Buying Local!

Buying local is a topic that I have wanted to write about for so many months and is something that I am extremely passionate about. For the last 3 years I have adopted a regular routine of waking up early on a Saturday morning to visit the St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market (about 10 minutes from my house). The Farmer’s Market is a wonderful place to get the best seasonal produce, locals meats, baked good and other artisan goodies (jams, breads, olive oils, etc).

My routine usually starts with me waking up at 6:30 am, grabbing a coffee on route to the market and by the time I arrive my coffee has been consumed and my hands are free to start loading fresh veggies and fruits. During the winter months it can be difficult to find fresh, local produce, other than root vegetables. Many of the outside vendors hibernate for the winter and reappear once spring arrives. Regardless of the season, you will find me at the market.

Usually when I arrive at 7 am, there are only a handful of people to contend with and I have ample room to wander around and do my shopping for the week. If you arrive too late (10 am or later) in the summer, it is like playing the video game Frogger, dodging strollers, dogs and hundreds of people. The earlier you can arrive the better!

When I am at the market I selectively target the vendors to shop from. For the market rookies it could take a few visits to find the best vendors (hint - look for the line-ups). Increasingly, less and less farmers are actually coming to the farmer’s markets across Ontario and many market operators are forced to allow wholesalers or third-party retailers to open up stands. The St. Jacobs Farmer’s Markets has a combination of both farmers and retailers.

My preference is to support the local farmer! I want to buy from the person who grew the product not from the guy who bought if off the back of a transport truck. The next time you are visiting a farmer’s market, have a look around and see if you can identify the true growers/farmers. I have about 4 or 5 vendors that I buy my vegetables and fruits from and about 5 vendors that I buy my meat and breads from. The vendors I go to put out consistently great products and are small independent farmers/butchers with locations around my community.

Being that I once thought about being a professional chef, I have a great appreciation for quality ingredients and with careful searching, a local farmer’s market can be a great source of wonderful local treasures.

What’s in Season Now?

When I was at the market last week I noticed Asparagus and Rhubarb were making their debut appearances. I couldn’t resist buying a few bunches of Ontario asparagus. There is nothing like field fresh asparagus grilled on the BBQ with a little extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. I will be buying more this saturday….I can’t get enough!

In another month or so, fresh Ontario strawberries will be available and I can hardly wait. You can’t even compare a farm fresh berry to an imported one that has traveled thousands of miles and ripened on the truck. I have a few berry plants that I started last year, but they will only produce enough for a snack. There will be many trips to the market, that is for sure!

If you are ever in the Waterloo Region, be sure to schedule a trip to the St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market, you will be glad you did.

This post has encouraged me to start writing about the other local shops that I visit. Be sure to check back for my upcoming “Eating Local” posts.

I believe the key to change is awareness! The next time you are at the grocery store, read the display signs to see where your food is coming from. If you have the choice to buy local, you should make the switch! Buy quality, reduce your footprint and support your community!

Technorati Tags: local produce, buying local, farmer’s markets, organic produce, artisan food, St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market

Written by steve on May 18th, 2007 with 1 comment.
Read more articles on Green Living Tips.

Some Eco Humour for the Long Weekend!

I was over at YouTube this morning and came across some funny eco-videos. Given that this is the start of the long weekend for us Canadians, Monday is Victoria Day, a statutory holiday for us. Victoria Day is celebrated on the last Monday before or on May 24 in honour of both Queen Victoria’s birthday and the current reigning Canadian Sovereign’s birthday. For many of us, we will be spending the weekend outside gardening, at the cottage and enjoying good times with our friends and family.

I personally have a ton of gardening to do. My vegetable garden has been tilled and prepped and is now waiting for me to plant my herbs and veggies. I hope that we have seen the last of the frost. I will post some pictures of my weekend gardening efforts, on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

If you are in the office or at home today and need a good laugh, I recommend that you watch the following videos from Ali G (comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s character - Same guy who created Borat). You need to have a very open mind to appreciate his humour. I find some of his sketches extremely funny and on a friday before the long weekend, just what I needed! The key to watching these videos is to not take it seriously and enjoy the absurdity.

Written by steve on May 18th, 2007 with no comments.
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What to do with a leaky rain barrel?

When I bought my house last year I discovered two rain barrels in my back yard, one fully functional, the other with a massive split in the bottom. During the growing season last year I found the non-leaky rain barrel quite useful as we had a watering ban for most of the summer. I created a 22′ x 25′ vegetable garden last year and I was constantly watering my plants with the collected rain water. As Bentley mentioned in a post last month, we went to the rain barrel give-a-way in Waterloo and each purchased a new barrel. So now I have two functioning barrels and one with a cracked bottom.

For the last year I was trying to come up with a plan to use or get rid of my broken rain barrel. I thought of trying to patch the crack, convert the barrel into garden planter or even make it a garbage can. During a recent visit to my house, Bentley mentioned that I should convert the barrel into a composter. What a fantastic idea! Why didn’t I think of that? Thanks Bentley!

This afternoon I put a plan into action and converted the barrel into my new composter. I had created a wooden composter out of scrap lumber last year, but I haven’t been 100% happy with it. My new rain barrel composter conversion (that’s a mouth full) is a better solution.

Cutting the Top

The first thing I did was cut the plastic framework on the top part of the barrel. I cut the top to allow me to freely add compost materials and be able to turn the compost over with a shovel.

Cutting the Bottom

The second step was to cut the bottom of barrel to allow all of the compost to reach the ground. I want the compost to pool in a hole that I dug rather than stay at the bottom of the plastic barrel.

Digging a hole

The next thing I did was dig a hole for the composter to sit in. I decided to dig down 16 inches deep. I may decide to dig down a bit deeper tomorrow. I will chat with Bentley to see what he suggests.

Adding Stuff to the Composter

After prepping the composter I headed inside to find some goodies to add to the composter. I found some carrots and a cucumber that were ready for composter heaven. I also found some cardboard in my recycling box that was wet from last nights rainfall. I now have a decent base to get things rolling in my composter. All I need now is a handful of worms. I am sure Bentley will be able to help me get started.

It feels good to convert/reuse the rain barrel into something that I will use everyday. All it took was a shovel, a cordless saw and 30 minutes of my time.

Technorati Tags: rain barrel conversion, worm composting, composting, compost bin, reusing materials, worm compost, worm castings, vermicomposting

Written by steve on May 18th, 2007 with no comments.
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