CSA, Edmonton region

It’s the time of year to start thinking about where your locally-grown vegetables and/or meat will be coming from this year. Edmonton-area Farmers’ Markets are wonderful sources, as well as your backyard and your community garden.

Another compelling choice is to participate in community-supported agriculture (CSA) with a local farmer. The idea is that you as a food-eating citizen invest early in the farm (in the Spring), according to some calculation that will vary depending on the CSA. You may also be asked to volunteer some time, which I imagine would be a lot of fun. Then, as the crops start to come in, you receive a share of the harvest throughout the harvesting season.

There are a few CSAs around Edmonton, and there is a great website at which to find them: www.csaalberta.com

Consider supporting Edmonton-area agriculture this year. Consider participating in community-supported agriculture.

www.csaalberta.com

Local food hasn’t been this alive in Edmonton since the pre-WW2 era. Here are a few tidbits:

A family grows ingredients for and brews wine in the Edmonton area. Seriously.

Story here and link to the winery website here.

We grow mustard in Alberta? But none of it was processed into mustard (the spreadable kind) until now? It’s available at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market or online? Awesome.

Here’s a story on it and here’s the website.

This man is my new hero when it comes to local food. He is incredibly involved in the food that his family eats. And his blog makes this one look like something from 1997 (style-wise anyway). Check out Kevin Kossowan’s amazing local food website.

Finally, did you know that you could get local Edmonton food delivered directly to your door? Check out the good food box.

Edmonton Garden Veggies, 2010

Vriends Organic Farm did Edmonton a service when they printed and gave away (that’s right, for free!) a calendar that included the following chart. Now known as August Organics, the Vriends have been farming organically in Edmonton for over 30 years (I’m not sure on the exact timeline. Anyone?). Visit their booth any Saturday at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market for the best seasonal organic vegetables around.

 Please share your knowledge on the subject in the comments, and I'll add to the chart.

An Edmontonian's backyard tomato crop, 2010

The term elitist has been popping up more and more in the media when describing local organic food. I think that using the term displays a lack of imagination and out-of-the-box thinking (to use a tired term).

We just hauled in this year’s tomato crop (I described starting the tomatoes from seed earlier in the year). We transplanted them in late May in 30-40 square feet of garden space. I picked a few weeds along the way (like, 50), but we hardly paid them any mind until today.

With fewer hot days in late summer than usual, it was a bad year for tomatoes in Edmonton. Late blight took all of a neighbour’s tomatoes, and we lost most of our crop at the community garden to blight as well (seems that the cool wet weather is what causes it). Also, usually by this time at least half of our tomatoes are red, but we've only picked three red ones to date. No matter - covering them with newspaper will enable them to ripen on their own, and I for one can’t tell the difference between on ripened inside and one ripened outside.

So in a bad year we grew 10 gallons of local organic tomatoes with minimal effort, for $5-10 worth of seed. And, for those without a yard there are a plethora of community gardens in this city.

What exactly is elitist about local organic food again?