[All] Fwd: SAMPLE Locavore News Ontario, September 9, 2011

[Robert Milligan]

FYI (I first had a conversation with Elbert at his Christian Farmers  
Federation of Ontario office in Drayton around 35 years ago, then  
heard him speak in Guelph to C of C about 6 years ago after which we  
had a short discussion. He's a great guy.)
RM

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Locavore News" <plumblinehome at terracoeur.ca>
> Date: September 9, 2011 3:26:08 PM GMT-04:00
> To: <Plumbline at terracoeur.com>
> Subject: SAMPLE Locavore News Ontario, September 9, 2011
> Reply-To: <plumblinehome at terracoeur.ca>
>
> Locavore News — Ontario
>
> Editor, Elbert van Donkersgoed
> September 9, 2011
>
> More combines are welcome to be part of world record and good cause
> Almost 100 combines have registered to help harvest 160 acres of  
> soybeans this fall.
> The soybeans were planted this spring with high hopes. Five farmers  
> from the Listowel area – Richard Van Donkersgoed, Peter Rastorfer,  
> Mike Koetsier, John Tollenaar and Randy Drenth — hope to set a world  
> record and raise $200,000 to donate to Canadian Foodgrains Bank. So  
> far things are on track. According to Rastorfer, the soybeans are  
> looking good and the group is well on their way to reaching their  
> goal with nearly 100 combines signed on to harvest the crop sometime  
> in the third week of September. Listowel Banner story.
>
> Strength and hope starts with hunger relief
> Farmers too help alleviate world hunger in many ways. Next month,  
> Ontario farmers will jump on 100 combines to try harvesting 160  
> acres of soybeans in world record time – that is, under 10 minutes –  
> through an initiative called Harvest for Hunger. It’s a fundraiser  
> for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a partnership of 15 churches and  
> church agencies working together to battle global hunger. With  
> support from Syngenta Canada, they’re trying to raise $200,000 for  
> global hunger relief projects through Harvest for Hunger. Guelph  
> Mercurycolumn by Owen Roberts.
>
> It's OK to make mistakes, local celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy says
> Kennedy was acknowledged with the Order of Canada late last year,  
> largely for the contributions that he has made to Canadian food. He  
> is a big proponent of the local food movement and is often described  
> as a food activist. “When you engage in local food procurement  
> principals, wherever you are in Canada, or anywhere else in the  
> world, you’re engaging community,” Kennedy said. “As a society,  
> globally, we are moving away from the global model of food  
> production and more of an emphasis on communities supporting  
> themselves.” The Toronto Observer story.
>
> Ontario researchers, farmers trial ethno-cultural vegetables
> Work has begun on field trials, market research and consumer taste  
> tests of new ethno-cultural vegetable crops being grown in Ontario.  
> The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (OFVGA) and  
> researchers at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre  
> (Vineland) have teamed up to explore the market potential of  
> vegetable crops popular with South Asian and Afro-Caribbean  
> consumers and how successfully these produce varieties can be grown  
> and marketed in Ontario. Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers  
> Associationnews release.
>
> Edible Flowers
> Edible flowers have been enjoyed since prehistoric times. Hindus  
> used them in religious rituals. Chinese people made good use of all  
> parts of daylily plants. The Romans loved using calendula, violets,  
> roses and mallow during their lavish banquets. Elizabethan England  
> enjoyed the elegance of roses, pinks and calendula. Spaniards  
> promoted the generous use of squash blossoms (which they gained  
> knowledge of from indigenous people in the Americas) and saffron,  
> derived from the crocus sativa flower. Victorian England adored  
> elegant presentations of violets, borage and nasturtiums. Early uses  
> of the flowers were for medicinal benefit. More recently, they have  
> become used to transform ordinary food into dazzling presentations.  
> Edible Toronto story.
>
> FreshFest in Elgin County
> Last night was an amazing night hosted by Savour Elgin at CASO Train  
> station in St Thomas. Our low ticket price included a complementary  
> wine glass to take home as well as 14 tickets to use at the various  
> vendors throughout the lovely restored historic train station. We  
> were able to sample many local inspired dishes created by some of  
> the best chefs in the area. We were also treated to a beer and  
> cheese sampling from The Railway City Brewing Co and Monfore Dairy.  
> In addition to the excellent food there was a number of local  
> wineries and beverage producer BlackFly. Mackenna Roth post on  
> Farms.com.
>
> Planning for Food Systems in Ontario – A Call to Action
> The growing demand for local food is testament to the desire of many  
> to become more connected to their sources of food.  Food systems  
> have long been linked to planning and are a key consideration for  
> complete and healthy communities.  Involving community planners in  
> planning for food systems can result in healthier outcomes for  
> Ontarians.  Planners are in a unique position to identify problems  
> and challenges within the food system and to lead and foster the  
> development of solutions. Ontario Professional Planners Institute  
> news release.
>
> Creating New Options for Preserving our Top Farmland
> Farmland preservation is a key component in keeping a strong and  
> vigorous agricultural sector. And with Ontario having one of the  
> biggest agriculture and food clusters in North America, it only  
> makes sense that our citizens be proactive in ensuring that we do  
> our best to preserve and maintain our best farmland. The Christian  
> Farmers Federation of Ontario has a long history of advocating for  
> farmland preservation. We’ve taken up the fight to keep our best  
> farmland in a number of battles, including power line developments,  
> highway proposals, land use planning sessions and arguments about  
> municipal housing severances. We’ve been at the forefront of those  
> saying that our best farmland needs to be preserved for farming, not  
> held in trust until some other competing use comes along.  
> CFFOcommentary by John  Clement.
>
> A critic’s guide to Niagara wineries
> On windy days, Niagara’s best new winery can be a challenge to  
> locate. The tiny barn tucked away on a rural road is marked only by  
> a red sandwich-board sign at the end of a long dirt driveway. I  
> bypassed it several times, eventually pulling into a nearby farm.  
> “It’s across the way,” a man cordially assured. “There’s a sign out  
> front.” Sure enough, there was the rickety sandwich board, lying  
> sadly in the grass, waiting for a reporter to stand it back up.Globe  
> and Mail story.
>
> Statement from Minister of the Environment John Wilkinson Regarding  
> Highland Companies Proposed Quarry in Dufferin County
> "After careful consideration, the Minister of Natural Resources and  
> I have agreed to bring forward a regulation making Highland  
> Companies subject to the requirements of the Environmental  
> Assessment Act. As a result the company will be required to  
> undertake a comprehensive Environmental Assessment for the proposed  
> quarry in Melancthon Township. Ontario Government news release.
>
> AND IF YOU HAVE TIME
>
> 'Ingredients' bland as rice cakes
> With Food, Inc. and its published cousin Fast Food Nation already  
> behind us, Ingredients -- a rosy roundup of life on the organic farm  
> (and the restaurateurs who love them) -- is so blandly presented  
> with blanket statements wrapped in elevator music, it is a meal that  
> wouldn't quell the appetite of anybody except the most fervent  
> believer. Yes, it's visually yummy. And few would argue with the  
> movie's basic premise that produce and meat fresh off the vine and  
> hoof are tastier and better for you than, say, tomatoes that have  
> been shipped in from Mexico. Toronto Sun review.
>
>
> Administratrivia
>
> This is a sample Locavore News.
>
> To add your address to the Locavore News distribution list, send an  
> email to: Plumbline-subscribe at terracoeur.com.
>
> Information about this newsletter is available on the Terra Coeur  
> website. This includes an archive of past newsletters.

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