Verona_garlic_fest
Back toHome
Feature Article - August 16, 20072007 Verona Lions Garlic Festival
The Verona Lions Club is pleased to announce the 2007 Verona Lions Garlic Festival, Lions Hall, 4504 Verona Sand Road, Verona, on Saturday, Sept. 1 from 9am to 5pm. Admission is $5 for adults, kids under 16 are free.
The festival will highlight the finest garlic from the top growers of Eastern Ontario and local food products of the Frontenac Farmers Market.
Along with crafts, local produce and garlic food concessions from outstanding vendors, the festival is pleased to welcome several special guests.
Garlic for Breakfast with Ted Mazcka, the Fish Lake Garlic Man, will kick off the cooking show for the day. Not only is Ted a pioneer and icon in the world of garlic, his personal style and sense of humour makes for a not-to-be-missed event. Ted's observations on garlic, life and the state of the universe are sure to leave you laughing. The Two Organic Ladies Cooking Show is a feature presented by Glennis Harwig and Janet Duncan. The ladies deliver their message on the benefits of healthy, locally grown, quality organic food with a delightful mix of song, bawdy humour and taste tests in a cooking demonstration that has toured the countryside.
Paul Pospisil, The Garlic Guru is also the editor of the leading industry publication, the Garlic News. Paul is an authority on all things garlic and will be presenting a seminar on Garlic Varieties. If you are interested in growing garlic in your garden, this is the place to be!
The Great Garlic Luncheon runs from noon to 2 pm. Tickets are now on sale; $17 includes gate admission. This is a licensed event. Tickets are available at Local Family Farms and Frontenac Farmers Market in Verona or by calling 613-374-3081.
Menu: Garlic teriyaki, beef kabob, fresh vegetable with tzatziki sauce, Garlic garden salad, Garlic bread, Garlic lemon-ginger Ice Cream, Garlic chocolate chip cookies, tea and coffee
Garlic Cooking Shows - 9:30am - Garlic for Breakfast with Ted Mazcka; The Fish Lake Garlic Man 10:30; Two Organic Ladies Cooking Show 1pm. Mayor's Challenge:Mayor Janet Gutowski of Central Frontenac vs. Mayor Gary Davison of South Frontenac 2pm. Special Guests and more from some of Kingston and areas finest chefs to 4pm.
Gardening Seminars: 10am Garlic in the Home Garden with Ken Willis; 11am Garlic Varieties with Paul Pospisil, The Garlic Guru; 2pm Eastern Ontario Garlic Awards Presentations. 3pm Garlic in the Home Garden. Entertainment: Afternoon concerts by fiddle virtuoso, Caroline Stewart and Verona's own BAUDER ROAD.
The 2007 Eastern Ontario Garlic Awards Competitions will be hosted by the Verona Lions Garlic Festival, sponsored by the National Farmers Union and Haan Over View Farms. The overall winner is presented the Woodman Trophy and declared Champion Garlic Grower; the runner up is Reserve Champion Garlic Grower. Sanctioned by the Ontario Horticultural Society. Growers wishing to enter the 2007 competitions may obtain entry forms and competition guidelines from the Garlic Awards Foundation; phone Paul Pospisil at 613-273-5683 or e- mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For information on the Verona Lions Garlic Festival: Ken and Linda Willis at 613-374- 3081 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Stinking_Rose
Back toHome
Feature Article - September 6, 2007 The “stinking rose” wows Veronaby Inie Platenius
The Verona Lions Garlic Festival capped a summer of Verona events, and what a way to end the festival/jamboree season! Hundreds of people, many from out of town, came to the Lions grounds for a day of information, entertainment, chatting and shopping most of which centered around the “stinking rose”. All of the Frontenac Farmers’ Market Vendors were joined by more than a dozen others many of them serious garlic growers - from as far away as Almonte and Perth. A special treat was seeing Verona’s own Ron Whan selling his beautiful bulbs and braids.
