Thursdays Toronto Eat Local Tour was absolutely
inspiring. A select group of determined
and conscious food revolutionaries woke up bright and early to catch the 7:40 Go
bus into Ontario’s capital.
At 10 we arrived at the Stop and were given a tour. The tour started with a larger tour of the
Wynchwood Barns, which used to be a facility in which the TTC used to repair
their streetcars. Now the barns are home
to art studios, residents and a variety of other organizations and corporations
including the Stop.
The Stop is a phenomenal hub for community activists and volunteers. The number of programs and services are
endless and there are many new projects coming out of the woodworks. They offer after school programs and a summer
camp, community action organization, community cooking, a food bank, family
support, sustainable food systems education and a venue for urban agriculture
with a greenhouse and a number of internationally inspired community gardens.
As well, at the stop there is an outdoor oven, a farmers
market and they raise funds by serving a fantastic dinner one night a
month. Our guide Elizabeth talked with
us non-stop about the programs and services provided by the Stop for an hour
and a half and we could tell that she was only scratching the surface. For inspiration oh how to make your community
a healthier, richer, greener, more sustainable place the Stop is a great place
to start.
After the stop we took a streetcar and a bus over to
Foodshare which is located at and integrated into a local public High School. There our guide Opal directed us toward the
kitchen which whipped up a healthy, affordable, fresh and tasty lunch inspired
by Spanish cuisine. Foodshare also hosts
a greenhouse with many interesting things growing. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Foodshare
is their ability to deliver 4000 good food boxes a month to residents across Toronto. The facility includes conveyor belts, a refrigeration
room and they recently acquired two new refrigerated to add to their fleet. All of which is operated by a large group of
hard working volunteers.
Hamilton has our own Good Food Box program and we are
working to grow as large as they have become in Toronto! Order your own Good Food Box or Eat Local Box
to save money, eat healthier and help expand this fabulous program. Find your local Good Food Box site and order now!
Finally, we finished off our tour at the Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers’ Market. We learned
about how this farmers’ market is transforming their neighbourhood and how they
have managed to grow and survive over their 10 years in the community.
To help support local farmers, eat local food and support
ethical food systems consider shopping at one of Hamilton’s many Farmers’Markets!
3 comments:
Just curious what the local locavores think of the new book, the Locavore's Dilemma?
I went to Foodshare with my school before. It was very inspiring bc our tour guide taught us the importance of obtaining food from the wild. Like I would have never thought a part of a dandelion as edible.
Here's a pretty balanced writeup of the Locavore's Dilemma: http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/07/09/is-local-food-bad-for-the-economy/
The merits local food can be considered from many different perspectives.
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