Locavore News — Ontario

NOTE to Locavore News Readers: Locavore News has been and will remain erratic for some time. There’s has been a stay in hospital here. A routine should return in the new year. Editor, Elbert.

Bilingual Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference

Live! Today @ 9 AM EST, December 1, 2011

 

In recognition of the Conference’s focus on farm business management models and practices, the Canadian Farm Business Management Council is broadcasting the full-day event online through its Agriwebinar® system at no cost to participants.

 

The Agriwebinar broadcast runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (ET) and includes:

 

* The keynote address, ‘Forging a Healthy Food System: Vermont’s New Path,’ will be given by Tom Stearns, president of the Center for an Agricultural Economy and High Mowing Seeds in Vermont. Stearns will share some of Vermont’s successes in building a local food system.

 

* A panel of Eastern Ontario local food advocates will share their diverse projects dedicated to scaling up the regional food system.

 

* The Local Food Consumer: an update from Foodland Ontario

 

* Measuring Economic Success of Local Food Initiatives

 

* Accessing the Retail Market

The Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference is a partnership between the Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation (GCFDC) – a community-based, non-profit corporation funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario – and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), with the support of many other organizations and partners.

 

Not registered yet? Click here to register.*

*If you have filled out the Registration form on Agriwebinar.com, you are already registered. A single registration gives you access to all live and recorded webinars. Just log in to the Live Webinars section to log into the webinar.

Registration|Inscription

Upcoming Webinars | Programme

Past Webinars |Archives

Live Webinars | Webinaires en direct

 

 

Locavore News — World

The Girl Scouts’ New Locavore Badge: What You Have to Do to Earn It

Last week, NPR reported that the Girl Scouts of the USA had just revised its badges for the first time in 20 years. The update included introducing a new “Locavore” badge for senior scouts ages 14-16. But what do the scouts have to do to earn it? A fair amount of research. SFoodie just obtained a copy of the locavore badge guide from the Girl Scouts of Northern California, and the steps required constitute a solid course in local food sourcing and cooking. The girls start out slowly, first interviewing a local cook or a grocery store manager about the food system, and then identifying seasons when certain fruits and vegetables grow locally or ferreting through their fridge to identify products they can find local substitutes for. San Francisco Weekly blog.

 

Carrot City: Creating Places for Urban Agriculture – the book

Showcasing the best examples of current design, Carrot City presents strategies for reintroducing urban agriculture to our cities. Over forty innovative projects explore creative approaches to making space for urban food production, ranging from ambitious urban plans to simple measures for growing food at home. Carrot City demonstrates how the production of food can lead to visually striking and artistically interesting solutions that create community and provide residents with immediate access to fresh, healthful ingredients. Written by Mark Gorgolewski, June Komisar and Joe Nasr. Book announcement.

 

Carrot City: Designing for Urban Agriculture – the exhibit

Carrot City is a traveling exhibit that shows how the design of buildings and cities can enable the production of food in the city. It explores the relationships between design and urban food systems as well as the impact that agricultural issues have on the design of urban spaces and buildings. The exhibit explores these issues at four different scales, the city scale, the community scale, home and work and the products that make all of this possible. This traveling exhibition was first mounted from February to April 2009 at the Design Exchange in Toronto, and has since been shown in Montreal, New York City and Providence, USA and Berlin, Germany. It is now in Hartford, CT, USA. Website.

 

Locavore-dom taken to the extreme—by bike

I stepped out onto my front porch one day this summer just in time to see my farmer pedaling down the street with a trailer full of tools. To an outsider, such a vision must seem like a sketch right out of Portlandia, the television show that spoofs my hometown’s supposedly eccentric ways. Here in real-world Portland, however, it’s a normal sight. The farm from which I get most of my vegetables, aptly named Sidewalk’s End, is one of several local examples of something called “dispersed urban agriculture.” Rather than farming all in one place, the two young farmers who run Sidewalk’s End, Holly Mills and Caitlin Arnold, cultivate five urban backyards around southeast Portland. To get from one to the next, they often use bikes. Grist story.

 

US Food Policy Council List

The following list includes councils of various types, with different approaches and at various stages of development. Due to the evolving nature of this work, we recommend that you check with the council to ensure accuracy of the information below. Also, if you would like us to add your council to this list or if the information included here for your council is incorrect, please email mark@foodsecurity.org. Community Food Security Coalition post.

 

Sherri Harvel

Growing up, Sherri Harvel did not want to be a farmer; she really didn’t know anything about farming at all. One day someone knocked on her door at her apartment complex asking if she wanted a space in the community garden. “I just said yes, I don’t think I thought about it too much,” says Sherri. And just like that, she began growing food for herself and her family. Farm Aid post.

 

As Farmers’ Markets Go Mainstream, Some Fear a Glut

John Spineti started selling plump tomatoes and shiny squash at farmers’ markets in the early 1970s and saw his profits boom as markets became more popular. But just as farmers’ markets have become mainstream, Mr. Spineti said business has gone bust. John Spineti started selling plump tomatoes and shiny squash at farmers’ markets in the early 1970s and saw his profits boom as markets became more popular. But just as farmers’ markets have become mainstream, Mr. Spineti said business has gone bust. The New York Times story.

 

Eco Etiquette: What’s The Greenest Thanksgiving Turkey?

I’m about to order my Thanksgiving turkey and I’d like to get my family the healthiest, most eco-sensitive one I can afford. What are my options?

Above all, the best way to find a truly tree-hugging turkey is to know who raised it; so trot over to your local farmers market to see if anyone is taking orders for Thanksgiving turkeys, or find a sustainable farm near you via LocalHarvest or Eatwild. If you’re concerned about cost, take an approach that won’t ruffle any feathers: Buy a smaller bird, and make up the difference with an extra side dish or a larger portion of stuffing. Your guests will gobble it up! Huffington Post post.

 

Sacramento foodie’s cookbook will drive locavores wild

Are you the type of person who fishes shad out of the Sacramento River and who treks along the American River to forage for blackberries, fennel, miner’s lettuce and all sorts of other goodies? Do you go down to Napa to shoot wild turkeys grown fat on thieved grapes from the vineyards or crawl into Dixon to blow away a few quail for dinner? Local food writer Hank Shaw is best known for his food blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook (http://honest-food.net), where he chronicles his gourmet approach to wild food. Shaw has recently come out with a new book: Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast (Rodale, $25.99) is the must read for the hunter/fisher/forager and all-around foodie. Sacramento News & Review review.

 

Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books, September 16, 2011

Suszko, Marilou K. The Locavore’s Kitchen: A Cook’s Guide to Seasonal Eating and Preserving. Ohio Univ. 2011. 284p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780821419380. pap. $32.95. COOKING

As foodie culture goes mainstream, more and more of the American public will be talking about eating seasonal, locally sourced produce and meat. In this entry in a cookbook genre that is quickly becoming crowded, Suszko (Farms & Foods of Ohio) gives a contemporary nod to the old ways with simple, traditional recipes and a chapter on preserving. This is not a glossy, flashy book; it has few photos and illustrations (the tutorial on canning, however, is fully illustrated with photos). But it is stuffed with classic dishes (arranged by season) like roast chicken, peach pie, and beef stew as well as more contemporary recipes, including Roasted Sweet Potato Mash with Cider and Ginger, Sweet Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce, and Pesto-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. Sidebars expertly explain things like the difference between free-range and pastured chicken or the storage recommendations for various produce. Verdict Although its understated aesthetics may cause some to overlook this cookbook, it is chock-full of recipes people will want to cook. Highly recommended.—Ann Wilberton, Pace Univ. Lib., New York. Library Journal review. (about 10^th book in list)

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

Tanya Steel on the Locavore Movement

Tanya Steel, editor in chief of Epicurious.com, discusses the Locavore movement. Video. (Ad precedes video)

 

Locavore News — Events

New Announcements

 

Dig-In Downtown, Guelph October 14 until October 28

The Downtown Guelph Business Association (DGBA) has just produced it’s 2012 Dining Guide featuring the more than 50 food establishments found within the heart of Guelph, many of which are participating in this harvest celebration. During this two-week period, these venues will satisfy your foodie cravings with Prix Fixe meals, delicious combos, daily specials and more. Downtown Guelph Facebook Page.