This event hosted the Eastern Ontario Garlic Championships, and fittingly, Verona’s own Ken Willis whose vision it was bring a garlic festival to Verona took first place in two of the three judging categories. Garlic he grew at Sir John A. MacDonald’s home in Kingston, Bellevue House, where he is head gardener, won best variety and also best individual bulb. His braided entry won second place in the Best Display category.
The day was full of informative and entertaining workshops on all things garlic. Ted Mazcka’s savoury breakfast porridge a blend of oatmeal, banana, nuts, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and pickled (in vodka) garlic may not have changed many people’s breakfast menus, but his presentation won their hearts. (The author found her sample a great improvement on the usual insipid mush with sugar and milk that we call porridge.)
Two Organic Ladies from Almonte entertained the crowd with delightful patter and several yummy recipes. Their recitations particularly the spooneristic rendition of Rindercella and her two sisty uglers spiced up the presentation. Their delicious food needed no extra spice.
A highlight of the day was the “Mayor’s Challenge Cookoff” featuring Mayors Janet Gutowski and Gary Davison, with Sharbot Lake Lion Dave Hansen (known to many not as the mayor but as “The Gov” for his leadership roles in Lionism). Contestants were allowed to bring anyone they wanted as a backup, and Mayor Gutowski’s choice of well-known chef (formerly Fall River Grill) Dennis LaRoque was the subject of some good-natured banter. Mayor Gutowski won the challenge with squash ravioli with garlic scapes. Dave Hansen’s barbecued garlic pork tenderloin and Mayor Davison’s shrimp with garlic brought hearty kudos as well.
Food was everywhere. From breakfast through late afternoon, Lions and vendors served up all things garlicky including a sit down meal of several courses, which ended with garlic lemon ginger ice cream and garlic chocolate chip cookies. If attendance, goodwill and happy crowds are any indication, the first Verona Lions Garlic Fest won’t be the last.
Recipe:
This recipe comes from Frontenac Farmers Market vendor and fine cook Sharon Sole
Roasted Carrot/Garlic Dip10 medium carrots
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
6-8 tbsp. water
2 tsp white wine vinegar
cup mayonnaise
cup sour cream or light creamed cheese
1/8 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. butter
Cut carrots in half widthwise; cut lengthwise into half inch pieces. Combine carrots, garlic and olive oil; toss to coat.
Transfer to a greased 15” x 10” x 1” baking pan. Bake uncovered at 425 for 20 min. Stir and bake 15-20 minutes more ‘til carrots are tender. Next time I am going to bake them until the carrots begin to caramelize. Cool slightly. In blender or food processor combine all remaining ingredients with the veggies. Puree. Refrigerate until time to serve. Serve with crackers, toasted pita wedges or fresh vegetables.
Photo: above Ken Willis receivesthe first placeEastern Ontario Garlic Growers Award. (Paul Pospisil on his left and Kim Perry right) Photo by Louise Day
Dilman
Starving for Changeby Jeff Green
Donna
Dillman is a Lanark Highlands-based grandmother and political activist
who has become heavily involved in the anti-uranium protest at the
Robertsville mine. The protest has been focused around a blockade of
the headquarters of the exploration company Frontenac Ventures
Corporation.
She spent a considerable amount of time at the protest site during the summer, but it was when she visited Elliot Lake during a book tour with her husband, Mike Nickerson, that the potential implications of uranium exploration hit home for her in a profound way.
"There are 140 million tons of radioactive tailings at Elliott Lake, that's a mass of material that needs to be contained forever. I don't think that should be repeated," Donna Dillman said on Monday from outside the gate at the Robertsville mine.
She decided late in the summer to start a hunger strike to help convince the Ontario government that a moratorium on uranium mining should be declared in Eastern Ontario. "I would have started it earlier, but I had some other obligations to attend to," she said.
