Buy Canadian, and support your local farmer

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A great starting point is your local farmers’ market

In keeping with the “elbows up” mindset we’ve embraced in response to the unjustified trade war underway, yet another top of mind consideration every time we go for groceries is to “Shop Canadian”.

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But as we’re discovering, the pursuit of this noble goal has both its challenges and opportunities:  Challenges in that we can spend an inordinate amount of time sorting out whether what we buy is made in Canada, or in a worst case scenario, packaged to look like it’s made here, but is in fact imported.

(Some pundits call it ‘maple washing,’ which as silly as it sounds, helps to explain why my wife and I recently took several minutes to decide which peanut butter to buy.)

To make your purchasing decision easier, one top of mind tip is “Produced in Canada” means 98% of the item’s ingredients, production, processing, and labour come from our side of the 49th parallel, whereas “Made in Canada” maxes out at 51 percent. So think “Pro Canada” for produced if you want your dollars to do more to support our economy.

As for opportunities in the midst of this trade war, buying local is a way to support small business while often reducing our carbon footprint due to the simple fact that it requires a lot less energy to ship a product such as produce down the road versus between countries.

One way to accomplish that is to purchase at least some of your groceries at your local farmers’ market. Across Ontario alone there are 180 farmers’ markets and to find the one closest to you, a great starting point is to visit the Farmers’ Market Ontario. Visit www.farmersmarketontario.com..

Yet another option to consider that’s not exactly high on the radar of Canadian consumers – including us until recently, is to take part in what’s known as a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) program.

It was local friend Kent McDonald who first brought our attention to Sexsmith Farm, a 65-acre century farm on the fringe of downtown Fort Erie that runs a CSA initiative, whereby in return for an upfront payment, from June through to October, you pick up a weekly basket of produce. (Visit www.sexsmithfarm.ca.)

Kent says that in the early weeks of the program there are lots of greens including lettuce, kale and chard. But as the season progresses, the basket will include a mix of vegetables including corn, potatoes, peppers, zucchini, squash and fruits (blueberries, strawberries, peaches). The farm also sells fresh herbs, eggs, homemade cookies and jams.

Having participated in Sexsmith Farm’s program for the first time last year, Kent offers a variety of reasons for why they’ve signed up again for the 2025 growing season starting with flavour. “I mean, they pick (the food) that day… that’s how fresh it is. It’s not sitting around,” he shares.

The CSA experience has also inspired them to try food they might not normally buy such as kale or chard, explore different menu options and ultimately, transition to a healthier diet that involves eating more fruits and vegetables.

“I also like the sustainability aspect of it,” he says. “They’re using everything from the farm… (including) food that’s not pretty enough to go in grocery stores such as gnarly looking carrots,” which may not ever be poster material, but “taste so delicious because they’re so fresh.”

Another hidden benefit Kent observes is “they don’t necessarily grow all things that they’re providing but they have cooperative relationships with other farms and they share produce with each other. So they don’t grow peaches or strawberries on this farm, but they have an agreement where they go and pick (them) from another farm.”

To find the closest CSA in your area, the Organic Council of Canada (www.organiccouncil.ca) has an interactive map which shows for example that if you live in the GTA, the Black Creek Community Farm has an extensive list of produce. Similarly, in Ottawa, Pair a Gardens (in Ashton) and Meadow Rise Farm (Hawkesbury) are two nearby farms worth considering.

And in case you’re wondering, we just signed up with Sexsmith Farms. So stay tuned for a future column to get a first hand perspective on that experience.

Already, before the program even gets underway, one thing I’m certain of is there won’t be any confusion whatsoever as to where the food comes from. Food that’s fresh, healthy and supports our local farmers.

Mark Wessel lives in Ridgeway, Ont. and is a passionate advocate for living more sustainably at home and in the greater community. Visit www.markdouglaswessel.com.