 

“Dirt The Movie” Screening, Waterloo, October 21

Join local organic food system thinkers in a short discussion following this film that explores problems and solutions related to our relationship with the soil.. Friday, 7:00-9:00pm Healthy Foods and More, 75 Bridgeport Rd E, Unit 2. Website.

 

Organic Oasis Farm Tour, Stratford, October 22

Enjoy a wagon ride around this mixed farm and see organic pasture, dairy cows, beef cattle, and vegetables growing. Also take in the scenery – forested areas, ponds, and solar panels. There will be occasional breaks along the way and lunch is available for purchase at the farm store. Call the farm store at 519-625-1177 to reserve your spot on the tour at least two days prior to the event. Only 30 spots available. 10:00am-12:30pm, 2301 Perth Line 43, RR#1. Website.

 

Take a Bite Out of Climate Change Bus TourGuelph+, October 22

Join us on a biodiesel-powered bus tour of three local organic farms in Wellington County and learn about the climate-change mitigating potential of local organic agriculture. We’ll visit Ignatius Farm, Everdale Organic Farm, and Mapleton’s Organic to see organic farming in practice and discuss the links between agriculture, food and climate change along the way with Ralph Martin, Loblaw Chair in Sustainable Food Production at the University of Guelph. Cost $10/person. Biodiesel supplied by Everpure Biodiesel Coop and bus services provided by Sharp Bus Lines. Meet at Ignatius Farm Workshop at 9:00am.

 

Wheelbarrow Farm Harvest Dinner, Toronto, October 22

Join us for a 3 course meal of organic vegetables and pasture-raised pork. Grown, prepared and cooked by local farmers. (Vegetarian options) Grapefruit Moon 968 Bathurst St. 5:30 & 8:00pm.  Reservations wheelbarrowfarm@gmail.com or 705-357-3611.

 

Town Hall: Unlocking TO’s future good food jobs, Toronto, October 24

Town Hall with special guest speakers, followed by Foodie Drinks nearby. Metro Hall, room 308, 55 John Street, 18:30 – 20:00. Facebook post.

 

Place to Plate: New Connections in Food Research, Cardiff University, UK, April 2

This is a conference by and for Ph.D. and early-career researchers studying food. It is inter-disciplinary and welcomes participation and contributions from diverse perspectives. Early-career researchers are invited to share their interpretations of the themes to challenge us to realise new connections between places, disciplines and concepts. Food students are encouraged to inspire their peers to learn from unusual allies and to seek answers in unexpected sources. In the spirit of new connections, the conference will also trial innovative ways of preparing an academic conference and aim to establish an enduring inter-disciplinary and international network in food studies. Website.

 

Agriculture in an Urbanizing Society, Netherlands, April 1-4

In recent years, multifunctional agriculture has emerged as an important topic in debates on the future of agriculture and the rural area and its relations with the wider and predominantly urban society. This is an expression of the fact that agriculture is not only valued for its contribution to food and fibre production and the economic development of agro-industry, but that it also needs to be assessed according to a much wider range of social, environmental, economic and ethical criteria. At the farm level, multifunctional agriculture is characterized by a variety of entrepreneurial strategies and activities, such as processing and direct marketing of food products, energy production, care for the elderly and disabled, and tourism. But multifunctional agriculture is also expressed at higher scales, such as the regional level (e.g. collective nature and landscape management schemes and regional branding) and the national level (e.g. policymaking and implementation). Website.

 

Announcements Repeated

 

Bring Food Home Conference, Trent University, Peterborough, October 27, 28, 29

Bring Food Home is Ontario’s biennial conference connecting food and farming leaders working towards a sustainable food system. The 2011 conference is themed “Preparing the Ground for a Sustainable Food System.” The organizers of Bring Food Home 2011 are pleased to announce our keynote speakers for the conference.  The Thursday night keynote will feature a panel discussion by leaders transforming food systems: Mark Winne, Jeanette Longfield, and Dawn Morrison moderated by Jon Steinman. On Friday writer, activist, and academic Raj Patel will address the conference and will speak at the Feast of Local Flavours. Details.

 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Symposium 2011, Sault Ste. Marie, November 4

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre and NORDIK Institute are hosting an Agriculture and Agri-Food Symposium on November 4th and 5th at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie. The symposium aims to create opportunities for collaboration between farmers in Northern Ontario and researchers in the agricultural sector. The symposium will feature applicable workshops for local farmers and researchers alike; some include Sustaining Soil and Crop Productivity, Specialty Foods and Value-Added Products, and Healthy Food for Sustainable Communities. Details.

 

Food Justice: Honoring Our Roots, Growing the Movement, California, November 4 to 8

Over the past 15 years, Community Food Security Coalition has worked to catalyze a broad and far-reaching food systems movement. Each year, CFSC brings people together to learn from each other and to shape the future of our movement. CFSC held its first conference with 170 attendees in Los Angeles in 1997 and this year we return to California. CFSC and the movement have grown exponentially, and so has the annual conference! We expect 1,200 participants. Details.

 

It Takes A Region – 2011: A Conference To Build Our Northeast Food System, Albany, November  11-12

This year, NESAWG and partners will draw on the success of our 2009 & 2010 “It Takes a Region” conferences.  Once again, we’ll look at exciting efforts underway in our region. We’ll hear and build from the work groups  — including distribution logistics, research, messaging, access & nutrition, and policy advocacy (how do we influence the 2012 Farm Bill?). We will welcome new participants — especially emerging food system leaders and community activists.  We’ll be addressing pressing issues such as food system worker equity and growing biomass versus food.  We’ll continue to explore scale, size, geography and cross-sector partnerships.  Watch for new features and networking opportunities. Details.

 

Canadian Food Summit 2012, Toronto, February 7 & 8

Few issues matter more to people than the quality and availability of food. Food prices are rising in Canada and globally, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the food supply chain directly impacts our quality of life. Website. Agenda.

 

Ecological Farmers of Ontario Events & Courses

 

Everdale Events & Workshops

 

FarmStart Current Events & Workshops

 

Food Forward Calendar of Toronto Good Food Events

 

Foodlink Waterloo Events

 

Savour Muskoka Events

 

Sustain Ontario Calendar of Events

 

The Stop Community Food Centre Events Calendar

 

Locavore News — Ontario

Risk of Rain Postpones World Record Soybean Harvest — New Date Monday, October 3

There is just too much risk of rain on Friday, September 3O, for the Harvest for Hunger Committee to put 120+ combines in a 160-acre soybean field in Perth County. The attempt for the world record soybean harvest has been postponed until Monday, October 3 at a farm on Highway 23, 1 kilometre north of Monkton. “The five farmers that have spearheaded this fundraiser for the better part of a year desperately wanted to stick to their Friday plan during a conference call on Wednesday but there was too much risk of wet soybeans on Friday,” said Elbert van Donkersgoed, a spokesperson for the group. Harvest for Hunger website.

 

Food Policies in Draft Official Plans

Residents of Waterloo Region’s three cities have an opportunity to give input into draft Official Plans which will set land use policy affecting – among other things – urban food access.  The three draft Official Plans, which are available for review online, contain policies governing the placement of community gardens, temporary farmers’ markets, and even food stores.  The comment period is slightly different depending on the city, but all three are requesting formal comments by the end of September, with formal public meetings to be held in September or later in the Fall. Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable post.

 

The Bruce Botanical Food Gardens Finds a Home

Ripley Ontario, in Bruce County, will be home to The Bruce Botanical Food Gardens-Canada’s newest botanical garden dedicated entirely to sustainable market food production and community food security. The Township of Huron Kinloss has adopted the project for the community of Ripley as part of 23.5 acres of municipally owned land at the end of Park Street. The project team is in the plan development stage with a goal of starting site construction in spring of 2012. Bruce Botanical Food Gardens website.

 

Kitchener woman has her pick of wild foods

When Jackie McMillan wants to make a mixed green salad, she doesn’t need to go any farther than her own backyard. The Kitchener woman plucks a wide variety of edible leaves, roots, berries, seeds and flowers from plants growing there abundantly on their own. “I can harvest meal after meal after meal here and you can look around and not even tell,” McMillan said. Kitchener-Waterloo Record story.