As October arrived, and Thanksgiving was coming up, she decided to begin on Thanksgiving Day, October 8. In an interesting twist, her protest is beginning as the two Algonquin communities are considering the possibility of ending their occupation of the mine.
She will be subsisting on a brew of maple syrup, lemons and cayenne in a hot water base, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, and clean water. Part of the symbolism of the hunger strike is to demonstrate, in a direct, physical way, that it is possible to survive without solid food for a considerable amount of time, but water is essential. "The implications of drilling for uranium on the watershed are a real concern for me, and for everyone. We all need water to survive," Dillman said.
One practical part of the hunger strike that concerns Donna Dillman is warmth. "My fear is the cold rather than hunger. Without food I will not be able to stay warm easily, and the weather is going to get colder."
Fortunately a tent trailer has been donated for the duration of her fast, and a kerosene heater is being provided as well.
Donna Dillman intends to stay outside the gate at the Robertsville mine indefinitely. Her tent is set up on the township road allowance, off to the side of the entrance to the mine, so she will not be blocking anyone entering or leaving the site.
"The only time I am planning to leave is for a Green Party meeting in November."
Donna Dillman was recently elected as an at-large member to the Green Party National Council.
Local_food
Beef cattle are raised on 50% of Frontenac County farms
Food Down the Road, a year-long project aimed at developing a mechanism to promote and expand the consumption and production of locally grown food, is set to culminate next week with a Food Summit in Kingston.
Thomas Homer-Dixon, a Professor of Political Science and the author of “The Ingenuity Gap” will deliver a keynote address, “Local Food Systems and Social Resilience”, to the conference on Friday, November 2, at the Sydenham Street United Church in Kingston. A series of food-related workshops will be held at St. Lawrence College on Saturday, followed by the drafting of a Local Food Declaration on Sunday the 4th. For information about the Food Summit, go to Fooddowntheroad.ca or phone 613-767-4127.
Food Down the Road was initiated by members of Local 316 of the National Farmer’s Union, and was launched in Sydenham at the Local 316 AGM at the end of November last year. The project has expanded to include partners such as South Frontenac Township, the City of Kingston, the KFL&A Health Unit, St. Lawrence College and others. The ultimate goal is to develop a connection between eaters in the City of Kingston (and smaller centres as well) and the rural food growers living within 100 kilometres of the city.
A series of evening events took place in the spring of this year, and with the publication of a 75-page book called From the Ground Up: A primer for community action, a vision for the future of local food initiatives in Kingston and Frontenac County is emerging.
The primer points to many of the realities of modern food production and consumption and talks about mechanisms for change, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in food issues in the Kingston catchment area.
A look back at the history of agriculture in Frontenac County reveals that the first European immigrants (between 1763 and 1850) found the land inhospitable for farming; there was too much clay in the south and too much rock in the north.
Some "boosters" such as the Midland District Land Company proved that the advertising industry was alive and well in the 1800's. They encouraged immigrants to “go beyond the 'gloomy woods of Portland’ and encounter the 'fine lands' of Hinchinbrooke, Olden, and parts of Loughborough with their small crystal lakes of countless numbers, their rivers and rivulets, and springs, not of muddy and stagnant waters, ... and all abounding with fish ... The very sight of the timber itself, without putting spade in the ground is sufficient to convince any judge of the fertility of the soil."
Although wheat was a staple crop elsewhere, accounting for 50% cultivated land in some counties, it comprised only 15% in Frontenac County, with oats, peas and hay, as well as livestock, being more prevalent.
With widespread settlement and the establishment of the K&P railroad, the late 19th and early part of the 20th Century saw the peak of the agricultural economy in Frontenac County. In 1910, there were 68 cheese factories in the county, and there were almost 35,000 head of cattle in the county by 1941.
Between 1941 and 1973, the number of acres of farmland in Frontenac County dropped from over 560,000 to just over 250,000, and there were corresponding decreases in the numbers of cattle, swine, and sheep, although the amount of barley, oats and milk produced did increase in that time.
