“Good things grow in Ontario”

My mom and I like to go the Farmer’s Market near our house where there are tons of fresh fruit and vegetables available to buy. Sometimes there is so much more than just fruits and vegetables – fresh bread, honey, maple syrup, eggs and and even a whole booth of gluten free foods. What I love about going to Farmer’s Markets is that it’s so bright and colourful and they always have pieces cut up so that you can try new things. I also love that it is all grown by farmers near us and I really like talking to them about the food that they grow.

Did you know that shopping at Farmer’s Markets is eco-friendly? It’s true. When you shop at Farmers Markets you personally play a part in reducing our carbon footprint. Wait. Do you know what a carbon footprint is? When you’re on the beach and walking in the sand, you see your footprints that you leave behind. Everything that you do leaves a “carbon footprint” and even though you can’t see it, it leaves a mark on the environment. Things that make your carbon footprint include driving your car, heating your home and really, anything that uses gas or electricity. These things create carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that has negative effects on the environment like making the earth too warm and contribuing to climate change. So, the further food travels to get from the farm to your fridge, the bigger your carbon footprint.

What I also really like about going to the Farmers Market is that the fruits and vegetables there are the ones that are in season where you live. This also is really interesting – to learn about what is in season when where you live. For example, today we bought cherries, blueberries, strawberries, nectarines and peas in a pod are all grown locally in Ontario in the summer.  In the fall we will buy apples and pears.

The food from markets like those are also great because when food is grown or farmed close to your home, it is much fresher. When you shop at local Farmer’s Markets, you are also supporting your local farmers, the people who work on those farms and their families. So, while you are buying your favorite foods, you can also do good for the environment, your health and support other people too!

The Government of Ontario has a program called Foodland Ontario, their slogan is “Good things grow in Ontario” and their mission is to spread awareness and provide informaiton to support local farmers. On their website they have great information about fruits and vegetables like how to buy and store them and great recipes too.  They have a really interesting chart of when different foods are in season so that when you go to a farmers market, you know what you will see. Foodland Ontario also has a Nutrition Guide so that you can learn about the food that you are eating. They have a lot of different videos and I wanted to share with you one of my favorites:

Foodland Ontario also has a section on their website called “Kids Corner” which is a fun place for kids to learn about the foods that they are eating. It has 38 different foods from all food groups with fun facts, quizzes, and more recipes. This can help a lot so that kids know a lot of different local facts about food. I wanted to share some of the facts  that I learned from Kids Corner:

• In 2011, Ontario produced more than 361 million pounds of apples. That is enough to fill 102 Olympic sized swimming pools! Did you know that apples are in season in the fall?
• Did you know that you can buy organic carrots in Ontario all year round? Did you also know that that farmers produced more than 482 pounds of carrots in 2011? That is more than the weight of the concrete of the CN tower!
• Do you think that the corn is a grain or vegetable? The answer is…both! While corn is grain, half a cup of cooked corn counts as a serving of vegetables and fruit.
• Did you know that milk is made up of 85% water? So when we drink milk, we are hydrated!
• Even during our really cold winters honey is available all year round in Ontario because when it is stored properly, it can be used for a long time.

I believe that together, we can all make the world a cleaner, healthier and better place. When you do something positive for the environment, your impact reaches far and wide for people, for animals and for nature. Like I always say, little things add up to make a huge difference. Shopping at your local Farmers Market is one of those things.

I found a website that lists a lot of great Farmer’s Markets all across Ontario. Check it out to find the one’s in your neighbourhood.

Do you shop at a Farmers Market? What do you love about it? I’d love to know!