Gone Loco...Local that is ;)

Earlier this month, I decided to go on a mission and seek out sustainably sourced local food vendors and restaurants.  I would like to thank each of you that took the time to comment on my Facebook page and help me with my endeavor   :)  I will share with you my findings so far and hopefully engage others on a similar mission...right after I share this quote from a recent article I read:

“Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things…. The Gross National Product [the primary measure of economic progress] measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile ”— Robert Kennedy.

Sustainable living takes many things into consideration...what will you do?


"According to Local Food Plus, an Ontario-based non-profit organization, sustainable-food purchases in Canada increased 92 percent from 2007 to 2008. Dramatic increases in food and (until recently) fuel prices, combined with the growing awareness that vibrant communities depend on a diverse and sustainable local economy, have caused many Canadians to re-evaluate their grocery lists."   (Kilpatrick, 2009)

Locally Sourced Restaurants:

Fraser Cafe

Their simple menu allows for flexibility as well as inspiration, while using an appropriate technique for the preparation of each ingredient. It is their aim to source our products locally and to use them in their respective season.

http://frasercafe.ca/

Wellington Gastropub

The national capital’s first official British-style gastropub, which opened in 2006, serves local brews complemented by a menu that features vegetables, meats and other products from suppliers in the Ottawa region. (When they can’t source local, such as for seafood, they buy Canadian.) 

1325 Wellington Street, Ottawa

613-729-1315

www.thewellingtongastropub.com

Credible Edibles

We live in a fast-paced world where choices are often determined by the time we have available. We need to slow down, take better care of our bodies and our planet. Credible Edibles is committed to providing busy people with a choice that is convenient and healthy and ecologically-sound. No one should have to choose convenience at the expense of planetary or personal health!

http://www.credible-edibles.ca/aboutus.php

Grocery Store:

McKeen's Metro

Located in the heart of the Glebe, McKeen Metro Grocery Store has been providing locally sourced food since the early 20th century. McKeen’s Metro believe that the distance from farm to plate should be limited. This benefits the local farming economy but also the health of customers and their families. McKeen Metro is a medium through which delicious local food is made available to the community. You can find everything from local beef, turkey and dairy to seasonal fruits and vegetables. McKeen Metro Glebe is a leader when it comes to eating local.

http://www.savourottawa.ca/profiles_en/mckeens_metro.php

Farmer's Markets:

The Savour Ottawa brand provides you with instant recognition for local agricultural products. When you see the Savour Ottawa logo at farmers' markets, butcheries, retail grocery stores and more, you can feel assured that each product or establishment with the logo has undergone a verification process to ensure that they are using local food in their products, or are a local producer.

Savour Ottawa works to develop and promote Ottawa and area as a premier, year-round culinary destination, with robust offerings of local foods and experiences for both locals and visitors to the area.

Byward Market

Established by Lt-Col. John By in 1826, Byward Market is one of Canada’s oldest and largest public markets.

Outdoor vendors are an integral part of the ByWard Market experience.  Unlike some other market experiences, you'll find ByWard Market vendors outside, no matter the weather, 363 days per year (closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day)!

Typically, agri-food vendors are open from May to October from 7:00 a.m. and remain open until 6:00 p.m.  Bad weather will rarely stop them from selling.  Art and craft vendors usually operate from mid-May to mid-September and start at 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 or 9:00 p.m.

Produce Availability

What's on the menu?  See below to find out what type of produce is available on the ByWard Market at various times of the year.  It should be noted that these dates are approximations.  The actual availability may vary from year to year, depending on the weather conditions.  Contact Markets Management for up-to-date information. 613-244-4410.

How to tell if it's from a local farm? Look for the Savour Ottawa logo. It identifies food grown or raised near Ottawa.

http://www.byward-market.com/about/outdoor-vending.htm

Parkdale Market

Located at Parkdale and Wellington Streets, smack dab in the middle of Ottawa’s Hintonburg neighbourhood, Parkdale Market has been selling fresh fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers for more than 75 years.

