Eat Local
Eat Local | Eating with the Seasons | Links
Are you tired of buying garlic from China? Produce in North America travels an average of 2400 kilometers from farm to table. Chinese garlic travels 10,476 kilometers, arriving in your kitchen with a sizeable carbon foot print. Garlic grows well in the Ottawa area and can be stored for months.
The Main Farmers’ Market was established to make it easier for you to eat local.
The concept of eating local has been popularized by the book, The 100 Mile Diet: A Year of Eating Locally. This book describes a couple’s experiences committing to eating local food for a year.
It is our belief that eating locally has environmental, social and economic benefits:
Environmental benefits
Local food is produced within 160 km (100 miles) of downtown Ottawa reducing the carbon dioxide emissions associated from trucking produce long distances. Less packaging is required to bring the food from farm to market.
Social benefits
A local market provides a hub for community activity. Buying local means you get to know who produces your vegetables and fruit, meat, cheese, eggs, honey and maple syrup.
Economic benefits
Buying local means you are supporting local farmers and producers, who only get a fraction of what their product is worth at the supermarket. While experiencing many varieties of foods, you also protect local farmland, local farm jobs and keep our local agricultural economy strong.
Health benefits
There are many health benefits to eating lots of vegetables and fruits each day. The challenge is eating enough. Local produce tastes delicious so eating lots of vegetables and fruit is a pleasure. Buying local means that produce is harvested when it’s fully ripe, allowing you to benefit from the optimal amount of nutrients and flavour.
Eating with the seasons
Interested in eating with the seasons? The seasonal produce chart shows what is in season here each month. We will keep the Main Farmers’ Market webpage updated with seasonal recipe ideas.
RECIPES FOR July / August
Strawberries:
http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/fruits/strawberries/recipes/index.html
Apples:
http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/fruits/strawberries/recipes/index.html
Rhubarb:
http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/fruits/rhubarb/recipes/index.html
Carrots:
http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/fruits/rhubarb/recipes/index.html
Peppers:
http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/fruits/rhubarb/recipes/index.html
Tomato:
http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/fruits/rhubarb/recipes/index.html
and more:
http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/in-season.html
Links:
Ottawa’s Buy Local Map: A guide to finding local food in Ottawa
Ecological Farmers Association Ontario: provides and develops programs promoting the practice and advancement of ecological agriculture
Foodland Ontario: Information about fresh food from Ontario, includes tips on buying, storing and preparing.
Just Food: a non-profit, community-based organization working on urban and rural food issues to make Ottawa food secure
Savour Ottawa: Local food label found at farmers’ markets and in restaurants.
Sustainable Living Ottawa East: Conducts projects that help people who live, work and study in Old Ottawa East to take concrete, practical steps to live more sustainably (reduce environmental impacts).
The 100 Mile Diet: A Year of Eating Locally: A website which complements Alisa Smith and J.B. MackKinnon’s bestselling book.