Extra produce in your garden? Become part of West Hamilton Produce Cooperative Exchange!

There is an exciting new food exchange happening! West Hamilton Produce Cooperative Exchange between gardeners
is getting started and looking for backyard gardeners interested in exchanging their produce for other goodies!

This is a way for backyard veggie gardeners to share their surplus garden produce with other local gardeners and receive some of the tasty treats from other people’s gardens. This model has been used with huge success in the southern US (North East Los Angeles)and the woman who started the original co-op there 2 years ago now has over 200 members.

There is lots more info about West Hamilton Produce Coop on their blog: westhamiltonproducecooperative.blogspot.com.

For more information, please contact Karen McLaughlin at westhamiltonproducecooperative(at)gmail(dot)com

Mountain Market is up and running - starting THIS Saturday!

With Spring in the air (finally!) the first seasonal farmers market of 2011 is open!
Hamilton Mountain Farmers Market will be open THIS Saturday May 14th from 7am - 1pm.

This market will be open until late October.

19 Viewpoint Avenue (just off Concession Street).

Farmers that will be present on opening day:
Robinsons Farm
Drummond Farm
Simpler Thyme Organic Farm
Farm Fresh COuntry Market
Trembling Aspens Herb Farm
Richardsons Farm

Products available on opening day include: apples, field greens, hot house tomatoes and cucumbers, fiddleheads, honey and more!

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Wednesday June 15th: Ancaster Market is open!

The Ancaster Farmer's market is celebrating their second season. Think local. Think fresh. The market is located on a lovely open green space adjacent to the rail trail. Great access for biking and walking with links to the Bruce trail, Hamilton Conservation and numerous waterfalls. The wonderful vendors offer a lovely variety of fruits, vegetables, baked goods, breads, honey, flowers, plants and more. Ample parking is available, but you are encouraged to bike, walk, rollerblade or even skateboard. Every Wednesday from 3pm to 7pm starting June 15 2011 until October 05, 2011. You are invited to come out and have a visit and wander around our Heritage village core.

Ancaster Farmers Market
every Wednesday
June 15 2011 - October 05 2011
3pm - 7pm

Location
St.John's Anglican Church (behind the church on St. John's Green)
272 Wilson Street East (corner of Halson St)
Ancaster, ON, L9G 2B9
Canada
Phone:289-239-7828

Upcoming Events

Sat. May 7th: OTTAWA STREET FARMERS MARKET "MOTHERS DAY WEEKEND"

Ottawa Street Farmers Market is celebrating Mothers this Saturday May 7th from 10am-2pm.
Bring your mom to the market for a special live musical performance by "The Cardinal Newman Highschool Glee Club" and Plant a Pansy for your mom. Market staff will be helping kids plant their FREE pansies in pots to give to their moms.
The market is located at 204 Ottawa Street North. The market is open Friday and Saturday, year round from 7am-3pm.
For more information, contact info(at)ottawastreetfarmers.com

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Thur May 12th: ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL (St. Augustine School, Dundas, ON)

Thursday May 12,
Doors open at 6pm, first film starts at 6:30pm.
St. Augustine School, 25 Alma St, Dundas, ON.

Two award winning presentations:
"Bag It: Is your life too plastic?" We see how our crazy-for-plastic world has finally caught up to us and what we can do about it.
Recommended for grades 4-12

"...And this is my garden." In the small town of Northern Manitoba, two school teachers are empowering their students with the knowledge, disclipine and skill to grow their own food in backyard gardens.
Recommended for grades 1-4

Free Admission
All welcome
Suggested donation $2 for individuals
$5 for families and / or canned goods.
Proceeds to benefit Dundas Community Food Bank and Good Shepherd Services.

PLUS! Community Shared Agriculture Exhibits and Prizes from ManoRun Organic Farm and Plan B Organic Farm.

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THUR MAY 12th: HALTON FOOD COUNCIL's "SETTING OUR PRIORITIES" EVENT: (please note the May 9th registration deadline)

You are invited to:
The Halton Food Council's "Setting our Priorities" Forum
GET INFORMED!...GET INSPIRED!....GET INVOLVED!
Thursday May 12th from 8:30-1:30pm. Burlington, ON

St. Christopher's Anglican Church
662 Guelph Line
Burlington, Ontario

Learn more about community food and farm issues in Halton
Participate in creating local solutions
Help us set priorities for action

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

farmers
local food advocates
community nutrition program workers
food bank workers and food security advocates
dietitians
food distributors
anyone interested in making healthy food for all a reality for Halton

SPEAKERS

Karen Burson, Project Manager, Hamilton Eat Local, Environment Hamilton

Dr. Samina Raja, Urban and Regional Planner involved with Food Security Planning and Community Health, University of Buffalo

Halton Food Council - Members will share results of our community food assessment and will join the speakers in a panel discussion about what we can do in Halton.