Ottawa Farmer's Market

http://www.ottawafarmersmarket.ca/

Ottawa Farmers' Market - Brewer Park

Every Sunday, 8am - 3pm, May 6 - Oct 28 20112

(613) 986-2770

At the Ottawa Farmers’ Market, you can buy just-picked vegetables, farm-fresh meats, still-warm breads, pies, pastries and other baked goods, locally produced maple and honey products, as well as hand-crafted jewelry, pottery, clothing, furniture. and other works created by talented local artisans.

Best of all, you buy directly from the people who produce what they’re selling - farmers and craftspeople who come from the surrounding area. And we have more Savour Ottawa verified local vendors than any other market in Ottawa!

And last but certainly not least...terra20.  Community.  Convenience. Credibility. these are the words that define this stores vision.

http://www.terra20.com/about/story/

Check em out....you won't be disappointed.

Brandelyn

Something's Gotta Give

According to the World Happiness Report, "We live in an age of stark contradictions.  The world enjoys technologies of unimaginable sophistication; yet has at least one billion people without enough to eat each day.  The world economy is propelled to soaring new heights of productivity through ongoing technological and organizational advance; yet is relentlessly destroying the natural environment in the process.  Countries achieve great progress in economic development as conventionally measured; yet along the way succumb to new crises of obesity, smoking, diabetes, depression, and other ills of modern life".

UN discusses creation of Gross National Happiness

By MICHAEL ASTOR | Associated Press – Mon, Apr 2, 2012

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Should happiness figure in a nation's bottom line? And should the concept of Gross National Product be replaced by Gross National Happiness?

Bhutan's Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley told a high-level U.N. meeting Monday that it not only should but that it must if mankind is to avoid its current unsustainable and self-destructive course.

Bhutan, the tiny Himalayan nation which tops Asia in the United Nations' First World Happiness Report, convened the meeting seeking to develop a new economic model based on principles of happiness and well being.

"The GDP-lead development model that compels boundless growth on a planet with limited resources no longer makes economic sense. It is the cause of our irresponsible, immoral and self-destructive actions," Thinley said. "The purpose of development must be to create enabling conditions through public policy for the pursuit of the ultimate goal of happiness by all citizens."

The conference titled "Happiness and Well-being: Defining a New Economic Paradigm," brought together hundreds of representatives of government — including Costa Rican President Laura Chincilla — academics and other civic leaders to discuss the issue. All endorsed the importance of happiness, though not necessarily Bhutan's proposed index.

Check out the full World Happiness Report by clicking on the link:

http://www.earth.columbia.edu/sitefiles/file/Sachs%20Writing/2012/World%20Happiness%20Report.pdf

What do YOU think?  GDP vs GNH can we bridge the gap for a more sustainable future?

What the heck is a 'Locavore'? ;)

Here I sit as a ‘Certified Eco-Pro’ in my sustainably designed space wondering what’s next.  I mean sure it’s easy to incorporate as many elements of LEED into my green designs and to respect the natural environment wherever possible.  Recycling, reducing, reusing...I get it, but how can I go beyond this?  How can I further reduce my carbon footprint and enhance my healthy living on a daily basis? 

So I decided to start in the area of my house that terrifies me the most...the kitchen!  This time, however, I am not looking through a green lens at how to redesign the space; I am looking at this functionally green space and wondering how to use it in a sustainable way every day.  Those that know me well know that cooking is certainly not my forte nor is the art of grocery shopping, quite frankly up until this weekend, the mere thought of either made me cringe.

Over the past several years, there has been a growing interest in local food, consumers have more choices on where to shop, what to buy, and many of us are left wondering where to start, so I decided to find out.  What does it mean to be local?  How local is local?  Unlike organic standards which entail specific legal requirements and inspection processes local means different things to different people.

According to Sustainable.org, local food production might be thought of in concentric circles that start with growing food at home followed by growing in the community, next Province and so on and so forth.  Depending on the climate, especially in Canada, it may be possible to buy close to home, but at other times an expanded reach may be necessary.

Jessica Prentice, from the San Francisco Bay Area for World Environment Day 2005, coined a term that is used to describe and promote the practice of eating a diet that consists of food harvested from within an area bound by a 100 mile radius. People who value local as their primary food criterion are referred to as “locavores”.