The total number of farms in Frontenac County has continually dropped since 1973. The most recent census shows there are 672 farms in the county, down from 733 a decade earlier. Cattle farming has been a mainstay in the county, and while only 14% of farms in Frontenac and Lennox and Addington County are still involved in dairy production, over 50% of the farms in the two counties produce beef as their main product.
Correspondingly, hay and corn are now the main crops grown in the two counties.
Another alarming statistic highlighted in the primer is the average age and income of farmers in Frontenac and L&A. Average farm income in the two counties is $8,628 per year (after agricultural subsidies). Given that, is not surprising that in the 2001 census over 50% of farmers in Frontenac County reported that they work off the farm as well. The average age of farmers in the county is 53, as compared to 38 for the general work force.
Such a gloomy picture for agriculture is not unique to this part of Ontario, although things might be worse here than in other regions. The causes can be found in food distribution and consumption patterns that have become established locally and throughout Canada and the United States. Local solutions that “From the Ground Up” proposes for discussion purposes, mirror those that have been employed elsewhere, with some local flavour thrown in for good measure.
(Part 2 of this article, which will look at food distribution and proposals for change, will be published in an upcoming issue of the News)
Trees
Back toHome
Christmas Edition - December 20, 2007 Harrowsmith PS Festival of Trees by Martina Field and Susan Stopford Sparky the safety elf opens First Harrowsmith PS Festival of TreesHarrowsmith PS held their first Festival of Trees last week, and in addition to celebrating the season, the students raised money and gathered food for people in need in South Frontenac.
Principal Jim Horan, who is in his first year at Harrowsmith, said he has organized festivals at every school he has led, and wanted to bring the event to Harrowsmith. The school community responded, and on December 12, the entire student body gathered for the celebratory lighting of the central tree in the gymnasium. Around the perimeter were a host of smaller trees, which had been decorated by different classes, as well as some gingerbread creations.
The trees were all donated by Revell Motors, the major corporate sponsor of the event.
The central tree was lit by Sparky, the South Frontenac Fire Department mascot, and the deputy fire chief delivered a timely fire safety message. The children then enjoyed a carol sing. The next two days were filled with activities, as students and their families chose the trees they hoped to win, and put the tickets they had purchased in their boxes.
The festival was highlighted by a performance by children's entertainer Mary Lambert on Thursday evening, and a food blitz in the village of Harrowsmith, which was carried out by the older students. Finally on Friday, the trees draw was held, and the lucky recipients got to bring home their trees.
On Monday afternoon, a gathering was held at Revell Motors. The Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church and Trinity/St. Paul United Churches as well as Rural VISIONS, who all provide food support in the community, shared in the $168 in cash that was raised, and the donated food was gratefully picked up by Rural VISIONS, who run the local food bank.
“It was a great event,” Limestone School Board Trustee Barb McLaren told Jim Horan, “we'll do it again next year and we'll raise three times as much money.”
Cf_food_network
Back toHome
Feature Article - December 20, 2007 Creating Central & North Frontenac Local Food Network By Carol PepperHave you been waiting for an opportunity to get involved with a Local Food Network? Do you grow food or create other essential products for sale in the Central and North Frontenac Townships area?
Please join us to explore this new project on Tuesday January 8 at 3:00 pm at the North Frontenac Telephone Office (in the lower level). Over the last few months there has been an initiative called "Engaging People in Building Inclusive Communities". At the last meeting of this group it was decided that the project we would consider undertaking is one that will connect our area in terms of finding out who the food producers are and where we can purchase a variety of local goods. The idea of creating a local directory of this kind would be very helpful to all the residents and visitors to our area. As you may know there is already a well organized initiative similar to this in the areas south and east of us. We need your help in accomplishing this.
