Warm Up at the Guelph Organic Conference 2011
January 21st 2011
Guelph Organic Conference 2010; photo by Mike Davis
Escarpment Views is a media partner for the Guelph Organic Conference taking place Jan. 27 to 30 this month at the University of Guelph. We will have a booth and will be giving out free back issues of the magazine! Come and say hello! Here is some provided information to give you a sense of what the conference is all about, if you haven’t been before:
Thousands of people have attended the Guelph Organic Conference in the past three decades. Their ages are as varied as their lifestyles, from budding young families to active seniors, fifth-generation farmers to city gardeners, but they all have one thing in common: they make the environment a priority on the last weekend in January at the University of Guelph.
The atmosphere in the University Centre is charged with excitement. Newbies discover they are not alone in their pursuit of a healthier planet when they browse the organic expo and tasting fair with more than 150 booths where they can learn about organic seeds, farming, clothing, wine and food, and even international development agencies working in sustainable agriculture.
For veterans of the original green movement, the conference is a festive rendezvous, with friends reuniting over complimentary fair trade organic coffee and hot cider, or browsing book stalls sharing tips on their latest good read. With so much going on, it is hard to keep an eye on the clock.
The wide range of workshops, though, from organic farming strategies to new research, backyard composting and climate change, make sticking to a schedule worthwhile. This year the Sunday morning Holistic Management workshop will be particularly helpful for anyone who has struggled with lifestyle choices that everyone in the family can live with. Priority-setting tools can help keep you on track when it comes to reducing your footprint on the planet.
“It is applicable to any family or small business, or to farmers and ranchers,” says Tony McQuail, who, with his wife Fran, will present the Coles Notes version of this whole-life approach. McQuail points out that when your written plan considers future resources like clean water and a healthy environment to achieve your goals, it reminds you that you need to invest time and energy into preserving those resources. “Holistic Management is really grounded in the environment, and keeping family and your spiritual beliefs as core values.”
Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of organics, making lifestyle changes with your family’s future in mind, searching for opportunities as an organic farm apprentice, or hoping to reconnect with old friends, the 30th Guelph Organic Conference is the place to be at the end of January.
Here’s more information about the conference.
Chez Fromage Christmas Orders
October 28th 2010
Chez Fromage of Fenwick is now taking orders for their special tourtieres and cretons, until Dec. 1. Prices are $6.95 for the small, single-portion tourtiere and $12.95 for a large, eight-inch size. Cretons are $6.95 for a 250 gm tub and $7.95 for a 400 gm tub. Orders must be prepaid.
“We would appreciate it if customers would pick up their orders within two weeks of notification due to high demand and storage availability,” says owner Nathalie Kita.
To order or get more information, email her or call 905 892 7922.
Take a Coffee Break® & Help Fight Alzheimer’s
September 14th 2010Coffee Break® supports programs for half a million Canadians with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.
One in 11 Canadians over the age of 65 has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.
Coffee Break® is the Alzheimer Society’s major nationwide annual fundraiser where friends, co-workers and customers gather in communities across Canada to raise funds for local Alzheimer Societies. Foodstuffs in Downtown Georgetown will be hosting a Coffee Break from September 16 to 25. [I think a cafe on Mill St. in Creemore is also participating in this.]
Participants at these events make a donation in exchange for a cup of coffee. The money raised stays in the province or community to help support local programs and services.
Even if you’ve already picked up your “usual” from one of Georgetown’s many great restaurants and coffee shops, you can still support our local Alzheimer Society by stopping in at Foodstuffs to “buy” a coffee cut-out or by visiting the Foodstuffs.ca home page for a link to the on-line Virtual Coffee Break.
The Coffee Break at Foodstuffs will feature local Ultimate Bean coffees brewed fresh for sampling. Every day there will be a draw for fresh-baked treats, coffees and accessories, and all participants will receive a special-edition newsletter filled with recipes, puzzles, coffee lore and nutritional information. Drop by Foodstuffs at 89 Main Street South in Downtown Georgetown any time from September 16 to 25 to join the in-store Coffee Break for our local Alzheimer Society. You’ll be helping someone you know.
For more about the great specialty store Foodstuffs, see this “Worth the Visit.”
