Local, yes. Sustainable, no way.
Attending the Royal Winter Fair last Sunday was a rude reminder of the reality of mainstream farming.
Sorry to be a downer, but I saw plenty not to be happy about: University of Guelph food geneticists, pesticide companies claiming environmental stewardship, corn fed beef, (not to mention the usual bad coffee).
Whine whine. Gripe gripe.
At first glance, the Royal Agricultural Show is a great thing. The farm comes to the city and the farmers, at least on the surface, get the recognition they deserve.
But the fair is steeped in traditions (horseshows, auctions, biggest zucchini) that belie the dire situation of the farmers and their absolute dependence on the pharmaceutical companies who lord over them — a tradition in itself, unfortunately.
I came across some slick marketing materials by so-called pest controllers that use clever omissions in their copy to convince us that using pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers is not only necessary for plant growth, but actually improves soil quality and preserves wildlife habitats.
Come again?
I have nothing against the farmers. They’re caught in a cycle of chemical dependence that began after WWII and it is bleeding them dry. But seriously, does the Royal Winter Fair have to add insult to injury by having the very same forces that are destroying our food supply, our soil and our waterways claim the high road as saviour of these very things?
I thought this event was for the farmers.
Whine whine. Gripe gripe.
"I only bake with whole grain flours."
Welcome to November folks, Toronto’s grey month!
The days are getting noticeably shorter, and our farmer’s markets are getting smaller. Eating locally, all of a sudden, feels a little more challenging.
But don’t despair. It’s just time to get creative and learn to use what we do have in new ways.
I, for one, have been thinking about baking.
Must be the weather. Every year it’s the same thing: the body senses the coming cold and we crave the heavier foods that give us the extra energy we need to keep warm – foods like soups and stews – made from squashes and root vegetables, or the breads and baked goods made from grains.
Conveniently, these are also the foods that are locally available to us this time of year.
If you bake, or plan to, it might be worth considering this little seasonal craving when you go shopping for flour.
Your body is seeking a source of energy. A longer lasting energy will keep you warm (and functioning) for a longer period of time. A longer lasting energy comes from slower burning food, i.e. food that takes us longer to break down and digest. What takes us longer to break down in the baking world? — Whole grains and flour milled from whole grain.
I know lots of bakers who defend their refined wheat flours for the white fluffy breads and cakes, and oh-so-flaky pastry that it creates. But I personally just don’t see the point.
The refined flour gives us an energy spike, followed after by a crash that leaves us feeling more depleted than before we ate! And so we then want to eat more. Also, with the fibre, vitamins and minerals removed in the refining process, that lily-white flour is actually just empty calories.
To give yourself the energy you need this time of year, try going whole.
Grassroots Organics (Ontario) has an excellent selection of local whole grains, including whole spelt, whole red fife and whole wheat. They also have kamut flour (excellent for cookies), buckwheat flour, rye and rice flours.
Although not local, Bob’s Red Mill (USA) flours are also widely available in health food stores, and it’s a good name for quality flours – including almond, quinoa, amaranth, millet, coconut, organic corn and bean flours.
Coconut flour? Okay, that’s really not local, but … it sounds so gooood!
With tomorrow’s municipal elections in mind, I just came across an interesting reminder by Debbie Field, Executive Director of FoodShare Toronto, about the important role food plays in our communities:
www.foodshare.net/foodpolicy-cityagenda.htm.
Let’s make good food more accessible, not less.
Ever been to the Greenmarket at Union Square in NYC?
They got it goin’ on.
I had the pleasure of visiting this market a few days ago and, chatting with one of the GrowNYC reps, I learned that it has been around since 1976.
What struck me about this market, I mean, aside from being open an impressive 4-days a week, year round, and hosting over 140 different local suppliers who provide New Yorkers with picked-that-day-or-the-day-before fruits and vegetables, it was that this market was situated right downtown in the middle of all the action.
Any farmer’s market I’ve ever seen has been sequestered away in a residential neighbourhood, often with operating hours that only the stay-at-home can adhere to.
But the Union Square Greenmarket sits right there like an icon to grassroots urban development; in a previously crime-ridden neighbourhood, this market now holds its own amongst office towers, megastores and trendy boutiques.
