On The Move Organics

This morning I ventured out to the Western Fair Farmers Market to see what kind of local foods I could find. Keep in mind that it is January (how could we forget?) and we are in Canada… but I still found some really great stuff! Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I would like to mention one thing before I continue – and that is that you really have to be a smart locavore when you shop at this market. Be warned, I actually saw a vendor that was using Foodland Ontario signs for pricing their vegetables even though all of their “packages” were marked from California, not good! Just be wise, young ones. :,,) And now, to the really good part! A very exciting locavore find (and organic to boot!), is Jeff Pastorius” business called On The Move Organics. On The Move Organics is many things. First, they offer 100% organic produce, yum! Second, approximately 80% of the produce that Jeff sources is from small, independent organic farms all within a half hour drive of London Ontario. Lastly, they offer a Box Program. Wondering what a “box program” is? Basically, for around $30 a week you have a box delivered to your door that contains 10 – 15 fresh food items. I tried one of these box programs (not with Jeff), about 4 years ago and it was super fun. You get all kinds of foods in the box that you may not usually try on your own and it is a great way to incorporate more veggies into your weekly diet, while at the same time supporting a local business – and in the height of our growing season, support local farmers. I purchased some really good looking sunflower shoots, beets and parsnips. Oh! and they even have the delicious yet elusive Ontario Grown Garlic! No, I am not being crazy – just take a look at the supermarket garlic the next time you are shopping – I”ll bet you at least a fiver that it is from China! Something that is also super special and is available through Jeff is NuSun Sunflower Oil. It is locally grown and bottled just north of Stratford, in Mitchell Ontario. That”s right, you can lower your cholesterol and support a local farmer all in one tablespoon! On The Move Organics is conveniently located at the Farmers Market at the Western Fairgrounds (free parking and open till 3 pm every Saturday!). Also check out their website or give them a call and set up your box today!  Read More

Field Gate Organics

for the record these are my neighbours, I did not eat them.. they are dairy cows. Field Gate Organics may already be a fixture in your weekly or daily shop, and if it is, you certainly are lucky, and I am dead jealous. Unfortunately, I no longer live in downtown London, so sadly this strikes me from the regular list. I wish I still lived downtown, I really do! Because Field Gate Organics is like this goldmine of good, organic food – and.. here”s the gold part — it is mostly local. So, for those of you who have not been, and would like directions, Field Gate Organics is a permanent vendor located in the Covent Garden Market. They have a pretty big chunk of market space,so you should be able to find them easily – look on the main floor,kind of in the middle. Field Gate Organics formed in 2003 and it is a group of certified organic farmers. How many farmers you ask? Well…alot of them.. at least 48 certified organic farmers are part of the distribution company and it is always growing. There is a wall of freezers at the shop, as well as a fresh butcher cooler/display case. I believe that the frozen foods are slightly less harsh on the wallet, and the fresh cuts are a bit more – but keep in mind they do have sales and daily specials! For instance, there was a freezer sale on in the store the day that I went in. Looking around at the goods that were available, I saw lamb, beef, chicken and pork cuts. I also saw a ton of frozen fish – it looked to me like it was from British Columbia. I know, I know…not local but if you are still incorporating fish in your diet it is nice for it to at least be Canadian. Support Canadian fisheries while you chow down on a big salmon steak, makes it all taste better! There were also breads, some produce and eggs on the shelves in the middle of the floor, as well as a large dairy section. The counter staff is super friendly – don”t let their big butcher knives scare you, I assure you that everyone that I spoke with was eager to help and happy to talk organics. On my trip I bought some frozen ground beef. I thawed it out overnight and cooked it the next day – and when I did, Sean heard me talking to the frying pan.. it”s true, I was nattering on a bit, but I am not crazy- I was simply taken aback at the colour of the meat. You see, the meat was this really lovely pinkish red, it was super bright… it looked so much BETTER than some of the ground beef I have cooked up in the past. I thought it worth mentioning, because it is something to take note of when you are cooking up your next organic feast, just take a look at the colour – I have noticed the same thing with organic eggs, the yolk is a completely different shade of yellow, in fact, it is more orange. That organic ground beef… it tasted better too, it really did. Check it out, report back to me.. tell me if you like it! Field Gate OrganicsCovent Garden Market130 King Street, London ONMon to Thurs: 8am to 6pm, Fri: 8am to 7:30pm, Sat: 8am to 6pm, Sun: 11am to 4pmMike Hartwell & Ted Soudant – 679-9998  Read More