As it turns out people all around the world are turning to local producers to gain control of their food supply, improve the quality of their food. Global Warming is upon us. The likelihood of getting the giants of industry to make significant changes to their mode of operation is slim to not at all. We are told that carbon monoxide emissions are fueling Global Warming. How are we to help in that respect? How are we to help in reducing emissions? Some have suggested that shopping locally would be part of the answer, along with all the fringe benefits this practice would promote (like good fresh food minus all the nastier aspects of food grown through typical agribusiness). The problem is not knowing who the producers are and where we can go to access their goods.
We are proposing to discover who these producers are and where we can go to access their goods. Ultimately local farmers’ markets would prosper and eventually be found in more communities to further reduce on distances travelled. At this point there is the suggestion that the directory could include quite a range of products. Now is the time. Join us to share ideas about this exciting project and the possibilities that it presents us.
Food_summit
Back toHome
Feature Article - November 15, 2007Local Food Summitby Roseanna Redmond
The culmination of theNational Farmers Union'syear-long initiative Food Down the Road: Toward a Sustainable Local Food System for Kingston and Countryside, offered a series of workshops at St. Lawrence College on Saturday November 3.The workshop Crude Awakening-Farming and Food in the Face of Peak Oil was presented by local Howe Island farmer and teacher Rick Munroe. He acknowledged that he does not teach the concept of " Peak Oil" in his elementary classes for fear of scaring his students. This admission stoked the curiosity of the audience, and the large crowd gave farmer Munroe their concentrated attention. Illustrated by a series of graphs and diagrams, Munroe's lecture laid out the stunning story of how one barrel of oil represents 25,000hours ofhuman labour (think horsepower). An oil peak means a point at which world stocks of oil begin to decline permanently and very rapidly, the point at which there is no more growth in production, and stocks start to plummet. This Peak is expected around the year 2010 (right around the corner), at which point the price of a barrel of oil will skyrocket. There is widespread acknowledgement (even by the U.S. defence department), that Hubbert's Peak will indeed be a reality in the verynear future. What does this mean for our food supply? We know thatsupermarket food here in Ontario has travelled on average 2000 miles to get to our plates, so how will we be able to feed ourselves if the price of transport becomes prohibitive? Many fertilizers and pesticides are derived from natural gas and petroleum, (used especially by corporate farming operations). This kind of farming will become obsolete when oil and gas are not readily available. According to Munroe, it behoves us to develop local small organic farms that do not depend heavily on petroleum products.
Another interesting workshopwas Who are Tomorrow's Farmers? Young local farmer Emily Dowling told of her adventures as a C.S.A. participant. Community Shared Agriculture is a new trend in smaller farm operations.Consumers pay up front for weekly food boxes at the start of the growing season, and they share in the risk of a possible poor harvest, or in the benefits of an abundant season with the farmer. Consumers can also share in work bees at harvest time and celebrations when crops are plentiful. During her first year of operation Dowling had many anxieties over possible crop failures, but in the end her season was a glowing success, and the support of her customers over some rough patches helped her to carry through. Her presentation was very moving and there were tears shed, on the podium and in the audience. Dowling's presentation was a graphic display of the very real story ofsmall-scale farming as a labour of love.
Saving Heirloom Seeds with Wolfe Island farmer Kathy Rothermal was a hands-on workshop, where the presenter distributed seeds for the participants to sort and share. We each brought home samples of heirloom seeds at the end of the day. Potentially these heirloom seeds could end up in thousands of gardensin summers to follow if all of the recipients plant, and harvest, and share as demonstrated. Ms. Rothermal carries on the tradition of the Heirloom Seed Sanctuary operated by Carol and Robert Mouck, who in collaboration with Kingston's Sisters of Providence have been developing a large cache of heirloom seeds for the benefit of humankind.Seed saving has been practised for over 10,000 years on this planet, yet in the last hundred years humanity has lost 75% of seed diversity.During the900-day siege of Leningrad, during the Second World War, even though thousands of people were dying of hunger, scientists protected the genetic pool of open-pollinated seeds. Seed saving is another labour of love, especially as practised by this remarkable group of philanthropists. Robert and Carol Mouck have managed to gather over 400 varieties of open-pollinated seed over 8 seasons of farming in Kingston. These varieties improve biodiversity and decrease the vulnerability of our food system. These seeds are adapted to our specific local climate, even as it changes, enhancing our success rates.