 

Hospitals try to overcome bad food reputation by going local

Mushy vegetables, congealed gravy and soggy toast have contributed to hospitals’ well-earned reputation for serving bad food. But some Ontario hospitals are trying to change that by serving fresh, locally produced food. On Wednesday for the first time St. Michael’s Hospital will feature Ontario-grown produce on its patient menus. Dessert will be a fruit crisp made with blueberries from the Cedar Lane Blueberry Farm in Simcoe. Including more local food is a challenge for the cash-strapped institutions, which typically have less than $8 a day to spend on three meals and two snacks per patient. HealthZone.ca story.

 

Taste Local…Culture, Craftsmanship & Community

Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to attend a fabulous local food event, celebrating the foods and flavours of the St. Jacobs region. Coordinated by Foodlink Waterloo Region, Taste Local, Taste Fresh pairs 20 food producers with 20 food presenters. Using local talent and the region’s finest ingredients, each pair creates a truly culinary delight. Having never attended “Taste Local, Taste Fresh” before (it’s in its 8th year), I had no idea of what to expect… Upon arrival, I was led to a table covered in handcrafted pieces of pottery, created specifically for the event. Each piece was unique, and we were asked to choose one – the pottery was to serve as our tasting dish for the afternoon. Local Dish Waterloo Region post.

 

Homegrown Ontario’s New Guide to Frugal Shopping

Economical cuts of meat are also some of the most flavourful. Check out our list of inexpensive cuts and quick tips on how best to prepare them. Homegrown post.

 

Healthy Communities and Planning for Food

The growing demand for local food is testament to the desire of many to become more connected to their sources of food. Food systems have long been linked to planning and are a key consideration for complete and healthy communities. Involving community planners in planning for food systems can result in healthier outcomes for Ontarians. Planners are in a unique position to identify problems and challenges within the food system and to lead and foster the development of solutions. Ontario Professional Planners Institute release.

 

World Crops Grown in Ontario’s Greenbelt Attracts Attention in Diverse Toronto

From soil to sky, this season, Ontario’s field to table menu is going global in rural and urban areas alike. Culinary trend setter, Chef David Garcelon of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, invites crop researchers from Vineland Research and Innovation Centre to plant South Asian Vegetables okra, round eggplant, and red hot peppers on the Hotel’s rooftop garden in Toronto. Guests will learn how to grow and care for these plants from a demonstration planting and have the chance to taste some of the delicious new crops in dishes created by Garcelon. Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation post.

 

The butcher, the banker, the costly rules maker

For four years, Cottenie’s operated as a processor and retailer of local meat under the inspection of the municipal public health unit.  They never had a problem.  In March 2010, Cottenie’s learned that they were now designated as a Free Standing Meat Plant (FSMP), a meat processor other than an abattoir that must be licensed and inspected by OMAFRA.   Neither Public Health nor Tony anticipated these changes.  Cottenie’s activities did not change, only their designation.  OMAFRA was phasing in the enforcement of the Meat Regulation 31/05 (2005) across a growing sphere, which started with bigger – and now smaller – meat processors.    If they wanted to continue wholesaling burgers, Cottenie’s needed to become provincially certified.  Ever since, it has been a costly game for Tony and Donna to navigate the minefield of regulations and make the upgrades necessary for compliance. The Meat Press blog.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

Good Food Policy and Program Ideas

Ontario currently faces skyrocketing health care costs, chronic disease epidemics, a volatile economy, shrinking rural communities, a farm income crisis, and climate change impacts. Good food policies and programs have the potential to grow Ontario’s economy, reduce our health care spending, improve our environmental impact, reduce poverty, and improve educational outcomes. If adopted, the following good food policy and program ideas would not only position Ontario as a leader in food, farming, health, sustainability, and economy, but would ensure the future prosperity and wellbeing of our province. Sustain Ontario post.

 

Locavore News — World

The history of urban agriculture should inspire its future

The French-intensive method hinges on a principle identified by Jane Jacobs, one that modern-day city residents (and planners) should take to heart: that cities are fantastic reservoirs of waste resources waiting to be “mined.” Like all cities of its time, 19th-century Paris bristled with horses, the main transportation vehicle of the age. And where there are lots of horses, there are vast piles of horseshit. The city’s market gardeners turned that fetid problem into a precious resource by composting it for food production. Grist article.

 

A farm in the city?

Contrary to a common misconception that urban agriculture is a new trend, growing good food in the city has a long history that likely dates back to the dawn of civilization. Many folks may not know, for example, that a wave of victory gardens proliferated the country during World Wars I and II or that the Boston Common—America’s oldest city park—was initially used for cattle grazing when the city was founded in the 1600s. It is only in the last century that an “urban-rural divide” materialized in America to divorce farming from city life. This was fueled, in part, by cheap fossil fuels and notable changes in America’s work force that allowed city populations to rely on food imported from outside sources. Farm Aid story.

 

Cultivate Kansas City

Cultivate Kansas City (formerly the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture) is a locally-grown non-profit that helps people grow and eat good food in city neighborhoods. Our work covers three areas – FOOD + FARMS + COMMUNITY. Website.

 

Learn it, Grow it, Eat it

“Besides growing vegetables here we’re trying to grow teenagers and we want to give them lots of opportunities to develop social skills, job skills that will help them out in school,” said David Sapphire, from the Learn it, Grow it, Eat it program. And they’re getting paid, ten dollars an hour, 24 hours a week. Once a week they cook what they’ve grown. WABC-TV NEW York story.

 

Help our Local Farmers (New York)

More than 15 farms in Just Food’s Network have been severely affected by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene. Just Food is teaming up with partners throughout the region to organize volunteers, gather donations, and advocate on behalf of our farmers. Find out more about how you can get involved by visiting our Hurricane Relief Page. Just Food website.

 

Growing Power (Milwaukee)

Growing Power is a national nonprofit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities.  Growing Power implements this mission by providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach and technical assistance through the development of Community Food Systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner. Website.

 

The Food Project (Boston)

Since 1991, The Food Project has built a national model of engaging young people in personal and social change through sustainable agriculture. Each year, we work with over a hundred teens and thousands of volunteers to farm on 37 acres in eastern Massachusetts in the towns and cities of Beverly, Boston, Ipswich, Lincoln and Lynn. We consider our hallmark to be our focus on identifying and transforming a new generation of leaders by placing teens in unusually responsible roles, with deeply meaningful work. Website.

 

EarthDance (St. Louis)

Since 2009, EarthDance has operated a season-long educational apprenticeship program which trains participants in sustainable agriculture from seed to market. Apprentices engage in every aspect of operating the small farm – from seed propagation in greenhouses to transplanting, weeding, harvesting and selling! Apprentices learn soil fertility principles, organic pest and disease management, proper harvest and post-harvest handling techniques, direct marketing, and CSA operations. Website.

 

GrowNYC

GrowNYC is a hands-on non-profit which improves New York City’s quality of life through environmental programs that transform communities block by block and empower all New Yorkers to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations. For 40 years, GrowNYC has been rolling up its sleeves alongside NYC residents to: a) Provide access to healthy, fresh, local food for all New Yorkers; b) Grow and maintain vibrant green spaces and community gardens; c) Help New Yorkers recycle more and reduce waste; d) Create the next generation of environmental leaders through hands-on education programs. Website.

 

Homegrown.org

A gathering place for folks who celebrate the “culture” in agriculture and share skills like growing, cooking and food preservation. Website.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

Enterprising Transport

Pictures: http://www.bankofideas.com.au/Newsletter/Aug11/downloads/Enterprising-Transport.pdf

 

Locavore News — Events

New Announcements

 

All We Need is Good Weather for a World Record Soybean Harvest, Monkton, September 30

Over 110 combines are committed to a Perth County farm for the world record soybean harvest attempt on September 30. A large crowd is expected to attend the site on Highway 23, 1 kilometre north of Monkton. Randy Drenth, chair of the group of farmers that is leading this attempt, emphasizes that their primary goal is raising awareness of the hunger issue. “This event is primarily a fundraiser for the hunger relief projects the Canadian Foodgrains Bank,“ says Randy Drenth. “Everything is ready. All we need is good weather for the attempt to harvest 160 acres of soybeans in less than 10 minutes. This is our way of getting lots of attention for the auction that will follow the harvest. We want to raise $200,000.” Website.