The Local Table

This is a really cool story…for so many reasons. First of all, Jill Wilcox is an amazing chef. Secondly, Jill runs a local store here in London called Jill”s Table which is VERY CONVENIENTLY located right across from the Covent Garden Market. Thirdly, she writes a food column in the London Free Press and on Wednesday the LFP announced that her column will now feature local foods first. Yes, that”s right people …Jill will now be helping us all figure out just what the heck to do with those winter veg.. like celery root for instance.. I mean come on.. its down right frightening looking…even I have not had the courage to tackle that one yet! My hubs and I took a cooking class at Jill”s Table once. It was called One Pot Meals. It was such a great experience, we got to learn about 4-5 recipes and sample them all as she assembled them before us. She gives great tips and really knows her stuff and… she even has two published cookbooks! I”ll be tracking Jill”s column regularly and I am sure some of you find it useful as well.  Read More

Rockin' Rhubarb

photo: Kelly Hunt Just the facts Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable (yes, this means it comes back year after year – so giving — that rhubarb is). Shoots of rockin” rhubarb appear early in the season, which makes locavores happy, because we are starving for fresh stuff in April and May. Rockin” rhube is a good source of vitamin C and iron, and is widely used in many desserts, jams and other good things. TOXIC? – Yes, there is truth in what you have heard – The leaves of rhubarb contain a high concentration of oxalic acid salts. The salts can be very toxic, so rhubarb leaves should never be consumed by humans or fed to your pets. The stalks (petiole) are just fine to eat, and apparently they will work wonders on your digestive tract – if needed (yes, that is short for – they make you “go #2″). Don”t throw out the leaves! Leaves of the Rhubarb provide a good source of organic matter in a compost pile. Rhubarb is pretty. Yes, it is and if you do not believe me, just go see for yourself,buy some local rhubarb. Now,here is your chance to impress your friends, tell them you are serving them a compote. A compote is made of fruit that is simmered in a sugar syrup. The syrup may be seasoned with vanilla, lemon, orange, cinnamon, cloves. The dish is then potentially topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, or vanilla sugar. It is one of those very chef-like dishes, that is dead easy, but all fancy. Rhubarb Compote6 cups 1-inch pieces fresh rhubarb (from about 2 pounds)1 1/4 cups sugar1/3 cup water Combine all 3 ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until rockin” rhubarb is very mushy and begins to fall apart. Stir occasionally, about 20 minutes. Here is where you can add in any flavours that you might like to jazz it up. Transfer compote to medium bowl. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, about 3 hours. Cover and keep cold. Serve chilled. Top with whipped cream and whatever else you might think tastes good. Enjoy. One more thing, rhubarb is not one of those things that I have been finding at farms, I believe that some farms do grow it, I just have not personally been running into it. For me, it seems to arrive from generous aunts and uncles or friends that have loads of it growing out of control in their backyards. If you don”t happen to know anyone that has an abundance of it to share – there is a house on Medway road with a sign out front that says “Fresh Rhubarb”. I saw it just this week on Medway Road between Richmond and Adelaide on the south side of the road. If all else fails, the grocery stores should be stocking Ontario Rhubarb right about now. Happy Hunting!  Read More