There are many people in our local area who are working very hard to provide us with a sustainable,healthy, local food system. They merit our support and our admiration for their incredible dedication and hard work. It was a great privilege to meet some of these courageous people at the Local Food Summit.
More information about local sustainable farming initiatives can be found at www.fooddowntheroad.ca
Food_summit
Back toHome
Feature Article - November 8, 2007Local Food Summitby Jeff Green
At a local food summit held last weekend at St, Lawrence College, a group of food activists; farmers, food processors, academics, anti-poverty activists, and so-called eaters, met to take stock of where the burgeoning local food movement is, and where it is going.The summit featured a day of workshops on such themes as urban gardening, the future of farming, and more.
The workshop day was prefaced by a keynote speech the evening before by University of Toronto Professor Thomas Homer-Dixon, the author most recently of “The Upside of Down”. He set out the context for the summit in a talk about social systems in crisis, of which the food system is seen as a good example.
In putting Homer-Dixon's talk into context at the opening of the summit itself, David Hahn, who is one of the directors of local 316 of the National Farmer's Union, picked up on a comparison Homer-Dixon drew between different systems.
“Homer-Dixon talked about two kinds of transportation networks, highways and airports. The network of roads has thousands of what he called ‘nodes’, intersections where major highways meet, whereas there are a few major airports that are much larger nodes, where flights from all over the country intersect. This kind of system he described as brittle, because if something happens at a major airport in the United Sates, the flow of air traffic is affected throughout North America,”
An example of this kind of brittleness came up recently over infected spinach in California. The concentration of spinach production is so great in one region that when there was a problem, it impacted on the availability and price of spinach throughout the US and Canada. The solution to this situation, according to Hahnm, is the development of a decentralized food system, which is less vulnerable to disparate events around the world.
Two other speakers at the opening of the summit brought an activist perspective to the local food movement
Colleen Ross, the National Farmer's Union Women's President, gave an address that focused on food sovereignty, people’s ability to have control over what they eat, independent of the whims of a global food system that follows a corporate imperative. This is something she sees as a political struggle.
“The people at this summit should realize that what you are doing here is activism. It's a struggle, and you're part of that struggle. We can only have food sovereignty if we come together as communities. You are doing this now, bringing people together,” she said.
Debbie Field brought the perspective that comes from working for years on food issues in inner city Toronto. FoodShare has undertaken school nutrition programs, and has promoted urban agriculture in government housing projects, and a host of other initiatives over the past 25 years. Canada, in her view, is behind the United States in terms of food policy.
“At social policy level in Canada we are weak, there is nobody even to talk to. Food advocates usually start locally. Kingston needs to have a food charter, which is something Toronto has,” she said.
The Local Food Summit was an important event in “Food Down the Road”, a year long project of NFU local 316 aimed at developing a local food system in Kingston and environs. Among the accomplishments for the project are a web-based food directory, at foodowntheroad.ca, which is a convenient way for people to find locally produced food.
Although the project was funded until the end of this month, it only represents a beginning. A set of objectives is being developed, and this is what the Food Summit focused on in its final day. Fifty people worked together to provide input to a community food council, which is an ongoing group that will work on a draft food declaration and charter to be presented to the public, to farm organizations, and municipal councils.
One of the insights that David Hahn alluded to during the summit, was the fact that as the market for local food grows, the lack of local food production is more and more apparent.
There is a bit of hope on this front as well, however. Among the many people at the summit were some who are interested in getting involved in farming, and they were interested in the information being presented by those who have carved out a niche for themselves producing for local markets.