YOU! - We want to hear your thoughts and priorities on community food and farming in Halton.

There is no cost to attendees for the day.
Refreshments and lunch will be provided.
Limited seating is available so please RSVP by May 9, 2011 by requesting a ticket.
Send this announcement on to others who may be interested in attending.
Thank you to Halton Region Health Department for funding this event.
Phone 905-825-6000 ext. 7887
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1561489457

For the 2nd year in a row Hamilton Eat Local declares FEBRUARY IS FARM MONTH!

We invite you to take part in an exciting assortment of community-based events celebrating a range of issues and adventures in our vibrant local food scene.


Wednesday Feb 23rd - FRWY cafe - 333 King Street East - 7pm. BEN HEWITT! Author of the successful The Town That Food Saved, about hard-on-it’s-luck Harwick Vermont and how it’s new story captured the imagination of readers across the country. Hewitt’s memorable book examines how some of its citizens saw the development of a sustainable locally-based food economy as a powerful economic and social opportunity to bring lasting prosperity to a town that had seen better days. In partnership with: Greening our Local Economy, Beasley Neighbourhood Association and support from Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Friday February 25, 5:30 pm. FOOD & FILM FESTIVAL at FENIAN FILM - 211 Locke Street South Great food movies King Corn, The Real Dirt on Farmer John and local short feature films; locavore pizzas and more made fresh for our event by Earth to Table Bread Bar and local wines available for purchase for only $15 per person. Proceeds will support Hamilton Eat Local's "Operation Smoothie" and the Locke Street Farmers Market.

Saturday Feb 26th - 10:30am - RURAL ROUTES @ Black Walnut Lane Farm. Join us for a rugged outdoor adventure at the height of lambing season! The bus will depart @ 10:30am sharp from the Bread & Roses Café (27 King William Street) on Saturday February 26 (where you can buy advance tickets to avoid disappointment, since last year’s trips sold out!) and the bus returns to the Hamilton Farmers Market at 12:30. Tickets include the bus trips and delicious samples of Black Walnut Lane lamb products: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for kids. Presented by Hamilton Eat Local and Smart Commute.

For more information check out Environment Hamilton's website:
www.environmenthamilton.org

Parkview Health Fair

In November the Operation Smoothie Interns took to the streets to gather information for Operation Smoothie and our first event  was the Parkview Secondary School Health Fair.

Along with several other health and nutrition groups, we set up a table in the school gym to help educate students on the importance of healthy, nutritious and local food. Meanwhile, we had students complete surveys to gauge their interest in a project like Operation Smoothie.

The response was overwhelming. Kids love smoothies, and most would even be willing to try a smoothie with vegetables in it. And for kids who really love their veggies, we brought along a giant carrot suit...

That's right! A giant carrot suit! Everyone loved it (including intern Rebbecca), and we gave away some pretty cool prizes for everyone who was brave enough to try it on and consent to having their picture posted online for all the world to see.

If you put on the carrot suit, but can't find your picture here, you can see the rest of them at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=259250&id=506649175&l=92232797a0

Operation Smoothie!

Welcome, new recruits, to OPERATION SMOOTHIE.

Operation Smoothie is a stand alone program run by Hamilton Eat Local. We are working with Hamilton Partners in Nutrition to help provide healthy and nutritious breakfast smoothies to Breakfast Clubs of Canada affiliated elementary schools. Our goal is to introduce the kids of Hamilton to locally grown and produced food through our delicious smoothies.

Join Operation Smoothie today!!!

In the coming weeks we will be posting more info about Operation Smoothie,smoothie recipes, videos and updates on the project for our breafast club kids to read.

Stay tuned for more Operation Smoothie updates!

FRESH Screening This Friday!!!

COME TO THE SPECIAL FRESH SCREENING ON ART CRAWL NIGHT......
Friday December 10 - Sky Dragon Centre @ 27 King William.

This Friday December 10th, Hamilton Eat Local will be screening  the documentary Fresh  at Sky Dragon Cafe @27 King William.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm and the screening will begin at 7pm. Following the film there will be discussion led by local organic farmer Chris Krucker of ManoRun Farms.  Krucker is an active voice in the local, organic and community supported agriculture (CSA) movements.

Read more about his big ideas in the Hamilton Spec:
http://www.downtowndundas.ca/File/Spec_article_Krucker.pdf

The evening wraps up at around 9pm, so theres plenty of time for you to enjoy Artcrawl. Light refreshments will be provided. There is a 5$ (or PWYC) admission fee which will go towards funding Eat Local's new initiative, Operation Smoothie.