 

The 13th Annual Salt Spring Island (BC) Apple Festival, October 2

Salt Spring Island, BC is Apple Heaven.  Our Apple Festival is historical, educational and fun, with tasting, tours, juice, baking and apples sales at 16 unique farms.  Featuring a display of 296 apple varieties in 2010, our pie ladies baked 154 apple pies (identified by variety of apple used), tasting of 100 apple varieties at one farm, view over 23 varieties of red-flesh apples and experience an apple history back to 1860.  Become a Salt Spring apple connoisseur.  Go to Heaven without even dying. Details.

 

growTO Urban Agriculture Speakers Series, Toronto, October 4

Please join us at the growTO Speakers Series to hear from local and international urban agriculture experts and participate in interactive discussions designed to expand local food production in Toronto.

•Session 1: What can we grow? New Crops and Marketing for a Multicultural City

•Session 2: How can we grow?  Food Hubs – from Concept to Practice

•Session 3: Where can we grow? Planning and Designing for a Carrot City

•Session 4: Why should we grow? Making the Case for Urban Agriculture. Details.

 

Post Harvest Opportunities – Processing and Regulations, Georgian College Owen Sound campus, Oct 4 – Dec 13

This course will examine further processing as a means to capturing more of the food dollar.  Topics covered include various types of processing related to livestock, grains, dairy, vegetables, honey, maple syrup, as well as discussion on small flock quotas.  Special attention will be paid to the costs and benefits of compliance with food safety regulations by exposure to the triumphs and disasters experienced by processors in Grey and Bruce.  Upon completion, students should be able to identify and develop potential processing, distribution and/or marketing methods suitable to their farm. Contact bcarriere@georgianc.on.ca.

 

Producers’ meeting of the West End Food Co-op (WEFC), Cameron, October 5

We are a community of farmers, consumers, workers, and community partners working together to create a sustainable food system. Over the past four years, the WEFC has run a successful farmers’ market in the west end of Toronto and developed a community cannery that created employment training opportunities, taught over 100 community members traditional home-preserving skills, and created new markets for local, sustainable farmers. This winter, we will be opening a new retail food hub at Queen and Dufferin in December 2011. We want you to become a member. Not just a retail store, the WEFC will provide workshop space and a commercial kitchen. We are in the process of developing the kitchen to create value-added items utilizing local farm products. Website.

 

SUSTENANCE: Feasting on Art & Culture Festival, Vancouver, October 8 to 19

A Roundhouse Residency in partnership with FarmFolk CityFolk’s Get Local project. With much thanks to the City of Vancouver, Avalon Dairy, Overwaitea Foods, Edible Vancouver Magazine and the Georgia Straight for their generous support of this festival. Details.

 

Indian Cuisine and the World Crops Project, The Green Barn, October 13

Ontario is a cornucopia! An abundant diversity of tasty produce is inspiring food artisans and craft beer producers to provide curious eaters with new food experiences. That’s why we’re partnering with the World Crop Project to bring you a unique culinary event: East meets West, Bringing Ontario Craft Beer, Indian Cuisine and locally-grown World Crops together! Details.

 

Announcements Repeated

 

Local Food, the $2.4 Billion Prospect, Kitchener, September 27

From biting into a delicious strawberry to starting a new business, buying local food is a deliciously healthy habit that has the ability to revitalize rural communities and create a new prosperity in Ontario. Join Lynn Ogryzlo, Author of The Ontario Table, in supporting local food by signing The Ontario Tablecloth in support of local food.Details.

 

The Local Food Evolution, Caledon, September 29

Join Credit Valley Conservation, Green T and keynote speaker, Wayne Roberts for an evening of engaging discussion on how communities and municipalities can take the “next step” towards a sustainable food community. A panel of local food experts representing the community, farmers, science and local government will discuss challenges and opportunities for sustainable food production in Caledon and surrounding areas. 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the SGI Centre for Culture and Education, Caledon. Details.

 

Back To School Webinar on Educational Food Programs for Youth, September 29.

The Stop Community Food Centre operates a number of food programs that target children and youth. What started out with garden-based education programs for local elementary schools grew, with the opening of The Stop’s Green Barn, to include cooking, nutrition and social justice content. Today, these programs include after-school programs for low-income children, offering hands-on cooking and gardening opportunities and accessible ways to engage with social justice and sustainable food systems issues; a series of sustainable food systems workshops for Grade 5 and Grade 3 classes that meet curriculum objectives and introduce key issues relating to food and poverty; and Food Leadership for Youth, a weekly program for high school girls aimed at developing healthy food skills, behaviours and knowledge. Webinar.

 

Eat-In Ontario in Queen’s Park, September 30

Eat-In Ontario will gather over 500 students from JK to Grade 12 to participate in a series of four curriculum-linked workshops covering gardening, soil and composting, tasting, food and the environment and so much more. These FoodShare-designed workshops will be led by volunteer facilitators and a number of Food Literacy education partners, providing a rich and delicious tapestry of experience for all students in a safe and fun-filled environment. FoodShare Toronto is looking for volunteer workshop facilitators to assist in running an event on Friday September 30th, called Eat-In Ontario in Queen’s Park. Please submit a brief statement of interest and your resume outlining relevant experience by Monday, August 22 at 5pm to Brooke Ziebell at brooke@foodshare.net. Details.

 

2011 Edible Container Photo Show, by September 30

Are you one of Toronto’s creative container gardeners? Then join Toronto Balconies Bloom, Riverdale Food Working Group and Toronto Green Community for our first online Edible Container Garden Show! We want this contest to showcase the great small space gardens growing in Toronto and inspire container gardeners across and beyond the city to get creative with their growing. Anyone growing any kind of edible plants in a creative container is invited to participate. Details.

 

5th Annual Stinner Summit for Healthy Agroecosystems and Sustainable Communities, Toledo, October 7

The 2011 Stinner Summit will be held at the Ward Pavilion, Wildwood Preserve Metropark, Toledo, Ohio. Each year the attendees of the Stinner Summit participate in selecting a project for the coming year that is in keeping with Ben’s vision and supported by the Ben Stinner Endowment for Healthy Agroecosystems and Sustainable Communities. Details.

 

2011-2012 Evergreen Brick Works Chefs Series Line-up Announced, Toronto, starts October 11

New 2011-2012 workshop line-up announced!! Get intimate with Toronto’s hottest chefs. In these demonstration-style cooking classes, you’ll learn about cooking local food, learn tips and techniques while enjoying a delicious dinner and wine from Stratus Vineyards. Details.

 

Culture, Place & Identity at the Heart of Regional Development, Newfoundland, October 13 to 15

This is a three-day international conference of the North Atlantic Forum, the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, the Small Islands Cultures Research Initiative and Memorial University of Newfoundland. This conference will explore how the strong cultural identity of remote rural communities, islands and coastal regions can be used to develop sustainable economic activity. Brochure (3.0 MB PDF).

 

Together at the Table: The foundation and future of food in Toronto, October 20

Food shapes our everyday lives, neighbourhoods, and the countryside that feeds us. This year, the Toronto Food Policy Council celebrates 20 years of innovative food policy and action in Toronto. “Together at the Table” will bring together food advocates, community groups, City staff, City Councillors, concerned Torontonians and food systems experts to reflect on the past and imagine the next 20 years of food in our city-region. Details.

 

Bring Food Home Conference, Trent University, Peterborough, October 27, 28, 29

Bring Food Home is Ontario’s biennial conference connecting food and farming leaders working towards a sustainable food system. The 2011 conference is themed “Preparing the Ground for a Sustainable Food System.” The organizers of Bring Food Home 2011 are pleased to announce our keynote speakers for the conference.  The Thursday night keynote will feature a panel discussion by leaders transforming food systems: Mark Winne, Jeanette Longfield, and Dawn Morrison moderated by Jon Steinman. On Friday writer, activist, and academic Raj Patel will address the conference and will speak at the Feast of Local Flavours. Details.

 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Symposium 2011, Sault Ste. Marie, November 4

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre and NORDIK Institute are hosting an Agriculture and Agri-Food Symposium on November 4th and 5th at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie. The symposium aims to create opportunities for collaboration between farmers in Northern Ontario and researchers in the agricultural sector. The symposium will feature applicable workshops for local farmers and researchers alike; some include Sustaining Soil and Crop Productivity, Specialty Foods and Value-Added Products, and Healthy Food for Sustainable Communities. Details.