Now that we've taken a look at what it means to be local, what about sustainability?  Sustainable agriculture involves health food production methods that meet the following criteria:

• do not harm the environment 
• respects workers
• are humane to animals
• provide fair wages to farmers
• and support farming communities

Sustainability includes buying food as locally as possible; however it is important to note that not all locally produced food is created equal.  When considering your local options, take the time to ask the vendor a few questions regarding how the animals were raised or if they know the name and location of the farm.

Locally, sustainable farming benefits the local community, local economy while respecting the natural environment by enriching the soil, protecting the air and water quality and minimizing energy consumption.  Globally, industrial food production is entirely dependent on fossil fuels which when refined and burned create greenhouse gasses that are significant contributors to climate change.   This however, is not the biggest problem with fossil fuels use in industrial farming, the biggest part of fossil fuel use in industrial farming is not transporting food or fueling machinery; it's chemicals. As much as forty percent of the energy used in the food system goes towards the production of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.[1] By adding transportation, processing and packaging to the food system equation, the fossil fuel and energy use of our current food system puts tremendous stress on the environment.

I have also complied a check list to help anyone else interested in jumping on the locavore train!

Sustainably Yours,
Brandelyn

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[1] Heller, Martin C., and Gregory A. Keoleian. "Life Cycle-Based Sustainability Indicators for Assessment of the U.S. Food System." Ann Arbor, MI: Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan, 2000: 42.

Appendix A – The Locavore Checklist[1]
Commit to becoming a Locavore	Changing your diet is never easy but eating locally can be a rewarding and healthy experience. Try adding one seasonal local ingredient to your diet each week, or even better cook one meal per week using only local food. We've even seen people commit to an entire month or year of local eating. Become a locavore at your own pace!
Educate yourself	Become a member and/or a volunteer of Just Food by logging onto their website and signing up under the Get Involved section. They will keep you up to date with food events and issues in the Ottawa region. You can even invite Just Food to give a presentation at your community association, place of worship or workplace on local foods and the food system.
Shop at Farmer’s Markets	Ottawa's Farmers' Markets are growing. You will find wonderful varieties of local fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, eggs, honey, maple syrup and more at farmers' markets throughout the season. Make it a weekly ritual to start your groceries at farmers' markets. You will get the freshest, tastiest foods available!
Grow Your Own	Learn how to grow your own food in backyards, community gardens, or even on your balcony. Polish your gardening skills by taking a Just Food & Canadian Organic Growers (Ottawa) vegetable gardening workshop in the spring. You can also download a free beginner gardening guide from our website. Think about starting a community garden in your neighbourhood.
Eat seasonally available items	Get to know when local food is available through this guide's seasonal calendar and by frequently visiting farmers' markets. Cook forward by planning your meals around what is seasonally available, rather than deciding on a recipe first and then going out to buy ingredients wherever you can find them. The first fresh cucumber of the season, from a field close to home, never tasted so good. Celebrate the special local flavours available at different times of the year.
Celebrate local agriculture	Support farmers and better understand the agricultural landscapes through the unique taste of the food that is grown here. Celebrate with local farmers at local food feasts, garlic festivals, strawberry socials, trips to the sugar bush, country farm fairs etc.
Support your local farmers and join their cause	Become a member of a farm connected to your community. Sign on for a season of vegetables and get creative while cooking the seasonal surprises each week. Through your commitment to a farm for a full growing season, you help ensure that small farms are viable and our farmers keep farming.
Buy in bulk and learn to preserve	Buy larger quantities of local food in season (whether meat, veggies or something else). It is more expensive to buy food in small quantities offseason – by buying in season you can stretch your dollar. By freezing, canning and dehydrating seasonal food you buy in bulk, you can include local foods in your diet the entire year.
Promote your favorite food outlets	As consumers get more interested in local foods, grocers, restaurants and institutions feel more incentive to provide what consumers want. Ask your local grocery store, workplace/school cafeteria and your favourite restaurants how they plan to integrate local foods onto their shelves and into their menus.

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[1] http://www.justfood.ca/buylocal/howtoeatlocal.php