A group called Heifer International, which was founded in Arkansas and has its Canadian headquarters in Saskatchewan, is interested in a partnership in this region that will be aimed at helping people get involved in farming. This project would provide support for new farmers, including some financial support, but also a significant amount of mentoring.
Other ideas include working with St. Lawrence College to provide a portion of the food for the college from local sources.
Local_food
Back toHome
Feature Article - November 1, 2007 From the Ground Up: Local FoodPrimer (Part 2 of 2)By Jeff Green(“Food Down the Road” is a year-long project aimed at developing a mechanism to promote and expand the consumption and production of locally grown food. The project was initiated by Local 316 of the National Farmer’s Union and has produced a 75-page book ”From the Ground Up: A primer for community action”.
Part 1 of this article dealt with some of the historical information about food production in Frontenac County. Part 2 concerns itself with the reasons for the decline in local farming and some of the innovations that are aimed at encouraging food production in the region)It hasn’t been that long since there were times of year when certain foods would be unavailable in local supermarkets, or the price would jump markedly in the off-season. Red peppers were sold for $5 a pound, when they were available at all, in the winter and as low as $0.99 a pound in the summer.
This was easy to understand. The winter peppers were imported from Mexico, and they were followed by peppers from closer and closer to home, until Canadian field peppers came along in August.
This has all changed. The price of red peppers tends to fluctuate from $1.99 to $3.99 at the stores. They are imported from far away or from regional greenhouse operations on a year-round basis, and Ontario field-grown red peppers might never get to local stores at all. The food system bears more of a resemblance to a manufacturing process than the old-style family farm.
There are hosts of statistics that point to the way food has become a highly traded, international commodity. A recent study concluded that the ingredients in an average Canadian meal travel 2000 km to get to the table, and another study concluded that a basic meal of an all-dressed cheeseburger and potatoes travels 4338 km to get to the table in Kingston. Canada is a major food exporter (5th in the world) and importer (4th in the world).
Geographical conditions explain some of this since Canada has always imported fruits and vegetables, but there are other factors. Even when local tomatoes and apples are available, imported products still dominate on grocery shelves, and they are not necessarily priced higher.
This phenomenon is called redundant trade, the simultaneous exporting and importing of the same product to the same region, and it has become common. Food processing is still a large industry in Eastern Ontario, but only in communities that are located on the 401 Highway. Twenty-one percent of employment in Hastings County and 14% in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry is in the food-processing sector, but in Frontenac County only 4% of the population is employed in food processing, and the figure is only 2% in Lennox and Addington. Most of the processing in eastern Ontario takes the form of branch plant operations for Kraft, General Mills, and Coca-Cola. The raw materials used by these plants are trucked or shipped in, and the products are then trucked out.
There is a shortage of processing capacity dedicated to local production. A local cattle auction house has closed, and there are only three abattoirs left in the vicinity of cattle operations in the southern end of Frontenac County. The majority of the crops that are grown in the region are shipped away for processing.
The net effect of all these realities is that even though Frontenac County has a heritage of small-scale agriculture, most residents now don't grow any of their own food, and we don’t purchase food that comes from our neighbours either. Most of the food we eat is identical to the food we would eat if we lived in downtown Kingston, or downtown Toronto or Chicago for that matter. The food we eat is grown in distant parts of the world, is processed in food factories and delivered to the back door of the grocery store in semi-trailers from the Loblaws or Sobey’s Food terminal.
The system is very efficient; we pay less for our food in relation to our incomes than ever before, and we eat the food products we want, whenever we want.
There is a major downside to this, according to "From the Ground Up". From the point of view of food security, which looks at a community’s ability to feed itself, the picture is not rosy.
The food system we depend upon is itself dependent upon on cheap transportation, and between projected increases in the price of oil and concerns about green house gas emissions, shipping food great distances may not be a viable option in the future.