 

Food Justice: Honoring Our Roots, Growing the Movement, California, November 4 to 8

Over the past 15 years, Community Food Security Coalition has worked to catalyze a broad and far-reaching food systems movement. Each year, CFSC brings people together to learn from each other and to shape the future of our movement. CFSC held its first conference with 170 attendees in Los Angeles in 1997 and this year we return to California. CFSC and the movement have grown exponentially, and so has the annual conference! We expect 1,200 participants. Details.

 

It Takes A Region – 2011: A Conference To Build Our Northeast Food System, Albany, November  11-12

This year, NESAWG and partners will draw on the success of our 2009 & 2010 “It Takes a Region” conferences.  Once again, we’ll look at exciting efforts underway in our region. We’ll hear and build from the work groups  — including distribution logistics, research, messaging, access & nutrition, and policy advocacy (how do we influence the 2012 Farm Bill?). We will welcome new participants — especially emerging food system leaders and community activists.  We’ll be addressing pressing issues such as food system worker equity and growing biomass versus food.  We’ll continue to explore scale, size, geography and cross-sector partnerships.  Watch for new features and networking opportunities. Details.

 

Canadian Food Summit 2012, Toronto, February 7 & 8

Few issues matter more to people than the quality and availability of food. Food prices are rising in Canada and globally, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the food supply chain directly impacts our quality of life. Website. Agenda.

 

Ecological Farmers of Ontario Events & Courses

 

Everdale Events & Workshops

 

FarmStart Current Events & Workshops

 

Food Forward Calendar of Toronto Good Food Events

 

Foodlink Waterloo Events

 

Savour Muskoka Events

 

Sustain Ontario Calendar of Events

 

The Stop Community Food Centre Events Calendar

 

Locavore News — Ontario

Savouring Elgin – A Delicious Discovery

The first stop on my two-day Savour Elgin tour was at Heritage Line Herbs where I was greeted by owner/operators Deb and Tom Benner. Deb and Tom are former tobacco farmers (22 years in the industry) who had a vision to stay on the farm and repurpose their gorgeous property and farm buildings. In 2002, they purchased a potted herb business and crew their customer base over 25 per cent in the first year. They added value to the business by putting in greenhouses, a tea room, beautiful herb gardens and a great outdoor kitchen facility where they host cooking classes and demonstrations. In addition, they expanded their products to include dried herbs and have created products such as “Better than Salt” which is actually a very tasty alternative to salt! Rebecca LeHeup blog at the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance.

 

Be a Locavore the theme for 148th annual event

Be a Locavore at the 2011 Milverton Fair is the theme of the 148th annual event Friday and Saturday. A Locavore is a person interested in eating food that is locally produced. Opening ceremonies Friday at 7 p.m. will kick off the 27th Ambassador Competition. Friday night features include a youth air-band competition followed by a teen dance. New events include ATV and lawn-tractor pulls and a wing night. Stratford Beacon Herald story.

 

Cashing in on an urban garden

Clarine Lee-Macaraig looks out the window of her Toronto home with pride at her heirloom tomatoes, millionaire eggplants and cheddar cauliflower. There’s chocolate mint that “smells exactly like chocolate,” and lemon balm that is “good with some vodka.” A sea of Provence lavender is in full bloom. There’s parsley, garlic and green onions, too. “In the summer, my garden gives me 80 per cent of my produce. Whatever I have as leftovers, I am able to freeze.” Globe and Mail story.

 

KimChi Workshop Spices Up St. Lawrence Market

Last night The Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA) had the pleasure of participating in a wonderful new series at the St. Lawrence Market Kitchen called ‘Relish Yo Mama‘.  The summer workshop series, called ‘Preserve to Conserve‘, is a hosted by the Compost Council of Canada in partnership with Bernardin and the City of Toronto. It was the second workshop in the series and it had us learning to make authentic Korean Kimchi with world renowned Korean Chef, Jimmy Im. The series of canning workshops is designed to teach the “how-to’s” and help get you started on your preserving journey.  Each class focuses on a specific harvest–be it strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, or last nights nappa cabbage extravaganza!  All fresh produce is sourced from local farmers. Good Food Revolution post

 

Greens kick off campaign

Provincial Green Party leader Mike Schreiner stopped at the Dunsmore family farm on Ridge Road West to announce his party’s platform and officially kick off their campaign, Wednesday. “We need to help farmers like the Dunsmores who are providing societal benefits like clean water, endangered species habitat preservation, biodiversity and healthy food on our farms,” he said. “We need to help them (farmers) provide those benefits to our society.” Barrie Examiner story.

 

Five things to do this week: Sept. 17-23

As farmer’s markets begin to overflow, get into the seasonal spirit with a locavore’s dream event at the Gladstone Hotel’s Harvest Feast. A four-course meal prepared by chef Marc Breton takes its inspiration strictly from our surrounding countryside. National Post blog.

 

Toronto’s underground food market launches this fall

Starting in September, the Toronto Underground Market will operate one Saturday evening a month. Aviles won’t confirm the date but it’s believed to be Sept. 24 from 6 p.m. to midnight. The goal is to create a social food market where people who love to cook would be able to showcase their recipes to a much wider audience than the usual family and friends. It’s also aimed at promoting the wide range of multicultural dishes on hand in the city and will feature everything from vegan baking to empanadas and gourmet tacos. Toronto Star story. Website.

 

Harvest the Possibilities – Sustainable Local Food Certificate @ St. Lawrence College

Do you want to learn about local, sustainable food? Understand the global food system? Conduct community research in your region? Engage with students from across the country?

You can do it all, from the comfort of your own home. Check out our exciting online course selection. Fall Semester, 2011. Website.

 

County signs deal restricting land uses for Site 41

When the former Site 41 property is sold, there will be restrictions on how the new owners can use the land. Simcoe County council approved a conservation easement agreement with the Ontario Farmland Trust on Aug. 25 to restrict the uses for the Tiny Township property. Earlier this year, the land was split into four parcels. Three sections are surplus and are open for bidding through a tendering process that started Wednesday. The county is holding onto an 86-acre section until March. That will give noted water expert Dr. William Shotyk time to submit a business plan for a proposed water research and innovation centre on the site. Simcoe.com story.

 

Creating New Options for Preserving our Top Farmland

Farmland preservation is a key component in keeping a strong and vigorous agricultural sector. And with Ontario having one of the biggest agriculture and food clusters in North America, it only makes sense that our citizens be proactive in ensuring that we do our best to preserve and maintain our best farmland. CFFO Commentary by John Clement posted on Farms.com.

 

How Ontario’s Greenbelt is failing farmers—and the local food movement

What those urbanites likely wouldn’t picture is what surrounds Beynon’s piece of rural paradise. Across the road, on the east side of Bathurst, sprawls MacLeod’s Landing, a 1,400-unit subdivision of looping streets and oversized homes. Houses bleed north onto former agricultural land—much of which Beynon’s family used to farm. He’d like to expand his property, but it’s boxed in on one side by the development, and on another by land slated to become a cemetery. Besides, he says, “The land’s too expensive, and you wouldn’t want to set up a bigger dairy operation next to a subdivision. Everyone loves the idea of living in the country, but they don’t really want to live beside somebody milking a couple hundred head of cows.” Later he wonders aloud, “And who wants to farm in the city when it comes down to it?” This Magazine article.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

2010-2011 Annual Report: Connecting Possibilities

This has been a year of creating our future, envisioning all that is possible and making long lasting and important connections with Ontarians and the world. We are dedicated to promoting and sustaining Ontario’s Greenbelt. We look forward to continuing to connect with Ontarians and making the Greenbelt part of the hearts and minds of families across the province. Please take a moment to read stories about our year of accomplishments. From our Global Greenbelts Conference, to people making a difference in local food. Our grantees are always involved in innovative and important projects for our province and our Greenbelt. Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation Annual Report (3.7 MB PDF).

 

Locavore News — World

What We Learned Skipping Supermarkets and Restaurants for a Year

Last October, Rachel Hoff and Tom Ferguson embarked on an experiment in hyper-locavore healthy eating. For the next 12 months, the couple from Vallejo, Calif., wouldn’t set foot in a grocery store or restaurant. Their family’s diet would consist entirely of non-processed foods gathered from farmers markets, a local sustainable food-buying club, and their own quarter-acre backyard. During the experiment’s final three months, Hoff and Ferguson didn’t buy any food at all—relying strictly on the bounty produced from animals and gardens on their property, and what they could get bartering with neighbors and nearby farmers. The couple chronicled the year-long challenge in their blog, A Year Without Groceries, and they answer my questions below. Time article.

