Great Food Swap!

We held our 2nd annual Great Food Swap today - what a glorious array of homemade and homegrown foods filled the tables.  It was hard to decide what to bid on as everything was so beautiful.  There were salsas and "fireside tomato sauce", jams and chutneys, preserved peaches and pears, lemon and lime butters, hot chili pickle, artisan breads, lacto-fermented beans and root vegetable kraut, pickled beets, "nightshade curry", organic sourdough starter, "first honey" from a new beekeeper, kale chips, raw fruit and nut biscotti, homemade crackers and double chocolate raw truffle balls, dandelion syrup, spelt banana bread, and herbal tinctures, plus garden goodies like the hottest peppers, baskets of tomatillos, fresh stevia, dried herbs, wild grape leaves, heirloom tomatoes, bunches of chard, elderberries, and rhubarb...

The way the food swap works: participants display their items, then place "bids" on items they wish to take home, and finally work out a barter among themselves for what seems a fair value to swap (e.g. my jar of kimchi for your jar of salsa).  A nice way to share foods you love (and may have too much of), and stock your pantry with preserves you did not have time to make.

Thanks to everyone who took part!  We are honoured to share the bounty of this year's harvest with all of you.  Happy harvest season.

At the CSA pick-up today...real people who grow real food

At the weekly Fertile Ground CSA pick-up today in our neighbourhood...hot sun, gorgeous veggies, fresh baked goods, interesting conversations...a few photos here of our baking table and the mouth-watering colourful farm produce!  So much love has gone into preparing and growing all these things.  I sometimes read the blog i heart farms, just for further inspiration on "real people who grow real food".  Michael Ableman has also written several books on this subject, including the beautifully photographed Fields of Plenty.  That's what I see here on CSA day!

Bring Food Home conference, March 4-6, 2010 in Kitchener connects sustainable food and farming

Bring Food Home 2010

Bring Food Home – Connecting Ontario Farm and Food Networks
Provincial Conference, March 4-6 at the Kitchener Delta Hotel.

“Bring food home” is a seemingly simple directive, one that immediately brings to mind a shopping cart and a family dinner table. But in the case of the upcoming conference sponsored by Sustain Ontario, FoodNet Ontario and other partners it means so much more.

To a low-income earner bringing food home necessitates sometimes difficult choices. It may be the choice between nutrition and empty, hunger-abating calories or the choice between food and some of the other necessities of life. To someone who works in their community promoting healthy choices, bringing food home encompasses the areas of nutrition, health, education and community engagement. Farmers, challenged by a global trading system that places control and profits in the hands of a few multinationals, are re-examining the opportunities to bring food home to local consumers. Others, conscious of the challenges of climate change, peak energy and environmental degradation, see the decision-making power that brings food home as a universal right. To a community, bringing food home is part of the discussion and planning to develop a local sustainable food system.

The conference will bring together a broad range of participants from diverse regions and sectors, including farmers, food enterprises, health promoters, community groups and government organizations. The purpose of this gathering is to facilitate our learning and working together to create food systems that are healthy, just, accessible, culturally appropriate, financially viable and sustainable.

The Conference has been organized into the following streams:
· Training for Emerging Farmers
· Community Food Security
· Strengthening Regional Economies
· Sustaining Food Production – Farm, City and Countryside

To date we have confirmed Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm and of Food, Inc. fame as one of several keynote speakers, as well as Martin Gooch from the George Morris Centre who will lead a workshop in value chain management. The FarmOn Alliance is planning a whole day of events related to new farmer training.

Opportunities for Action - urban agriculture symposium coming up Nov 20 in Guelph

Opportunities for Action: An Urban Agriculture Symposium

There is an urban agriculture symposium being organized in Guelph for Fri, Nov 20 - above is the poster, below is the invitation letter:

Dear Urban Aggies and Friends of Urban Agriculture, Municipal planners, Community and Backyard Gardeners, Environmentalists, Business entrepreneurs, Student’s, Academics, Social innovators, Government officials, Farmers, engaged citizens and local food supporters;

On Friday November 20th 2009 Backyard Bounty and the University of Guelph will be hosting the first symposium on urban agriculture in Guelph. Opportunities for Action: An Urban Agriculture Symposium will bring together the movers and shakers in the Urban Agriculture scene. The Symposium aims to not only inspire action but address key issues and provide connections that enable the Urban Agriculture movement to advance.

