‘Tis the Season for Fresh
As published in Owen Sound & Grey Bruce Life - July 2007.
It’s that time of year – time for ground in Canada to start bearing fruit – and vegetables – once again. That means it is the perfect time to buy local, naturally grown produce and discover what it means to eat with the seasons.
As much as it would be great if we could all have our own garden to eat from, that’s not always practical. Fortunately we have many local farmers’ markets in the area where we can shop. When we shop at a farmers’ market, we are (hopefully) buying local produce. When something is local, it can be picked at its peak of ripeness and include all its possible nutrients– it doesn’t have to be picked days before and ripen on the truck so it’s ready for the grocery store shelf. We also get to eat food that is less traveled than ourselves – I’ve never been to California, why should my tomatoes have all the fun? When food is local we are also eating within the season and climatic region. This is what our body is ready to handle – we’re not designed to get the most benefit out of a strawberry in January.
There are many Farmers’ Markets in the area for you to check out throughout the week. Don’t be afraid to ask the vendor how and where their foods are grown – farmers that use natural methods will be more than happy to tell you about them. This is one way you can make conscious food decisions in the purchasing of pesticide-free and locally grown and raised foods.
- The Owen Sound & District Farmers’ Market runs Saturdays from 7am to 12:30pm - www.owensoundfarmersmarkets.ca.
- The Keady Farmers’ Market runs Tuesdays from 7am to 2pm – www.keadylivestock.com.
- Crow’s Creek Market in Purple Valley north of Wiarton runs from June 22 to August 29, Friday mornings from 8am to 12noon – www.crowscreekmarket.com.
- Meaford has a new Farmers’ Market at the Rotary Pavilion Friday afternoons starting 3pm till 8pm, from June 1 to October 5
- If you are outside the Grey Bruce area, find a Farmers’ Market near you at www.farmersmarketsontario.com.
I was at the Owen Sound Market recently and met some great people from the Saugeen River CSA – a local food share/co-op program. For a yearly fee you get a ‘share’ of that week’s organic crops. This is the optimal in seasonal eating. It also gets you into a different mindset of dinner. Instead of ‘what do I feel like eating’ and going to the store to get those ingredients, switch more to ‘what’s at the market today’ and finding a recipe to go with that. That’s what I did this week – I bought some fresh spinach, asparagus, and local eggs, and made my spinach and zucchini pie with some seasonal substitutions. You can find this recipe and more at recipes .
You too can do your part by eating a little more fresh, a little more local. A whole lot easier now than in January!