Eating Local – Know Your Seasons

(Photo: Kelly Hunt) Before you start to eat local, you are going to need to know what is generally “in season” around Southwestern Ontario so that you can make informed choices and get the best tasting fruit or veg right at its prime. This little list I have put together is pretty general, and it should be noted that even though all of these fruits and veggies are grown in Ontario, a lot of the winter season (Nov – April) that is available to us – actually gets picked at its prime and then stored – so that the farmers can still sell what stores that they have to us throughout the winter. Thank you farmers! There are an increasing amount of fruits and veggies that are now being grown in ontario greenhouses throughout the year (yum!) but I have not included them in this list. MAY Asparagus Fiddleheads Lettuce Radishes Rhubarb Spinach JUNE Arugula Asparagus Beans Beets Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Cherries Cucumber Herbs Kohlrabi Lettuce Peas Radicchio Radishes Rhubarb Spinach Strawberries JULY Apricots Beans Beets Blueberries Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chard Cherries Corn Cucumber Gooseberries Kohlrabi Lettuce Onions Peaches Peas Peppers Plums Potatoes Radicchio Radishes Rapini Raspberries Spinach Squash Strawberries Tomatoes Zucchini AUGUST Apples Apricots Beans Beets Blueberries Broccoli Cabbage Cantaloupe Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chard Corn Cucumber Eggplant Garlic Grapes Kale Kohlrabi Leeks Lettuce Nectarines Onions Peaches Pears Peas Peppers Plums Potatoes Radicchio Radishes Rapini Raspberries Rutabaga Shallots Spinach Squash Tomatoes Tomatillos Turnips Watermelon Zucchini SEPTEMBER Apples Beans Beets Blueberries Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Cantaloupe Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chard Corn Cucumber Eggplant Grapes Kale Kohlrabi Leeks Lettuce Nectarines Onions Parsnips Peaches Pears Peas Peppers Plums Potatoes Radishes Raspberries Rutabaga Shallots Squash Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes Tomatillos Turnips Watermelon Zucchini OCTOBER Apples Beans Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celeriac Celery Chard Cranberries Corn Cucumber Eggplant Grapes Kale Leeks Lettuce Onions Parsnips Pears Peppers Potatoes Rutabaga Shallots Squash Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes Tomatillos Turnips Zucchini NOVEMBER (mostly stored) Apples Beets Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celeriac Celery Chard Cranberries Garlic Leeks Onions Parsnips Pears Potatoes Rutabaga Radishes Squash Turnips DECEMBER (mostly stored) Apples Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Celeriac Celery Garlic Leeks Onions Parsnips Potatoes Rutabaga Shallots Sweet Potatoes Turnips Squash JANUARY (mostly stored) Apples Beets Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Celeriac Garlic Leeks Onions Parsnips Potatoes Rutabaga Shallots Sweet Potatoes Turnips FEBRUARY (mostly stored) Apples Beets Cabbage Carrots Celeriac Garlic Leeks Onions Parsnips Potatoes Rutabaga Shallots Sweet Potatoes Turnips MARCH (mostly stored) Apples Beets Cabbage Carrots Celeriac Garlic Onions Parsnips Potatoes Rutabaga Shallots Sweet Potatoes APRIL (mostly stored) Apples Beets Cabbage Carrots Celeriac Onions Parsnips Potatoes Rutabaga Shallots Sweet Potatoes  Read More

yO. gO pLuM LOcAl!