There are also concerns about the way food must be grown to be shipped great distances, and the kind of agriculture this has brought about. Varieties are selected for their ability to travel, rather than for their taste and nutritional value. Mono-cropping, which is a major feature of the world food system, is a form of agriculture that is highly reliant on pesticides, which is in part responsible for the increasing demand for organic food. Sales of organic food increased by 28% in Canada in 2006. However, according to a study published in June of 2006, only 15% of the organic food consumed in Ontario is produced domestically.
The final section of “From the Ground Up” is called “Models for Change”, and it proposes that a shift to a local food system can help us solve the problems of farm income, lack of access to healthy food, and lack of ecological sustainability in our current food system.
A whole series of initiatives are considered in this section, including established businesses such as the Mill Street Cafe in Sydenham, which is an extension of Desert Lake Farms, a pioneering local food initiative that has been delivering fresh produce to Kingston households for years, and has now an innovative retail outlet and restaurant.
Newer businesses, such as the Frontenac Farmers Market and Food Less Traveled in Verona, are also featured, as are concepts such as Community Supported Agriculture, which connects consumers directly with farmers.
It also talks about institutions changing their purchasing policies in order to develop a local food culture in the region surrounding Kingston, among a host of other initiatives.
These initiatives will be further considered this weekend at a local food summit. The summit kicks off with a keynote address by Thomas Homer-Dixon at the Sydenham Street United Church on Friday evening leading into a series of workshops at St. Lawrence College on Saturday. The summit wraps up on Sunday. For further information and to register, go to Fooddowntheroad.ca. The full version of “From the Ground Up” is posted on the website as well. Alternatively, phone 613-767-4127.
Nature_reflections_07-43
Back toHome
NatureReflections - November 1, 2007What Winter Birds Will Come?
Nature Reflections by Jean Griffin
Winter approaches! What winter birds will come? The indication is that food for some of the birds is scarce up north. Apparently seed and cone production will not be sufficient for all the birds to remain in the boreal forest. So look for an irruption of some of the birds that sometimes do not come our way in the winter season.
Already I have heard of Northern Shrikes being found in some areas of southern and eastern Ontario. If the shrikes who rely on voles, lemmings, etc. for food are moving south, will the Great Gray Owls and the Snowy Owls follow? It would be great to see these magnificent birds during the coming season, hopefully able to find sufficient food to keep them alive.
This morning (Nov. 15th) I had a flock of about 15 Common Redpolls fly over, and I have had reports of small flocks in Perth and elsewhere. Keep your feeders stocked for these active little birds! Pine Siskins have also been reported in small flocks. Pine Grosbeaks have appeared east and south of Perth and flew over here a week ago. Evening Grosbeaks are turning up in small flocks in several places as well as at my feeders. The arrival of all these birds indicate that cones, berries and seeds are scarce up north. I hope there is sufficient food here to keep them around for the season.
I also anticipate an irruption of Bohemian Waxwings. I have not yet seen any but they are being reported in the Ottawa region - so if you see any waxwings take a good look - it could be them or their 'cousins', the Cedar Waxwings (also being observed in some areas).
An observation - my son saw an adult Bald Eagle on November 13, perched on a tree close to Armstrong Road. They will be around as long as there is open water where they may find fish or carrion.
Now it is time for me to say goodbye - Nature Reflections is retiring. (It has been rather inactive of late!) I have sold my house in the country and am moving to Perth in January. I want to thank all of you who have shared observations, stories, and comments with me. Thank you for the phone calls, the emails, and the pictures! I will continue to enjoy nature in my new back yard, though probably as a lesser number of species. May everyone have a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2008 - and continue to feed birds, watch animals and cherish wildlife! Jean.
Editor’s Note: We are very sad to lose Jean Griffin as a columnist. Over the years we, and our readers have enjoyed her columns very much. Taken together they form an impressive foundation of knowledge about the natural world around us.
We thank Jean for all her hard work and wish her well in her new home.
If there is a naturalist or someone who is interested in natural history among our readers, who would like to write a column, please give us a call at 613-279-3150; or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
