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winter,” said Mike von Massow, an agricultural economist and
associate professor at the University of Guelph. “We see these
huge spikes, but rather than saying, ‘What else could I eat?’ we
complain about what we want to buy being so expensive.”
However, the current economic climate in Alberta might be
enough to convince some people to start shifting their buying
habits whenever they’re at the grocery store or farmers market.
“I think people are becoming more aware of where their
dollars are going because they have fewer dollars to spend, so
they really want them to count,” Olynik said. “I think people are
really starting to think about how they spend, how much they
spend and where they spend it.”
Despite its many benefits, it’s not always possible to eat
seasonal produce—especially in Alberta. Although the
province is well suited for growing grains, pulses and oilseeds
on a large scale, the growing seasons for many popular fruits
and vegetables are extremely short. So unless you’re willing to
get by on canned or frozen produce during the colder months,
imported, out-of-season produce is a necessity.
“There are definitely lots of benefits to eating seasonally, but
we also have to recognize that it’s not always the most practical
choice, living in Alberta with our long winters,” Tsui said. “We
don’t really grow any fruits or fresh vegetables in the winter,
and sometimes we do need to import these foods from other
places to get that food variety and make sure we’re getting the
nutrients that we need.”
Others choose to purchase imported, out-of-season food
items for reasons that go beyond nutrition or variety. For many
new Canadians and their families who are living in Alberta,
imported foods and flavours represent an important link to
their home country and cultural traditions in a way that seasonal
produce could never recreate.
“I think another important aspect of food is that it’s a
reflection of our culture,” Tsui said. “There are a lot of people
in Alberta who are immigrants from other countries, myself
included, and I think part of food and culture is being able to eat
the foods that are associated with your culture.”
It might not be practical to eat seasonally year-round, but if
seasonal eating is beneficial, why don’t more people look for
seasonal produce options? The answer might have more to do
with human psychology than the foods themselves.
“The research suggests that we are pretty stable in what we
buy. People who want broccoli and green beans buy broccoli
and green beans—they have their go-to vegetables,” von
Massow said. “We are not, as North Americans, terribly flexible
anymore. So we have all of this choice, but we don’t tend to
take advantage of that choice very much.”
According to von Massow, if consumers want to see more
seasonal produce options at the grocery store, they will have to
vote with their wallets, as food retailers will stock whatever items
are most in demand. But first, people will have to branch out
beyond their go-to fruits and vegetables.
“I think that those products are out there and available, and
would be more available if more of us were buying them,” von
Massow said. “If more of us were looking to buy carrots and
beets and potatoes in the winter, there would be more carrots
and beets and potatoes in the winter.
“We can do it, we just have to choose to do it and get outside
of our routine of what we eat.”
SHOPPING THE SEASONS
A number of resources exist for those who want to find out what
produce is in season in their area at different times of the year.
Several Alberta farmers markets, including the Calgary Farmers’
Market and Edmonton’s Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, list
what fruits and vegetables are in season each month on their
websites, as well as a number of recipes that can be made
with them. Eat the Seasons—an online initiative that originally
provided seasonal food information for people in the United
Kingdom, but now has a North American sister site—is another
valuable resource for people who want to know what’s in
season. Armed with this information, you can track down the
best Alberta has to offer all 12 months of the year—whether it’s
vibrant red rhubarb in April or tender asparagus in June.
“Especially in the summers—as short as they are—some
people might be surprised by what is produced and what is
grown here,” Tsui said.
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