photo: kelly hunt Looking for that fresh May asparagus? Or perhaps some free range buffalo meat (hey whatever floats your boat)? Well, look no further – here is a starter list for you on your eating local scavenger hunt. This list is by no means the complete list of farms in our area, I will keep searching out more farms and adding to this site as I find them. If you know of any that you would like to share, just drop me a line or post them after the jump. Happy eating! Here is a list of farms around the London Ontario area: Adelaide Farms Adelaide Street North and Eight Mile Road 519-660-0259 Ann Slater Organics 157030 15th line, Zorra Twp RR#1, Lakeside ON, N0M2G0 519-349-2448 Arrow Wood Farm and Harvest Table 6460 Riverside Drive Melbourne Ontario N0L 1T0 519-2892403 A Touch of Herbs 38307A Blyth Rd. RR3 Auburn, ON N0M 1E0 519-526-1024 http://www.bisonbasics.com/ Blueberry Hill Farm22039 Hoskins LineRR#1, Rodney, ON N0L 2C0519-785-2217 Bambrook Farm2332 Berletts Road St.Agatha, ON N0B 2L0519-699-6205 Banbury Emu Farm1942 Wilby RoadBaden, ON N3A 3M9519-634-5451http://www.banburyfarm.com/ Crunican OrchardsRR#2, London, OntarioTel: 519-666-0286 Denhocan Farm17886 Evelyn DriveRR#4, Thamesford, ON N0M 2M0 Der Paschen Hof Dairy Sheep Farm72680 Bronson LineRR 3 Zurich, ON N0M 2T0519-236-4361http://www.derpaschenhof.com/ Dinsmore Farm (Organic Pork)34200 Granton LineGranton, ON N0M 1V0519-225-2163 Duenk Farms25425 New Ontario RoadR.R. #3 Denfield(519) 232-4105 Elder Creek FarmRR 2 Tavistock, ON N0B 2R0519-655-2082 Encounter Farm Enterprises35829 Second LineRR #2 Southwold, ON N0L 2G0519-764-2318 Ewe to You5145 Wimot-Easthope Rd.Wellesley, ON N0B 2T0519-656-3552 Farmer Jack”s Orchards5619 Colonel Talbot RdLambeth519-652-5697 Faul Farms1180 Wrigley Rd.RR 1 Ayr, ON N0B 1E0519-632-7678http://www.faulfarms.com/ Ferio FarmRR 1 8115 Burwell RoadFingal, ON N0L 1K0519-769-2067 Fieldstone FarmFullerton Road 145#3776 RR 2 Mitchell, ON N0K 1N0519-393-6649http://www.fieldstonefarmbanb.com/ Gainford Forest Farm46405 Barnums Gully LineSparta, ON N0L 2H0519-775-9930 Greenland Farm4382 Road 104New Hamburg, ON N3A 3W3519-625-8683 Haak Farms39374 Hydro Line Rd.RR 4 Clinton, ON N0M 1L0519-482-9960 Hungry Hollow Organics1343 Elmtree DriveRR 2 Parkhill, ON N0M 2K0519-232-9458http://www.hungryholloworganics.com/ Laepple Organic Farm2298 Bleams RoadShingletown, ON N0B 2H0519-634-1033www.localorganic.ca/linda/default.asp Locust Grove Farm45358 Sparta LineRR#4, St.Thomas, ON N5P 3S8519-775-2296 McCully”s Hill Farm4074 Perth Line 9RR 2 St. Marys, ON N4X 1C5(866) MCCULLwww.mccullys.ca/site McSmiths Organic Farm42828 Shorlea LineRR # 6 St Thomas, ON N5P 3T1519-631-0279http://www.mcsmithsorganicfarm.com/ Mystic Pines Natural Fed Dairy Farm, Meats, Eggs and Natural ProduceRR # 1 Princeton, ON N0J 1V0905-961-3677 Oakridge Acres and Well Fed Food Country Meat Store2132 Greenfield Road Ayr, ON N0B 1E0519-632-7653http://www.wellfedfood.ca/ Orchard Hill Farm 45415 Fruit Ridge Line RR# 5 St. Thomas, ON N5P 3S9 519-775-2670 http://www.orchardhillfarm.ca/ Organic Oasis Farm 2301 Perth Line 43 Stratford, ON N5A 6S2 519-625-1177 http://www.organicoasis.on.ca/ Passmore Family FarmRR 3 St. Marys, ON N4X 1C6519-284-1459 Pfenning”s Organic Farm1209 Waterloo street Baden, ON N3A 1T1Ph 519-662-3468Toll free 877-662-3468Fax 519-662-4083mailto:info@pfenningsfarms.ca Riverlane Organic FarmP.O. Box 171Lucan, ON N0M 2J0519-227-4831 Saunders Family Farm24085 Wonderland Rd.NDenfield, ON N0M 1P0519-666-0705www.saundersorganics.com/ Shady Elm FarmLine 45 #2061RR 1 Gads Hill, ON N0K 1J0519-656-2408 Spirit of the Earth5871 Bells RoadLondon, ON N6P 1P3http://www.thelivingcentre.com/ Sunnivue FarmR.R. #1 27093 New Ontario RoadAilsa Craig, ON N0M 1A0519-232-9096http://www.sunnivue-farm.on.ca/ Wisnoski Family Farm3194 Elmtree Drive RR 5Parkhill, ON N0M 2K0519-232-9150 ]] >  Read More

