For those who have their own small garden plots, me included, the growing season is just getting started. But I want my fruits and veggies now, because I am spoiled and various other reasons that we don't have to get into. So lucky for me, I am signed up for a CSA (community supported Agriculture) at the University of Ottawa. I've already covered the uOttawa Farm Basket Program in another post but here is a brief summary just in case you missed it. A CSA is at its core a special contract with a farmer. Instead of paying for fruits and vegetables at the market, you pay for them before they are planted and they are delivered to you as they are ready. You share the risk with the farmer, but you also share the savings. This is the third year that the program will operate at uOttawa with the cooperation of Health Promotions and Food Services. The reason we got involved and brought the program on campus was pure convenience. We figured that if we make healthy food easier for ...

Alors que j’écoutais la radio cette semaine, un talk-show a mentionné cette « nouvelle mode pour les aliments frais et locaux ». Au début, ça ne m’a pas trop frappé, puis j’ai commencé à y penser. Une nouvelle mode ? Si les aliments frais étaient une nouvelle lubie, ça voudrait dire qu’avant ça, les gens étaient heureux d’acheter plutôt de la nourriture transformée et artificielle ? Et la nourriture locale dans tout ça ? Pour la majorité de l'histoire humaine, l'essentiel de l'alimentation tenait pour tous de la nourriture locale. Mais bon, si cette nouvelle mode fait présentement son chemin à travers le monde, je pourrais aussi bien vous dire comment sauter dans le wagon en marche. La plupart de ces informations sont spécifiques à l'Université d’Ottawa, mais vous trouverez ce genre de choses partout. 1. Rejoignez la Boîte verte d’Ottawa ou une CSA La Boîte verte d’Ottawa est en fait un club d'achat de fruits et légumes frais au prix du marché. Semblable à un...

I was listening to the radio the other day and some talk show host mentioned this "new fad for fresh and local food". I kind of didn't even notice it at first, but then I started thinking about it. New fad? Fresh food is a new fad, like people would gladly purchase old and artificial food instead? And local food? I would imagine for the majority of human history, the bulk of anyone's diet was local food. Well, I guess if this new fad is making its way around the globe than I might as well tell you how you can jump on the band wagon too. Most of this information is specific to the University of Ottawa but this kind of stuff can be done any where. 1. Join the Good Food Box or a CSA The Good Food Box is a basically a wholesale buying club for fresh food. Similar to a CSA (community supported agriculture), you need only purchase a box and one or more local farmers fills up your box with delicious goodies. The box is delivered to the campus (or even right to your ...