Toronto Farmers’ Markets

Farmers feed cities

by Chris Caldwell

Canada is as healthy as its food supply. If a city cannot produce enough food to feed itself, it has to rely on imports – it becomes a food security issue. Higher gas prices and processing costs force imported food to become more expensive. We could see less food on shelves, lower quality, or likely both.

Farmers markets have sprung up everywhere in North America. Here in Toronto we are among the most fortunate – there is a farmers market somewhere in Toronto and the GTA just about every day of the week during the warmer months – usually until October, anyway.

In North America, there is a revival of support for good food to the tune of $2 billion dollars a year. America is riddled with diabetes and obesity because of the fast food craze which has crept its way into Canada, but with the results of eating poorly becoming so apparent, the popularity of local farm fresh goods is on the rise. Even Ontario youth are getting involved.

The revival in good food has sparked interest in the revival of the rural way of life, which translates to a simpler and more environmentally-friendly method of living. It is encouraging to see our relationship with food, which has formerly been characterized by lack of known origin or clandestine handling techniques, getting back to a ‘from the field to your table’ culture. This is especially important for children who now grow up thinking food is plentiful and comes from a can or fancy packages. Check out the Junior Farmers web site at www.jfao.on.ca for more information.

Food miles also impact the planet. Studies have shown that to get food items to your table takes an average of 1,500 km of travel per item, which includes the packaging. Clearly this creates more pollution and increased requirements for food preservatives and complex packaging.

I trust good farmers with my life. I do not trust a food industry that treats our most valuable resource as a commodity, bar-codes it, sprays it, and packages it as if they are doing us a favour.

For more information on farmers markets in Ontario, visit www.farmersmarketsontario.com or support your nearest group for the best Ontario has to offer. To your health, and that of your children!

Chris Caldwell  has his Masters in Environmental Studies, Sustainable and Strategic Urban Planning with a Graduate Diploma in Business and the Environment, from York University. He is Ward 29 candidate for Toronto City Council in the 2010 Municipal Elections, and he is passionate about community and sustainability. www.caldwellforcouncil.ca

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