Local Apples Make Yummy Pies!

(Photo: Kelly Hunt) This post was actually written in late Fall, 2007.I happen to be someone who is blessed with a very large kitchen, so when my aunt asked if I was interested in baking up some pies in a big batch with my mom, I could not resist. Yes, of course, sign me up! They told me that if we went in in a bushel of apples that we should get about five pies out each. What a deal! I immediately suggested I would pick up the apples as I feared that the two of them may just go for the cheapest and best-looking variety at the supermarket. Heh, who cares if they are from South Africa!? Well I certainly do, and if you are reading this blog, than I am sure you do as well. There are many apple orchards to choose from in the London area. I decided on Crunican Apple Orchard located on Richmond Street North or HWY 4 simply because it is closest to where me and my big kitchen dwell. I was (politley) ”ordered” by my aunt and my mum to pick out the best looking SPY apples that I could lay my hands on. Well, I found the spys but it should be noted that I also found about six other varieties. (Photo: Kelly Hunt) Alongside the apples, there are a multitude of other great products to choose from. Crunican”s, which is run by a husband and wife team as far as I can tell stock delicious Greaves Jams (sold out out of the Niagara area – which is conveniently located within London”s 100 mile radius!). Crunicans” also sells Apple Cider,sparkling ciders and in late summer they even bring in peaches from another local farm and through the winter they are stocking a few different varieties of fall squash. (Photo: Kelly Hunt) Even if you don”t happen to need apples at this time,I would highly suggest stopping into this friendly shop, just to smell the aroma of apples and apple cider that is circulating around in this well known highway stop. CRUNICAN FARMSCrunican OrchardsRR#2,London, OntarioCanadaTel.: 519-666-0286  Read More

