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FEEL GREAT EAT LOCAL

By LAURA TOZER

Summertime is here, drifting in on the smell of barbeques wafting out of backyards and the sound of bicycle bells in the street. Those wrinkled shorts are no longer crammed into the back of the closet, but are back to their former glory beside the sunglasses, sunscreen and bug spray. Surrounded by flowering plants and bursting buds, the promise of fresh food has arrived.
From farmers’ markets to community gardens, from urban chickens to community shared agriculture programs, local food abounds in the Hamilton area.
Any day of the year, it’s possible to walk into a supermarket in Canada and pick up a ripe mango. It’s a strange feeling to scrape two feet of snow off your car in suburban Hamilton and then, mere minutes later, hold the product of tropical sunlight that shines over 3000 km away in the palm of your hand.
The options for adding a little local food to your life are plentiful in our neck of the woods. There are many different reasons for buying local food, from concerns about farming practices, to reducing your carbon footprint, to supporting local farmers. Phil Mount, a PhD candidate in the local and alternative foods research group at the University of Guelph says that’s why he “looks at local food more as a negotiation.” The possible arrangements between you and a local producer are more flexible than they are in a standard grocery store.

The Farmers’ Market
Farmers’ markets are fairly accessible venues for local food. Vendors set up stalls to promote their wares, often extending beyond produce into meat, dairy products, and crafts. The Hamilton Farmers’ Market is located at Jackson Square and is open every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Community Shared Agriculture
Community Shared Agriculture is an increasingly popular arrangement where customers pay a lump sum to become a member of a farm and then pick up fruits and veggies once a week all summer and fall. Customers get fresh food and, by paying up front at the beginning of the season, share in the risks of that season’s crop production. Some CSAs that serve the Hamilton area include Heart’s Content Farm, Simpler Thyme Farm, ManoRun Farm, and Plan B Farms.

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