The Dundas Farmers Market opening was a big hit!

Consumers who were delighted by the re-opening of the former town's traditional market lined up for fresh berries, local meats, produce and baked goods. Cloudy overcast skies did not stop eager eaters from coming in droves to see what delicious goodies were available. Hamilton Eat Local handed out maps and chatted with the diverse range of vendors and farmers - most are currently listed on our Hamilton Eat Local Farm map.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger, Leona Dombrowsky the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Councillor Robert Pasuta, HWFA President Roy Shuker, members of the Dundas Downtown BIA, Ted McMeekin MPP, Caroline Merritt (Market Manager of the Ottawa Street Farmers Market) were all present to celebrate with the Dundas community. The Dundas Farmers Market is located behind the public library and it is open from 3-7pm
on thursdays until the end of October.

Rain on the parade... or should I say garden party?

"Slow Food Hamilton's Old Fashioned Strawberries and Ice Cream Summer Solstice Garden Party at Whitehern on Father's Day 2009" will not take place this fathers' day. Stay tuned for a new date!

With regrets,

*karen b, Slow Food Hamilton

Read about this upcoming event in The Hamilton Spectator : http://thespec.com/go/food/article/581463

ECO MARKET at the Canadian Centre for Inland Waters

“Are you going to be here everyday?”

That seemed to be the recurring question asked when representatives of Hamilton Eat Local joined Judy MacDonald from Farm Fresh Country Market at the Burlington Green Team's annual Ecomarket. The Ecomarket is held annually during Environment Week, in the auditorium of the Canadian Center for Inland Waters (CCIW) on Lakeshore Rd.

Judy had two long tables full of fresh produce from local farmers to sell and plenty of delicious recipe ideas. She literally brought the farm-to-table freshness of market shopping to the workplace, which coincides with this year’s market theme of Living Green. Everyone was pleased to get their grocery shopping done during their lunch break! An average of 800 employees pass through there during their workday from Environment Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Thanks to Cheryl Tinson and the Burlington Green Team for organizing the event, and inviting us to join in your effort to make a difference. Also thanks to Judy for being such a great promoter and provider of fresh local produce. Visit the Farm Fresh Country Market in Stoney Creek (390 Barton – Barton and Millen Rd)) to get your local produce all year round, and look for Judy at the Hamilton Mountain Farmers Market on Saturdays in the Sacred Heart Church parking lot (Viewpoint and Mountain Park Avenue)

Hamiltonians Growing Good Food ...and Healthy Students!

Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation hosts "Farms to Cafeterias" at Tapestry Bistro

The foundation hosted a tasty little reception last week not just to celebrate Ontario Greenbelt-grown food, but to talk to key decision-makers about why local food procurement is something that our city should bite into.

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Burkhard Mausberg, President of Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation acted as the master of ceremonies that afternoon. Ward 14 Councillor Robert Pasuta was on hand to introduce Mayor Fred Eisenberger, who spoke of the importance of local purchasing by municipalities -- particularly when it comes to food. Local food dynamo, former CBC Journalist, and author Lori Stahlbrand leads the way in Ontario as President of Local Food Plus (LFP), and organization dedicated to promoting local food that is also ethical and sustainable through its certification and guidance, which is targeted to large food purchasers and the farms that wish to supply them. Last but certainly not least, Dr. Lynda Lukasik, Executive Director of Environment Hamilton spoke about her organization's successful record of increasing public awareness of these issues, as well as noting the work of Hamilton Eat Local in helping people take the next step: getting their hands on the region's agricultural goodies!

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Speakers cited local economic benefits, green jobs, fresher and healthier food, and the resilience of our local food supply as being just some of the reasons why it pays to ensure that our local institutions of learning use their enormous purchasing power to support our community -- and that includes farms.

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The event took place at one of Hamilton Eat Local's favourite locavore establishments, Tapestry Bistro. Chef Sam Robertson served up a delicious and creative range of fresh and healthy appetizers and snacks -- well, as long as you went easy on the lovely homemade strawberry custard tarts....which was very, very difficult!

Guest such as Ward 2 Councillor Brian McHattie, representatives of both the Hamilton District Public School Board and the Hamilton Catholic District School Board, food services staff from Redeemer University College, Liz Millar of Hamilton Partners in Nutrition (HPIN), Vicki Edwards of City of Hamilton Public Health and the Community Food Security Stakeholders Committee (CFSSC), representatives of Peel Region's eco-school pros EcoSource, McMaster campus food activists, the Hamilton Wentworth Federation of Agriculture (HWFA), Chris Krucker and Denise Trigatti of ManoRun Farm and many others enjoyed the good eats and the good news about the many benefits of local food to 'student bodies'. Thank you very much to all who attended, as Hamilton Eat Local continues to help the cause in any way that it can.

Photos courtesy of Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation