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 ...

I am just as guilty as the rest of you; I was not fully aware of all the negative implications of the Bill C-38 which was passed by the Canadian government. I am particularly worried about the changes to food our food safety laws; not only is it harder to trust most products on the shelf, but it is also harder to trust the people who make decisions regarding our safety. One major change was the Health Minister’s appointed power to grant exemptions to food safety requirements without the Parliament’s oversight, nor the need to publish those exemptions. Why should any one person or group EVER be allowed to grant ANY kind of exemption to our food safety without the requirement to publish them? Previously, any exemption made to food laws did not take effect until it was published in the Parliament’s newspaper, the Canada Gazette (remember the GMO’s being allowed into certain foods thing?). This allowed media and Canadians to be aware of changes, to express their opinions, and requ...

Last semester, Sustainable SFUO made the decision to start hosting a Farmer’s Market inside UCU. There are a couple of reasons why this goes down as a solid bit of decision-making: supporting local vendors and farmers, promoting local and homegrown foods, and putting some fresh and healthy food into the hands of students. As Caroline Wall, a student at the University of Ottawa, states, “The quality at a farmer’s market is obviously going to be better, and you get to actually meet the person who made or cultivated [the food]”. However, the most important reason is probably this: it made Farmer’s Markets accessible to students. Of course, the Byward Market isn’t that far away, and it stands to reason most students could just amble over a couple of blocks and, through most months of the year, have access to all that fresh and local food that tastes so damn yummy. “If it’s accessible by bicycle or bus, I’m willing to go,” says Wall, and the market she most routinely visits is L...

Photo credit: http://www.armengames.webs.com 5. Treasure hunting on garbage day. Go for a late night walk through fancy neighborhoods and see what you can find! Chase au trésor le soir des poubelles. Promenez-vous dans les quartiers chis de la ville et voyez ce que vous pouvez y trouver! 4. Kayak or canoe the Rideau Canal from the docks at Dow’s Lake where you can rent them. Check out the duck pond while you are on the water. It’s quite a sight. Allez en kayak ou en canot sur le canal Rideau à partir des quais du lac Dow. Si vous avez la chance, passez par le petit étang des canards. 3. Go on a Bike ride on the Trans-canadian along the Ottawa River or try its sister trail in Gatineau. Why not stop for a picnic by the rapids on Bate Island while you’re at it? Faites une promenade en vélo sur la transcanadienne d’un côté ou de l’autre de la rivière des Outaouais. Tant que vous y êtes, pourquoi ne pas faire un pique-nique sur l’île Bate près des rapides? 2. Board a random bus and go on a...

Photo credit: " Attack of the Killer Tomatoes " “Farmers feed cities,” this blatant yellow sticker has been frequenting the bumpers of vehicles, local store windows and random telephone poles in cities across Canada. The message seemed fairly redundant because who other than farmers would be feeding cities? Maybe they should be a little more specific. “Canadian Farmers feed cities” would be better from a marketing point of view. After all, we all KNOW farmers feed us. Food does not harvest itself. I think what these ambiguous sticker makers are going for is that we should be eating locally grown food and supporting our Canadian farmers. Finally, I agree- with myself, but still. Why the hell am I buying tomatoes grown in Mexico? It is summer now, and Canada is finally warm enough to produce delicious fruit and vegetables. And yet, it is Mexican tomatoes and peppers from down south that line my local grocer’s shelves. It’s an illusion of choice, the multiple varieties of lettu...