GrainsWest summer 2016

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BY LEILANI OLYNIK
Local foodbuilds strong
communities
“WHERE DO YOU THINK THIS
carrot came from?” I once asked a young
student. “The grocery store,” he answered
confidently, almost with condescension.
“Where else would it come from?”
This attitude is not a rarity. This is the
state of our youth, and most adults too.
We mindlessly consume food that comes
from every corner of the world. We’ve
all become accustomed to eating fruits,
vegetables and proteins that are not native
to our land. We are disconnected from
the food we eat, as well as the people who
raise and grow it, and we don’t usually
question how it gets to us.
The local food movement has developed
slowly, but it has gained a great deal of
momentum in the last five years. Buying
local matters. There is no cut-and-dried
definition of what the boundaries are
for eating local, but a loose definition
of a local food would be something that
doesn’t travel long distances to reach the
consumer. There are remarkable benefits
to supporting your local growers by eating
local foods.
LOCAL FOODS ARE FRESHER AND
TASTE BETTER
Foods that do not require being trucked
or flown in from the far reaches of the
continent are fresher, making them more
flavourful. Take strawberries as a delicious
example: those big, fat strawberries from
California may be enticing, but they’ll nev-
er match the deeply sweet—albeit small-
er—berries picked fresh the day before they
hit farmers market shelves. Better yet, take
advantage of the opportunity to go to the
farm and pick them yourself.
EATING LOCALLY MEANS EATING
SEASONALLY
What’s the old saying? “Absence makes
the heart grow fonder.” In this day and
age, when we’ve grown comfortable with
having whatever fruits and vegetables we
want, whenever we want them, it sounds
slightly absurd to wait for asparagus, cher-
ries, corn or peaches. But these are perfect
examples of when waiting pays off. Noth-
ing compares to biting into that first-days-
of-summer cob of Taber sweet corn, butter
dripping down your arm. Or how about
summer peaches, those beautiful fuzzy
orbs from the Okanagan that beckon you
to take a bite? Eating fruits and vegetables
in season means eating them at their best.
PURCHASING LOCALLY GROWN
FOOD IS GOOD FOR THE
ENVIRONMENT AND GOOD FOR YOU
Food that doesn’t have to travel thousands
of kilometres to get to your plate means
less fuel consumption and less pollution.
Imported foods are often sprayed with
chemical preservatives to maintain their
freshness during their journey to the
supermarket. Supporting local growers
not only means preserving farmland and
green space, it ensures people know where
their food comes from. There is security
and safety in knowing who grows your
food, how it’s grown and what steps it
takes to get to your table.
BUYING LOCAL IS GOOD FOR YOUR
ECONOMY
Supporting your local growers by purchas-
ing the fruits and vegetables of their labour
means your money stays close to home
and is reinvested into your community
through local businesses and services. You
know your hard-earned dollars are going
into the pockets of hard-working families,
where they’ll be used to put food on family
tables, enrol children in music classes and
sports, and pay for higher education. You
are making a measurable and meaningful
difference in your neighbours’ lives.
SUPPORTING LOCAL GROWERS
REINVIGORATES THE FARMING
COMMUNITY
Agriculture in Canada is facing a crisis of
succession, where more than half of the
farming population is over 55 years old
and approaching retirement. The new gen-
eration of farmers needs our support, and
we need theirs. Dedication to buying local
food ensures continued access to diverse
crops, the sustainability of our farms, the
longevity of farming traditions and the
preservation of our precious farmland.
LOCAL FOODS CREATE COMMUNITY
There’s something special about connect-
ing with the people who raise and grow
your food. You come to know the ven-
dors at your local farmers’ market—your
butcher, your cheesemaker, your baker.
Those relationships have immense value
for you, but also for them. Cultivating
relationships, particularly these ones that
are mutually beneficial, is what makes a
community stronger and more vibrant.
Leilani Olynik is the marketing and events
co-ordinator for the Calgary Farmers’ Mar-
ket. She has a diverse background in digital
marketing, blogging, social media, non-profit
administration, food and wine, and teaching
overseas. She can often be found buzzing
around the market, promoting its hard-work-
ing vendors, sharing their stories and creat-
ing recipes for visitors.
The Food Issue 2016 43