 

Australian National Food Plan

In its 2010 election commitment the Australian Government indicated that the key aims for a national food plan were to integrate food policy by looking at the whole food supply chain, to protect Australia’s food security, and to develop a strategy to maximise food production opportunities. It also outlined a wide range of issues it would consider when developing a national food plan. Website.

 

Canned Film Festival – Farmageddon

There’s a hidden war raging against local family farms by the corporate agricultural machine. The new documentary film Farmageddon sheds light on this battle over our dinner plates, arguing for “food freedom” in the face of industrial might. To kick-off the opening of this movie at The Loft, there will be a Farmer’s Network gathering from 6 to 7 p.m. on Friday September 16 on the Loft patio. Mingle and connect with the farmers and activists working to build a resilient local food system. Tucson Citizen story.

 

5-course locavore dinner in Wauwatosa

A five-course wine dinner on Sept. 22 at McCormick & Schmick’s in Wauwatosa will draw all of the proteins, produce and dairy components from Wisconsin. The menu: escabeche made with Rushing Waters rainbow trout, tomato, serrano chiles, cilantro and green onion; corn soup garnished with blue cheese fritter and truffled Lake Superior smelt; Growing Power lake perch with heirloom tomato, watercress and bacon; Lake Superior whitefish, soybean puree, dashi and pickled cucumber salad; and apple charlotte with Purple Door’s salted caramel ice cream. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel blog.

 

‘Ulu Cooking Contest: Entries Welcome

A breadfruit Cooking Contest will rock taste buds on Saturday, September 24 during the morning hours of the Ho’oulu Ka ‘Ulu – Breadfruit Festival at the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook. An extravaganza of breadfruit tasting will take place following the Cooking Contest judging. First, the general public will be able to purchase tickets for tasting the contest entries after the judging is completed. Then two guest chefs will be demonstrating how to make various delicious breadfruit dishes—Chef Olelo pa‘a Ogawa of Glow Hawai’i and Scott Lutey, Executive Chef of the Eddie Aikau Restaurant and Museum. Throughout the day, Chef Betty Saiki and students from the West Hawaii Culinary Arts School will be preparing breadfruit delicacies and other locally grown foods for sale. Recipes will be made available to the public. Hawai’i Homegrown Food Network post.

 

Santa Monica’s Farmers Market Turns 30: Candid Shots of LA Chefs Shopping

Among Los Angeles chefs, the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmers’ Market is sustenance-sacred. This week, the market is 30 years old, and the intersection of Arizona and Second Street is, now more than ever, the Hump Day hubbub for the city’s top locavore chefs. Huffington Post story.

 

SF Has Fewer Vegetarians and Vegans than Rest of US

Get this: San Francisco has fewer vegetarians and vegans per capita — and more fast food junkies — than the rest of the US, according to an online survey. People were allowed to choose more than one of the nine possible ways to describe themselves. Personally I would have first chosen “Locavore,” and we lead the nation in those at 21 percent, but that came in only seventh here of the nine categories available. We’re also the national leader in “Health Nut” (25 percent) and second in “Foodie” (33 percent). San Francisco Weekly story.

 

Green Growth Strategy for Food and Agriculture: Preliminary OECD Report

A major shift in farm policy and practice is needed if a growing world population is to be fed without over-exploiting scarce natural resources or further damaging the environment, according to a new OECD report. A Green Growth Strategy for Food and Agriculture: Preliminary Report says governments can avoid a conflict between growth and the environment if the right incentives are put in place. Report (1.2 MB PDF).

 

5 iPhone Apps That Help You Eat Like A Locavore

Are you a locavore yet? You are if you make it a point to eat foods sustainably grown, baked, and raised in your local community. There are lots of rich green, leafy reasons to eat local. It’s is easy on your body, your budget, and the environment. Get a head start today with these five smart locavore apps for iPhone. They’ll help you blend more grass-fed, heirloom, and free-range eats into your diet, from the farm to the fork to the canning jar. (Well, except for the eating part; that’s all you.) Dig in below. EarthTechling post.

 

Guess What’s Coming for Dinner? – The Politics of Food in the 21st Century

Our food is at risk. Agricultural and social trends are affecting our health, increasing our energy use, causing loss of soil and farmland, institutionalizing animal cruelty and degrading what shows up on our plates. We take the abundance and quality of our food for granted, but lately we have discovered that much of it is unhealthy. This Chautauqua will present innovative and emerging solutions to the economic and political challenges for obtaining sustainable and wholesome food. Cape May Forums agenda & speakers, September 15 to 25.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

Shepreth villagers toast ‘world’s smallest pub’

Villagers toast campaigners for opening a bar in a telephone box in an attempt to save a pub from redevelopment. Organisers from the Save the Plough in Shepreth opened the Dog and Bone to raise awareness for their campaign to stop their village pub being turned into a five-bedroom house. Cambridge First (UK) story.

 

Locavore News — Events

New Announcements

 

Introduction to Organic Gardening and Permaculture Workshop, Toronto, September 17

Permaculture gardening is the conscious design of garden ecosystems that mimic the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. We ask and observe: what would nature do? This hands-on workshop introduces permaculture theory and ways to apply it in your home or community garden. Details.

 

farmalicious Guelph, September 16 to 23

farmalicious features restaurants that bring locally grown food to the table. Guests can enjoy knowing that their meal was prepared with locally grown products – and how real it tastes! Make farmalicious your guide to taste•real local food this harvest season! This week farmalicious moves to Delhi Street and the University of Guelph. Details.

 

City to Country mobile conference, Toronto, September 22

City to Country is a day-long mobile conference that will bring together people who are transforming food systems, and their supporters. The day will begin with bus tours and end with a celebratory feast and sharing session. City to Country will explore good food solutions, challenges, and opportunities in the Greater Toronto Area. This event is presented in partnership by Sustain Ontario, the Toronto Food Policy Council, the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee, Foodshare Toronto, the Foodshed Project and World Crop Research Project and has been generously funded by the Metcalf Foundation’s 50th anniversary grants. This is an invitation only event. You need to apply to participate. Participation application.

 

Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Summit: Local Food Systems, September 22 & 23

Sustainable Cleveland 2019 is a 10-year initiative that engages people from all walks of life, working together to design and develop a thriving and resilient Cleveland region that leverages its wealth of assets to build economic, social and environmental well being for all. The focus for the 2011 summit is two-fold – the current year’s celebration topic; The Year of Energy Efficiency and the celebration for 2012, Local Food. Details.

 

Purple Onion Festival, Peterborough, September 24

Transition Town Peterborough is sponsoring the first annual Purple Onion Festival in Peterborough at Millennium Park, Sept. 24th from 10 am. to 5 pm. This is a celebration of local food and culture with an I Love Local Food economic incentive card that entitles the bearer to a local food meal the day of the festival and discounts until the end of October with vendors and dine-around partners. Details.

 

Fall Rural Romp and Urban Garden Tour, Wellington coubnty, September 24 & 25

The Wellington Rural Romp and Urban Garden Tour is your chance to get up close to your food.  Experience a day in the countryside, meet local farmers, eat, learn about food and experience agriculture’s bounty. At each location, you will find farmers and business owners who are passionate about bringing healthy food to you. Details.

 

5th Annual Stinner Summit for Healthy Agroecosystems and Sustainable Communities, Toledo, October 7

The 2011 Stinner Summit will be held at the Ward Pavilion, Wildwood Preserve Metropark, Toledo, Ohio. Each year the attendees of the Stinner Summit participate in selecting a project for the coming year that is in keeping with Ben’s vision and supported by the Ben Stinner Endowment for Healthy Agroecosystems and Sustainable Communities. Details.

 

Culture, Place & Identity at the Heart of Regional Development, Newfoumdland, October 13 to 15

This is a three-day international conference of the North Atlantic Forum, the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, the Small Islands Cultures Research Initiative and Memorial University of Newfoundland. This conference will explore how the strong cultural identity of remote rural communities, islands and coastal regions can be used to develop sustainable economic activity. Brochure (3.0 MB PDF).