About FRESH:

With the current onslaught of documentaries and books describing the food industry evils, Ana Sofia Joanes “Fresh” has a different outlook. Driven towards practical solutions, the movie “Fresh” looks at industrial farming’s effect on our soil, health and livestock. While the film is more folksy in tone than the recent “Food, Inc.” (NY Times), it still provides lots of hard evidence about the current food industry. Featuring food activists like Joel Salatin, Will Allen and Michael Pollan this 70-minute film should fill the audience with the inspiration and knowledge to promote change within the current food model.


For more information about FRESH, check out the website @
http://www.freshthemovie.com/

Hope to see you all there!

Rural Routes Food Day Celebration Photos

Katrina Simmons, Hamilton Spectator "Eat Local" Columnist was the guest speaker.



Everyone was given a chance to buy some local food en route at the Plan B Organic Farm.



Free range chickens were running everywhere.



Litter-less lunch made by Bread and Roses Cafe, in compostable packaging was eaten at the Plan B Farm.

Three-month internships with Hamilton Eat Local are back!!!

Hamilton Eat Local is hiring two Three-month Interns, November 15 to February 15

YMCA YOUTH ECO INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
This position is being funded through the Youth Eco Internship Program (YEIP). This program places unemployed people aged 15 to 30 from diverse backgrounds into paid internship opportunities within the non-profit and community services sector in Canada with a focus on the environment. These positions, offered in a wide range of organizations, will help young Canadians learn the skills required to gain and sustain future employment within the sector.

This project is a collaboration between the YMCA and YWCA Canada, with funding provided by the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The YEIP encourages applicants from visible minority, Aboriginal, immigrant, refugee and traditionally marginalized communities to apply, and is committed to providing employment supports wherever possible.

Applicants must be 15 to 30 years of age to qualify. Applicants must also be accepted by the YEIP once the hiring decision has been made. Only those selected for an interview by the project manager will be contacted regarding their application, with interviews taking place at the office of Environment Hamilton.

The two 3-month interns would visit selected breakfast, early morning meal and snack programs that are part of Hamilton Partners In Nutrition (HPIN’s) group of 120 child and youth nutrition programs. After a period of orientation and training, the two interns will be demonstrate easy smoothie-making techniques and serve samples to the predominantly elementary school-aged youths who participate in these programs.

Interns will also:

• Act as support staff to take part in Hamilton Eat Local’s public events
• Help with presentations, such as film screenings of food related films across the city
• Offer presentations to interested stakeholders, supporting our work with HPIN and other initiatives
• Collaborate on writing a smoothie handbook for city-wide distribution
• Other tasks in support of Hamilton Eat Local’s new “Operation Smoothie”
• Interns will report to the Project Manager and will also need to submit progress reports to the YEIP on a regular basis

For more information about Hamilton Eat Local please visit:

http://environmenthamilton.org/view/page/eat_local

Applicants are asked to submit resumes only (2 pages maximum) to the Project Manager:

kburson.eatlocal@environmenthamilton.org

Resumes must be received by Friday November 5, 2010 to be eligible. Queries should be sent only to the above e-mail address. Please do not call the Project Manager or the Environment Hamilton office about this job posting.

IMPORTANT NOTE: the availability of these internships is entirely contingent on the successful raising of funds for the operating costs of Operation Smoothie. Successful candidates would be notified on or before Friday November 12, 2010.

Rural Routes World Food Day Celebration

This Saturday, October 16, Rural Routes has planned a day of exciting local food activities to mark the World Food Organization’s annual World Food Day (this year’s annual theme is “United Against Hunger”). The event starts at the Bread & Roses Cafe/Sky Dragon Centre with an Organic Fair Trade Coffee Roasting Demonstration at 10 am, before being taken away on a bus at 11 am, from outside Sky Dragon Center (location here). The first stop on the bus will be the Plan B Organic Farm, where “Eat Local” columnist for the Hamilton Spectator Katrina Simmons will give a presentation. This will be followed by a couple activities around the farm. After Plan B, the route will continue to Lindley’s Farm and Market. Here you will get and opportunity to visit the corn maze for free, or just walk around participating in other activities (some might have additional costs) and do some shopping at the store. The bus will return to the Bread & Roses Cafe around 4pm. The trip will include a light lunch.

Tickets can be purchased at the Bread & Roses Café for $10 each, or $8 for seniors and $5 for children (Cash Only). The bus will be going in rain or shine, so dress appropriately and remember to bring your own shopping bag (s).