The morning will start with a keynote presentation from Dr. Karen Landman who will inspire us with stories of her summer tour of urban agriculture projects across North America. A panel discussion will follow that brings together experience and ideas from those near and far working in the field of urban agriculture. During the afternoon participants will take part in an interactive facilitation process to identify common barriers, seek feasible solutions and set achievable actions. A local lunch and snacks will be provided.

In partnership with Guelph-Wellington Local Food Initiative, City of Guelph Healthy Landscapes project, The Organic Conference, Chris Jess and his army of Locavores. We invite you to join us!

Please register at:

www.backyardbounty.ca

Shannon Lee Stirling

Project Co-ordinator

Backyard Bounty

info@backyardbounty.ca

See below for schedule of the day’s events and rates!

Opportunities For Action: An Urban Agriculture Symposium

This Symposium has arisen out of a need to bring together and build the capacity of the Urban Agriculture movement. Those in attendance will meet with like-minded people and leaders in the field. They will share ideas and make connections with others involved in urban agriculture. The afternoon’s facilitated process, with allow for interaction between various sectors of the movement, and form a dialogue to help better understand and develop collaborative solutions.

Conference Schedule

8:30am -Registration

9am - Keynote Dr; Karen Landman will speak about her recent North American tour of Urban Agriculture Projects

10:15 - Panel –How Can We Move Urban Agriculture Forward?

Experts that will be joining us include:

Paul Winstanley is an urban farmer from Victoria, British Columbia who has been raising chickens and growing food in the city for 8 years.

Katherine Pigott has worked at Region of Waterloo Public Health since March 2000. A key part of her role has been the development of a comprehensive local food systems planning approach in Waterloo Region as Manager of the Healthy Communities and Policy Team. Katherine has over twenty years experience in community based program development, planning, and systems change that has spanned economic development, health promotion and environmental planning.

Katherine is an avid cyclist, distance runner and gardener and lives in downtown Kitchener. She serves of the Board of Directors of the Association of Health Centres of Ontario and on the Steering Committee of Food Secure Canada.

Tracey Tomlik formerly a student of the University of Guelph, now resides on the East coast. She will return to share with us an Urban Perma-culture plan she has designed for the city of Guelph.

More presenters and information to come!!!

Noon- Lunch & networking

One of the most valuable parts of a conference is the connection’s made, so we are planning a long lunch to provide room for this. We are also in the lovely arboretum setting and encourage you to enjoy walk about, you may even spot GCOUF (Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming)!

1:30- Interactive Facilitation Process

We are working with a group of students from the University of Guelph to develop an interactive facilitation process that will empower individuals to work as a team! Participants will have the chance to connect with both those that are working in similar capacities and also those with which they may share compatible goals. We will discuss our various projects, resources, experiences and methods. The aim of the process will be to seek ways we can all cooperate to meet our goals and the larger goal of seeing progress in the field of Urban Agriculture!

4:30- Closing remarks

Rates:

Early bird before November 1^st

Industry, Academic, government: $90 includes keynote

Producers and Other: $20 includes keynote

Keynote only: $10

After November 1^st

Industry, Academic, government: $100

Producers and Other: $25

Final registration date Nov 13^th

Symposium Fee (Circle One):

Early Bird Before Nov 1st	After Nov 1st
Industry, Academic, government: $90	Industry, Academic, government: $100
Producers and Other: $20	Producers and Other: $25
Keynote only $10	Keynote only $15

Final registration date Nov 13th !!!!!!!

Cheques payable to University of Guelph.

Please Mail registration and payment to:

c/o Beth Livingstone

Crop Science Building

University of Guelph

Guelph, OntarioN1G 2W1

Questions regarding registration: blivings@uoguelph.ca or 519-824-4120 ext 52783

Questions regarding symposium www.backyardbounty.ca or 519-803-2539