 

Food Justice: Honoring Our Roots, Growing the Movement, California, November 4 to 8

Over the past 15 years, Community Food Security Coalition has worked to catalyze a broad and far-reaching food systems movement. Each year, CFSC brings people together to learn from each other and to shape the future of our movement. CFSC held its first conference with 170 attendees in Los Angeles in 1997 and this year we return to California. CFSC and the movement have grown exponentially, and so has the annual conference! We expect 1,200 participants. Details.

 

Announcements Repeated

 

Savour the Season, Durham Region, September 9 to 18

From September 9 to 18, featured restaurants throughout Durham Region will be creating exclusive prix fixe menus and serving up mouth watering dishes. Many of the restaurants will be partnering with local producers to use fresh-from-the-garden ingredients. Details.

 

Farming Together: The Future of CSA in the UK, Bristol, September 16

The day will provide an opportunity for community supported agriculture enterprises to come together, to experience being part of a bigger network on a local, regional and national scale. We’ll be creating opportunities to network, to share good practice and hear from interesting models. In addition we’ll be looking at the international movement in order to bring new ideas, blueprints for scaling up and a wider dimension to the UK network. And finally we want to look forward, at the potential for CSA in the future, where it can go, how it will look, and who will be involved. Details.

 

Rural Food Conference, Clinton, September 17

REACH Huron is holding a Rural Food Conference, trade show and all day events on September 17th. The conference will feature a wide range of workshops related to agriculture, food, health and education. The trade show will feature local food, fun demonstrations and activities for youth and adults. Details.

 

Taste the Landscape, Alton, September 17

A local food workshop for rural landowners from 9-3 pm at the Millcroft Inn in Alton, Ontario. This workshop will feature presentations from local practitioners and experts.  Morning activities include a guided hike to learn about delicious wild plants and a seminar on innovative approaches to small fruit gardening.  In the afternoon speakers will focus on starting a successful small farm business, with insights on training programs for new farmers and managing your farm’s environmental impact. Participants can register for the full ($25) or half-day ($20), and a local food lunch is included in the cost of the workshop. Details.

 

Harvest Festival at farm focuses on local food and fun, Cowichan, September 18

“Share the Harvest: A family celebration of local food and fun,” part of the 7th Cowichan Wine and Culinary Festival, is a family friendly event that will take place on Sunday, Sept. 18 from 11 am to 5 pm, at Providence Farm. Canada.com story.

 

Taste Local! Taste Fresh! St. Jacobs, September 18

Imagine spending a relaxing afternoon tasting a tantalizing array of appetizers prepared by teams of the area’s finest chefs and farmers.  Foodlink Waterloo Region’s eighth annual local food showcase returns to Riverside Meadows Park in St. Jacobs. Guests will be able to meet and chat with chefs about the art of cooking and farmers about the local food they grow. The event offers an opportunity to learn more about local foods while building relationships amongst farmers, restaurants and consumers.  A limited number of passports will be available. Details.

 

Second Annual Harvest Festival, Toronto, September 22

Orchard tours, free fruit and snacks, fun children’s activities, and the chance to win great prizes its all part of the second annual Harvest Festival in Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard. This fun-filled outdoor event takes place on Thursday, September 22, 2011 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., in the park on Eglinton Ave. W., across from Eglinton West subway station. Website.

 

A Taste of Norfolk, September 24 to October 3

Favourite restaurants serve up local Norfolk County Food! Various locations across Norfolk County. Local chefs at some of your favourite restaurants serve up local Norfolk County foods for this special 10 day culinary event. Participating restaurants are located throughout Norfolk County and will be offering a select menu to choose from. Details.

 

Permaculture Design Workshop Series High Park Children’s Garden, September 24

Through this series the group will practice permaculture techniques for (re)designing a site. We will apply permaculture principles, explore design elements, interview a client, and analyze the site using a wide variety of techniques. We will present our recommended site design and implementation plan to the client and make a final revision. Includes group work and some homework. Learn skills you can apply to your own site or in a community, public or rented context. Details.

 

Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival, September 24-25

Ontario’s “Best Culinary Experience 2010” the Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever on September 24-25, 2011. The two-day Festival highlights the region’s top chefs, farmers, musicians and artists. An outdoor market lines the Avon River, buskers and BBQs fill the streets – enjoy free concerts in the park, foodie activities for the kids, tastings and workshops, chefs’ demonstrations and cooking classes! There is something for everyone! Details.

 

The Living City Farm Feast 2011, Vaughan, September 25

Enjoy delicious cuisine prepared on-site perfectly complemented by local wine makers and breweries. Get to know the farmers working the land and discover the different farming methods as they nurture seeds into bountiful tables of harvest, take a nature hike long the trails and learn about the innovative technologies demonstrated on site. Details.

 

Carrot Fest, Hillsburgh, September 25

Come on out to the farm for Everdale’s 5th annual fall harvest celebration. Enjoy live music from The Funky Mamas, a local marketplace of food and artisans, and harvest games. Visitors can also tour the farm and Home Alive, Everdale’s straw bale house. Back this year is the Culinary Carrot Contest; show off your skills by entering a favourite carrot dish. Or you can check out a workshop, place a bid on a silent auction item, and visit the farm animals with your family. Details.

 

A Slow Taste of Town & Country, London, September 25

Slow Food London is teaming up with the National Farmers Union – Middlesex County to celebrate the incredible fall bounty of Middlesex County (and beyond) at “A Slow Taste of Town & Country”. The annual event showcases local farmers, artisans, and chefs who best exhibit the Slow Food ideology of good, clean, and fair. This tasting event will also feature some of Ontario’s best VQA wines and craft brews as well. Details.

 

Local Food, the $2.4 Billion Prospect, Kitchener, September 27

From biting into a delicious strawberry to starting a new business, buying local food is a deliciously healthy habit that has the ability to revitalize rural communities and create a new prosperity in Ontario. Join Lynn Ogryzlo, Author of The Ontario Table, in supporting local food by signing The Ontario Tablecloth in support of local food.Details.

 

The Local Food Evolution, Caledon, September 29

Join Credit Valley Conservation, Green T and keynote speaker, Wayne Roberts for an evening of engaging discussion on how communities and municipalities can take the “next step” towards a sustainable food community. A panel of local food experts representing the community, farmers, science and local government will discuss challenges and opportunities for sustainable food production in Caledon and surrounding areas. 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the SGI Centre for Culture and Education, Caledon. Details.

 

Back To School Webinar on Educational Food Programs for Youth, September 29.

The Stop Community Food Centre operates a number of food programs that target children and youth. What started out with garden-based education programs for local elementary schools grew, with the opening of The Stop’s Green Barn, to include cooking, nutrition and social justice content. Today, these programs include after-school programs for low-income children, offering hands-on cooking and gardening opportunities and accessible ways to engage with social justice and sustainable food systems issues; a series of sustainable food systems workshops for Grade 5 and Grade 3 classes that meet curriculum objectives and introduce key issues relating to food and poverty; and Food Leadership for Youth, a weekly program for high school girls aimed at developing healthy food skills, behaviours and knowledge. Webinar.

 

Eat-In Ontario in Queen’s Park, September 30

Eat-In Ontario will gather over 500 students from JK to Grade 12 to participate in a series of four curriculum-linked workshops covering gardening, soil and composting, tasting, food and the environment and so much more. These FoodShare-designed workshops will be led by volunteer facilitators and a number of Food Literacy education partners, providing a rich and delicious tapestry of experience for all students in a safe and fun-filled environment. FoodShare Toronto is looking for volunteer workshop facilitators to assist in running an event on Friday September 30th, called Eat-In Ontario in Queen’s Park. Please submit a brief statement of interest and your resume outlining relevant experience by Monday, August 22 at 5pm to Brooke Ziebell at brooke@foodshare.net. Details.

 

2011 Edible Container Photo Show, by September 30

Are you one of Toronto’s creative container gardeners? Then join Toronto Balconies Bloom, Riverdale Food Working Group and Toronto Green Community for our first online Edible Container Garden Show! We want this contest to showcase the great small space gardens growing in Toronto and inspire container gardeners across and beyond the city to get creative with their growing. Anyone growing any kind of edible plants in a creative container is invited to participate. Details.

 

2011-2012 Evergreen Brick Works Chefs Series Line-up Announced, Toronto, starts October 11

New 2011-2012 workshop line-up announced!! Get intimate with Toronto’s hottest chefs. In these demonstration-style cooking classes, you’ll learn about cooking local food, learn tips and techniques while enjoying a delicious dinner and wine from Stratus Vineyards. Details.