Honey.. Simply Bee-licious

Honey | Photo: Kelly Hunt Organic Honey! When I began visiting one of my local farms, I started chatting with organic wizard, Harold Saunders of Saunders Organics. He casually dropped into our conversation that he would be collecting the honey soon from his very own honey bee hives. This got me very excited. You could say that I need more hobbies, but I really don”t find much time for anything but food and food related events these days. It is worth mentioning that this photo did not turn out exactly as hoped, but please understand that I was trying to capture for you, the one-of-a-kind, beautiful amber color of this 100% organic beauty, and it even came in it”s own beautiful reusable old-school mason jar. So you may ask, what is an organic farmer doing making honey, or what is the importance of organic honey? Well, it turns out he needs the honey bees around to pollinate his crops. So, like many smart,sustainable farmers,he is thinking about the circle of the farm and the life of the vegetable as a whole. Just why it is important to have the bees around the farm may seem obvious to some, but I believe overall, the vast majority of us who grew up in the city do not understand the complexity of just what goes into making a farm work. Bees and pollination are just one major part of a huge puzzle. Basically, you will find it very difficult to get a flower, a vegetable, or for that matter, just about anything without the help of the major player in the pollination game, the honey bee. The bee pollinates the crop as it jumps from plant to plant collecting pollen. It basically makes the magic happen in the vegetable world. So think carefully before taking out that next poor worker bee at your family picnic! What makes it organic, and why is that even important? Well, it is very complicated and I am no expert, but I will try and explain what I took away from the conversation that day without messing up the science behind it. What makes organic honey different than regular honey is that the organic apiaries do not use antibiotics. Yup! That”s right, you may be surprised as I was to find out that most honey is produced using antibiotics. I pictured someone stabbing hundred of bees with the smallest of needles, but don”t worry, that is in fact, not what really happens. What really happens, is that the bees are treated with the antibiotic by simply feeding it to them. Organic agriculture is a safe, sustainable farming system, producing healthy crops and livestock without damage to the environment, so that is why I think it to be important. Oh why why why do bees need antibiotics you ask? The antibiotics are basically administered to help the survival rate of the hives stay up. The practice of feeding the bees antibiotics is now common place at most apiaries. Honey bees are susceptible to disease (mites are largely responsible for passing a disease from bee to bee). So if organic farmers do not use antibiotics, then how do they get their hives to survive? Well, I cannot speak for all, but Harold uses a device which essentially shakes the mites off the bees little legs as they enter the hive and this simple gesture improves the life and health of his colonies overall. Sometimes as part of nature, the colonies do actually collapse, and it is very hard to pinpoint what exactly may be the cause of the collapse, when it does happens. So why does Harold bother to go organic? Well, you really need to ask Harold that question directly, but I will tell you this, when I opened that honey for the first time, I actually felt the nurturing and the importance of all the work of those bees. It was a buzz, and I think it”s important to support your local bees! Harold may still have some honey available from last summer, but it is generally harvested in mid-summer. SAUNDERS FAMILY FARM R.R. #2 DENFIELD ONTARIO N0M 1P0 (519) 666-0705 www.saundersorganics.com  Read More

Five Great Reasons to Eat Local

Eating Local and it”s effect on our environment.By choosing to eat local, you are saving the world”s lungs of up to 17 times the oil and gas that would usually be consumed just by getting the food to your plate. In the average North American home, when we sit down (or stand!) to eat, each ingredient has typically travelled at least 1,500 miles. That is a heck of a lot of carbon! Wake up your tastebuds – Taste Matters!When you shop at the Farmers Market, or your local grocer and choose to buy Ontario grown produce over imported produce that may have been shipped in from Mexico or California, you are eating food that has been picked at it”s prime, inside of 24 hours. You will find that this food is superior in taste, it has not been bred to withstand long, rough truck or ship rides and it has not been picked weeks (sometimes months!) early. This makes locally grown and harvested vegetables and foods better tasting, and all around nutritionally better for you. Get a Food EducationBe aware of what you are eating. It is much easier to find out if the farmer sprays his/her foods with anything or if your corn is a genetically modified product (GMO) if you decide to eat local. Less travel means that it is easier to get to the source of your food. Find out how it is actually grown. There are many reasons that sometimes locally produced food may be a tad more expensive, but these reasons are generally well justified and worth the extra cost involved. You will also have a new found respect for why an ontario strawberry tastes so much better in June,than a shipped strawberry from a far-away land in the middle of February. Get SocialBring back community. Talk to the people that grow your food. When you shop directly from the farmer,there is a wonderful benefit of a food and social education. You will find out about how your food grows, why it looks the way it does, who grew it, the history behind a certain variety of vegetable that may have deep roots within our community of London. Shopping local will connect you with the people around you in ways that benefit our community financially as well as socially. Being a locavore also makes you a local-tourist. Searching out your local suppliers and visiting them makes for some very reasonable mini-getaways with added food benefits! Drink Great Wine and Spirits!We are lucky enough to be within 100 miles of many great breweries, and wineries right here in Southwestern Ontario. This is a major bonus in the eating local challenge. Make sure to check out your 100 miles, you will see that it is alot farther and includes much more than you may think.  Read More