Hamilton’s “Downtown Localicious Experience”
September 02nd 2010The Downtown Hamilton Business Improvement Area presents the 3rd annual “Downtown Localicious Experience” from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3 in conjunction with The Art Gallery of Hamilton 2010 World Film Festival and The James St. North Supercrawl. This 17-day event showcases local chefs creating delectable lunch specials and prix-fixe dinner menu items made with the best of the area’s bountiful harvest. Downtown restaurants called the “Delicious Baker’s Dozen” participating in this year’s Localicious program will include Acclamation, al Centro, Bistro Parisien, Boo’s Bistro, Brownies Downtown, Capri Ristorante, Claudio’s Ristorante, Dalina’s Egyptian & Mediterranean Cuisine, Incognito, La Cantina Ristorante, La Piazza Allegra, London Tap House, and Slainté’s Irish Pub. A special “Night on the Town” prize draw package will be featured in each restaurant and will include two tickets to the Broadway musical “SPAMALOT” at Hamilton Place Oct. 26, compliments of HECFI with overnight accommodation at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, dinner for two and limousine service to and from the hotel, provided by Hamilton Limo.
To kick off this year’s event everyone is welcome to attend an exciting Downtown Localicious Launch Party on Sept. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Guests will enjoy local samples from downtown restaurants, winery and brewery, local music and a chance to meet guest local chef Margarita Tsanganitas of Barangas on the Beach who will do a cooking demonstration of some of her favourite local dishes. Tickets are $10 per person and will be available at all participating restaurants and at the BIA office. See more information on this year’s program or call 905 523 1646.
This year the BIA has joined forces with the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) to bring together The Downtown Localicious Experience and the 2010 AGH World Film Festival (WFF), marrying delicious fresh foods with art and entertainment. The festival takes place from Sept. 24 to Oct. 3 centered downtown with local viewings of world-class films and other exciting activities. See the list of festival events. The BIA will be hosting “GOREmét Movie Night” on Sept. 25 from 7 to 11 p.m. in the James St. North Supercrawl area as part of WFF. A large screen will display short films, music videos and animation shorts and will feature live streaming of the surrounding events including restaurants, other features of super crawl, music and the art galleries between viewings.
The other partner is the James St. North Supercrawl on Sept. 25 from 1 to 11 p.m. Dozens of galleries and studios launch new exhibitions, musicians perform in the street, local artists display their work and hundreds of people fill the sidewalks as they weave through the event, all for free. There’s more information for this year’s Supercrawl.
Have you attended one of these Hamilton events in the past? Will you be going to any this year?
Westfield’s Ice Cream Festival
July 22nd 2010Westfield Heritage Village is hosting a cool and delicious summer family event this Civic Holiday weekend! Enjoy the fun and flavour of Canada’s favourite treat, ice cream, and the nostalgia of simpler times. Surrounded by period music, you can join the pioneers as they make homemade ice cream from start to finish. Experience the fun and nostalgia of ice cream from Pioneer to Victorian times. Live music, horse and wagon rides, magic shows, face painting, period crafts and games combined with living history make for the perfect topping for a perfect family outing. The theme of this year’s event is candy-flavoured ice cream, including honey. You may even be able to get close to Westfield’s own bees in their new observation house. The Ice Cream Festival takes place Sun. Aug. 1 and Mon. Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $11 for adults, $6.50 for youth 6 to 12 years, and $10 for seniors. Children 5 and under get in free! Annual membership pass holders receive free admission for the passengers of their car to a maximum of seven occupants. Parking is free.
Have a sweet tooth? Read about maple syrup in “Sweet Tastes of Spring.”
Like to learn about what’s happening along the Niagara Escarpment? Why not subscribe to Escarpment Views?
Draw for Dinner for 12 at Terra Cotta Inn!
April 21st 2010Terra Cotta Community Centre is continuing to raise funds for the restoration of its historic hall. Executive Chef Roberto of The Terra Cotta Inn has made it possible by offering a unique evening of enjoyment, dinner for 12 in a private dining room at the renowned Terra Cotta Inn! He will prepare the dinner. This is the second time the draw has taken place and last year’s winners were thrilled with the experience.
Tickets are $50, and only 200 tickets are available. The draw will be held April 30. Proceeds support Terra Cotta Community Hall Restoration.
Don’t miss this opportunity to treat a group of your family and friends to a memorable experience! Purchase your tickets today from Yvonne Sanchez, 905-702-0480 or by email.