 

Together at the Table: The foundation and future of food in Toronto, October 20

Food shapes our everyday lives, neighbourhoods, and the countryside that feeds us. This year, the Toronto Food Policy Council celebrates 20 years of innovative food policy and action in Toronto. “Together at the Table” will bring together food advocates, community groups, City staff, City Councillors, concerned Torontonians and food systems experts to reflect on the past and imagine the next 20 years of food in our city-region.

 

Bring Food Home Conference, Trent University, Peterborough, October 27, 28, 29

Bring Food Home is Ontario’s biennial conference connecting food and farming leaders working towards a sustainable food system. The 2011 conference is themed “Preparing the Ground for a Sustainable Food System.” The organizers of Bring Food Home 2011 are pleased to announce our keynote speakers for the conference.  The Thursday night keynote will feature a panel discussion by leaders transforming food systems: Mark Winne, Jeanette Longfield, and Dawn Morrison moderated by Jon Steinman. On Friday writer, activist, and academic Raj Patel will address the conference and will speak at the Feast of Local Flavours. Details.

 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Symposium 2011, Sault Ste. Marie, November 4

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre and NORDIK Institute are hosting an Agriculture and Agri-Food Symposium on November 4th and 5th at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie. The symposium aims to create opportunities for collaboration between farmers in Northern Ontario and researchers in the agricultural sector. The symposium will feature applicable workshops for local farmers and researchers alike; some include Sustaining Soil and Crop Productivity, Specialty Foods and Value-Added Products, and Healthy Food for Sustainable Communities. Details.

 

It Takes A Region – 2011: A Conference To Build Our Northeast Food System, Albany, November  11-12

This year, NESAWG and partners will draw on the success of our 2009 & 2010 “It Takes a Region” conferences.  Once again, we’ll look at exciting efforts underway in our region. We’ll hear and build from the work groups  — including distribution logistics, research, messaging, access & nutrition, and policy advocacy (how do we influence the 2012 Farm Bill?). We will welcome new participants — especially emerging food system leaders and community activists.  We’ll be addressing pressing issues such as food system worker equity and growing biomass versus food.  We’ll continue to explore scale, size, geography and cross-sector partnerships.  Watch for new features and networking opportunities. Details.

 

Canadian Food Summit 2012, Toronto, February 7 & 8

Few issues matter more to people than the quality and availability of food. Food prices are rising in Canada and globally, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the food supply chain directly impacts our quality of life. Website. Agenda.

 

Ecological Farmers of Ontario Events & Courses

 

Everdale Events & Workshops

 

FarmStart Current Events & Workshops

 

Food Forward Calendar of Toronto Good Food Events

 

Foodlink Waterloo Events

 

Savour Muskoka Events

 

Sustain Ontario Calendar of Events

 

The Stop Community Food Centre Events Calendar

 

Locavore News — Ontario

More combines are welcome to be part of world record and good cause

Almost 100 combines have registered to help harvest 160 acres of soybeans this fall. The soybeans were planted this spring with high hopes. Five farmers from the Listowel area – Richard Van Donkersgoed, Peter Rastorfer, Mike Koetsier, John Tollenaar and Randy Drenth — hope to set a world record and raise $200,000 to donate to Canadian Foodgrains Bank. So far things are on track. According to Rastorfer, the soybeans are looking good and the group is well on their way to reaching their goal with nearly 100 combines signed on to harvest the crop sometime in the third week of September. Listowel Banner story.

 

Strength and hope starts with hunger relief

Farmers too help alleviate world hunger in many ways. Next month, Ontario farmers will jump on 100 combines to try harvesting 160 acres of soybeans in world record time – that is, under 10 minutes – through an initiative called Harvest for Hunger. It’s a fundraiser for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to battle global hunger. With support from Syngenta Canada, they’re trying to raise $200,000 for global hunger relief projects through Harvest for Hunger. Guelph Mercury column by Owen Roberts.

 

It’s OK to make mistakes, local celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy says

Kennedy was acknowledged with the Order of Canada late last year, largely for the contributions that he has made to Canadian food. He is a big proponent of the local food movement and is often described as a food activist. “When you engage in local food procurement principals, wherever you are in Canada, or anywhere else in the world, you’re engaging community,” Kennedy said. “As a society, globally, we are moving away from the global model of food production and more of an emphasis on communities supporting themselves.” The Toronto Observer story.

 

Ontario researchers, farmers trial ethno-cultural vegetables

Work has begun on field trials, market research and consumer taste tests of new ethno-cultural vegetable crops being grown in Ontario. The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (OFVGA) and researchers at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) have teamed up to explore the market potential of vegetable crops popular with South Asian and Afro-Caribbean consumers and how successfully these produce varieties can be grown and marketed in Ontario. Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association news release.

 

Edible Flowers

Edible flowers have been enjoyed since prehistoric times. Hindus used them in religious rituals. Chinese people made good use of all parts of daylily plants. The Romans loved using calendula, violets, roses and mallow during their lavish banquets. Elizabethan England enjoyed the elegance of roses, pinks and calendula. Spaniards promoted the generous use of squash blossoms (which they gained knowledge of from indigenous people in the Americas) and saffron, derived from the crocus sativa flower. Victorian England adored elegant presentations of violets, borage and nasturtiums. Early uses of the flowers were for medicinal benefit. More recently, they have become used to transform ordinary food into dazzling presentations. Edible Toronto story.

 

FreshFest in Elgin County

Last night was an amazing night hosted by Savour Elgin at CASO Train station in St Thomas. Our low ticket price included a complementary wine glass to take home as well as 14 tickets to use at the various vendors throughout the lovely restored historic train station. We were able to sample many local inspired dishes created by some of the best chefs in the area. We were also treated to a beer and cheese sampling from The Railway City Brewing Co and Monfore Dairy. In addition to the excellent food there was a number of local wineries and beverage producer BlackFly. Mackenna Roth post on Farms.com.

 

Planning for Food Systems in Ontario – A Call to Action

The growing demand for local food is testament to the desire of many to become more connected to their sources of food.  Food systems have long been linked to planning and are a key consideration for complete and healthy communities.  Involving community planners in planning for food systems can result in healthier outcomes for Ontarians.  Planners are in a unique position to identify problems and challenges within the food system and to lead and foster the development of solutions. Ontario Professional Planners Institute news release.

 

Creating New Options for Preserving our Top Farmland

Farmland preservation is a key component in keeping a strong and vigorous agricultural sector. And with Ontario having one of the biggest agriculture and food clusters in North America, it only makes sense that our citizens be proactive in ensuring that we do our best to preserve and maintain our best farmland. The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has a long history of advocating for farmland preservation. We’ve taken up the fight to keep our best farmland in a number of battles, including power line developments, highway proposals, land use planning sessions and arguments about municipal housing severances. We’ve been at the forefront of those saying that our best farmland needs to be preserved for farming, not held in trust until some other competing use comes along. CFFO commentary by John  Clement.

 

A critic’s guide to Niagara wineries

On windy days, Niagara’s best new winery can be a challenge to locate. The tiny barn tucked away on a rural road is marked only by a red sandwich-board sign at the end of a long dirt driveway. I bypassed it several times, eventually pulling into a nearby farm. “It’s across the way,” a man cordially assured. “There’s a sign out front.” Sure enough, there was the rickety sandwich board, lying sadly in the grass, waiting for a reporter to stand it back up. Globe and Mail story.

 

Statement from Minister of the Environment John Wilkinson Regarding Highland Companies Proposed Quarry in Dufferin County

“After careful consideration, the Minister of Natural Resources and I have agreed to bring forward a regulation making Highland Companies subject to the requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act. As a result the company will be required to undertake a comprehensive Environmental Assessment for the proposed quarry in Melancthon Township. Ontario Government news release.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

‘Ingredients’ bland as rice cakes

With Food, Inc. and its published cousin Fast Food Nation already behind us, Ingredients — a rosy roundup of life on the organic farm (and the restaurateurs who love them) — is so blandly presented with blanket statements wrapped in elevator music, it is a meal that wouldn’t quell the appetite of anybody except the most fervent believer. Yes, it’s visually yummy. And few would argue with the movie’s basic premise that produce and meat fresh off the vine and hoof are tastier and better for you than, say, tomatoes that have been shipped in from Mexico. Toronto Sun review.