No doubt there is a price tag attached to this convenience, but the place is packed! Proving that movers & shakers, students, chefs, hipsters, neighbours and tourists are willing to rub shoulders and strike up some small talk all for the sake and the pleasure of eating some real food.
This is a market that is located where the people are.
If you’re in NYC, do check it out. This is how it should be.
It’s been a busy few weeks around the LocalFoody ranch. Last Friday October the 1st was Anne’s birthday (!!) and also marked the start of our Beta period. We’ve been sending out the first few beta invites and have a handful of dedicated beta testers looking around and kicking the tires. We’re rolling the beta out at a slow but steady pace to ensure things are stable and we can respond quickly to feedback.
In other news, today we launched our new Blog theme, which I think you’ll agree is much nicer and synchs up well with the rest of the site. Let us know what you think.
If you haven’t already, please sign up for the beta. We are just beginning our mission to help people find good, whole, sustainable food and we would love to have you join us on the journey!
The Great Big Crunch is when 700 students gather on the front lawn of Queen’s Park and simultaneously bite into a fresh, local apple. And it’s happing this Friday at 2pm, Oct. 8.
The Great Big Crunch is part of a province-wide Eat-In Ontario fall harvest celebration, which aims to teach students of all ages the joys of cooking, growing and tasting good, healthy food.
Eat-In Ontario is part of FoodShare’s Recipe for Change initiative, which is working hard to improve food literacy across Ontario.
So pack an apple and come on down to show your support! It’ll be worth the trip just to see 700 kids do anything simultaneously.
Who: Students, JK-12 and anyone else who eats food
Where: Front lawn Queen’s Park
When: Fri, 8 Oct. 2 pm
Why: Because good healthy food matters, and not just for kids
Not far from the Tree’s fruit picking program organizes volunteer groups in Toronto to harvest fruit from trees on residential properties that would otherwise go to waste.
If you have a fruit tree that yields more than you can handle, consider calling these guys to come pick the fruit and put the unwanted bounty to good use.
One third goes to the fruit tree owner, one third goes to the volunteer pickers, and one third goes to community organizations in the neighbourhood.
And Not Far from the Tree is sharing their return with the public tonight as part of the Gladstone’s Fly by Night exhibition for Nuit Blanche. Starting at 6:57 pm today, they’ll be pressing apple cider from dusk till dawn.
Enjoy a cup of local love … a tireless cider-pressing extravaganza that animates the urban orchard!
Snap snap!
?”If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.”
– Carl Sagan
If you don’t have time for that universe inventin’ stuff, pick up some ready-grown apples at your local market and get busy.
Here’s a little guide to help you choose the right kind of apple for your needs:
Cakes, Pies, Crisps/Pudding, Skillet
Northern Spy, Spartan, Empire, Cortland, Gala, Banana gold, Idared
Baking whole
McIntosh, Empire, Spartan, Northern Spy, Jonagold, Mutsu
Sauces
McIntosh, Gala, Empire, Northern Spy, Spartan, Cortland, Gravenstein
Snacks, Salads
McIntosh, Gala, Golden Russet, Red Delicious
I haven’t had the chance to sample every single variety of apple out there, yet, but so far it tastes like a damn fine year for McIntosh.
Not very original, I know, but crisp, juicy, sweet, with a touch of tart.
Michael Pollan answers questions from readers in an interview with Time Magazine.
The End of Food — How the food industry is destroying our food supply — and what you can do about it
By Thomas F. Pawlick
This is the book I had wanted to write after I completed my natural nutrition program. Turns out it was part of the curriculum.
Pawlick, an investigative science journalist and experienced organic farmer, takes a critical look at our current food production practices in North America and blasts our misguided system that places profit over quality and sustainability.
He starts with a story about a single bright red tomato and a simple question that we have all asked: why is it so hard?
This question introduces a fascinating look at incredible industrial farming practices that have left our soil depleted of the nutrients it needs to produce plants of any nutritional value, poisoned water systems, destroyed wildlife, spread disease, ruined rural communities and, I would say, endangered the health of the general public.
The End of Food is informative, scary, sometimes dizzying and downright depressing, but Pawlick is trying to piss us off. Why? Because there’s no reason we need to be doing this. These are man-made problems that began in an era when we didn’t know any better. But we know better now, and Pawlick argues it’s time to do something about it. I agree.
The End of Food is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in the quality of the food they eat.