Raging Against Organic Wine
September 02nd 2009The cover story on our autumn issue is about Frogpond Farm as an organic winery, with a photo of the husband and wife team in their vineyard. I didn’t expect this to be an offensive subject. Yet it has wildly enraged one of our readers, who left an anonymous voicemail on Mike’s telephone, objecting to the article. If anyone was offended, it was us, because the message was rude in the extreme, full of swearing. It is so unusual that I transcribed it and am posting it here:
“Davis, Mike Davis…You print this magazine on here with this organic s*** in front of it. You want to go take a look at that farm right now. You have pictures organic and people all together. It’s a bunch of bulls***. And go take a look at the farmer that has a farm beside this s***. Go take a look at the spray on it right now. It’s all a bunch of bulls*** and you put it on the front page of your magazine? Well guess what my daughter won’t advertise in your magazine. It ain’t happening. You can take your magazine and shove it up you’re a**.”
Can you believe this? One thing this person is not, is a good communicator! If he has a legitimate complaint of some kind, it is not clearly expressed in any way that we can publish in the magazine. He comes across as a complete madman. We don’t know who his daughter is, or why she might or might not advertise with us. This is a complete mystery. The level of rudeness is so high that I’m keeping track in case it worsens to the point of needing to call the police. I won’t let anyone on my team be abused.
Any idea why someone would be enraged by an article on an organic winery? And any idea of how I should handle this situation?
Summertime at Andrews’ Scenic Acres
June 25th 2009Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce held a Business After 5 event at Andrews’ Scenic Acres, which is a beautiful farm located in view of the Niagara Escarpment which rims almost half the horizon at this point.
It’s a pick-your-own farm with a shop and a winery. Strawberries are beginning to ripen and later in the season you’ll be able to pick raspberries, cherries, currants, gooseberries, blueberries, corn, pumpkins and cut flowers.
Andrews have won many awards for their Scotch Block Winery wines. They also had their Oak Aged Black Currant wine chosen as one of three fruit wines to be served at Queen’s Park for 2008 to 2009. Black Currant, Black Raspberry and Raspberry Rhapsody were some of the wines being offered at the Chamber event, as well as a delightful strawberry lemonade.
In addition to the standard cheese and crackers, the food treats were fresh strawberries and whipped cream, strawberry frozen yogurt and chocolate-covered strawberries, all enjoyed despite the heat wafting through the tent and the tree-shaded picnic table area. You don’t get more of a summer experience than this.
The farm, shop and winery are for sale, so if you know someone wanting an established rural retail operation, send them down the 10th Sideroad for a look.
What’s your favourite pick-your-own farm?
Time for Farmers’ Markets
June 15th 2009It’s the time of year when farmers’ markets ramp up. While their peak season is likely the traditional harvest time of August through September, it’s fun to get out for a stroll in the open air and check out what’s on offer early in the year. Seedlings and potted herbs and flowers are available, as is maple syrup from the spring harvest, fresh baked goods, rhubarb, and green, but not white, asparagus. Mike even bought some early and expensive strawberries from the Niagara Region. But they were big, sweet and ripe, not the hard, sour half-white berries you might find in big grocery stores. Local products often have superior flavour.
Another pleasure of farmers’ markets is the socialization. While we barely nod at acquaintances in supermarkets, we stop and chat even with strangers at outdoor markets, especially if there’s a dog involved. There’s definitely something special about markets.
Three markets we’ve attended recently are Ottawa Street Farmers’ Market, open year-round in Hamilton, Downtown Georgetown Farmer’s Market, which opened just this past weekend, and Milton Farmer’s Market which opened on May 16.
There was a busy Milton Street Festival on June 6. Downtown Georgetown will hold Festival on Main this Sat. June 20. We hope to be there as well.
There is a lot going on in our communities in the warm seasons. Which farmers’ markets do you enjoy, and why?
Eat Local Caledon Spring Festival
May 25th 2009 Saturday was a lovely day for the first Eat Local Caledon Spring Festival. Held on the large lawn beside the Inglewood General Store, it consisted of a few tables of people who are passionate about locally grown, seasonal food. A musically gifted minister played a variety of stringed instruments and sang cheerful songs in a shady spot not far from the store’s barbecue where hot dogs were for sale. Leashed dogs and puppies met each other and drew attention to their owners.
Fresh bread, maple syrup, garlic, rhubarb and asparagus soup was on offer, as well as potted herbs and heritage tomato seedlings.
After I bought the most wonderful Crabtree & Evelyn gardener’s hand scrub from the store’s gift room, Mike & I took a seat at a patio table that the store makes available outside the back door. Then magically, a train hooted and its engine and two cars slowly moved past us within 50 metres. I waved at the engineer, he waved back. I continued waving as the passenger cars rolled by; some of the passengers waved back. Who was having the most fun? Did they envy us our little festival on the lawn? No matter. Everyone was having a good time.
Local food, sensible transport — both are signs of a good civilization.
