsford Street in the heart of the city centre. Contact the studio at (506) 855-1919 or drop in to inquire about classes if you wish to try your hand at pottery. There are classes for all ages including individuals and groups. If you are interested in Louisa’s work, visit her kiosk at the market on Saturdays where you’ll be enchanted by the beauty of her works! Enjoy!