|  Over the last week or so of everyone’s back to school preparations, I’ve been noticing a lot of coverage about school lunches and the dilemna of what to send with your kids. I didn’t realize this was such a problem – I’ve been out of school myself for quite some time and don’t have any kids in the system, so I didn’t realize how complicated a task making a lunch could be.
The biggest problem seems to be nut allergies, specifically to peanuts. So many kids are allergic – in some cases deathly so – that many schools have banned all peanut products from their premises. This includes peanut butter, a great, low cost protein source that together with jelly has been an iconic staple of school lunches for generations of Canadians. Continue reading Solving the peanut-free school lunch problem  To me, the thought of lavender always brings images of the south of France to mind – and a lovely vacation I spent there with my Mom in the late 1990s.
It’s time for me to change my thinking, though, because lavender is set to have a bigger presence as a homegrown Ontario crop as well. Ontario farmers recently formed the Ontario Lavender Association and are excited about the potential of this crop as an exciting addition to agri-tourism in our province, says a recent story in The Grower. Continue reading Lovely local lavender  Last weekend, when I wrote about visiting my friend Jackie’s store in Fergus – Fraberts Fresh Foods – I talked about getting the first asparagus of the season. Now, it was yummy and I could go on and on, but I won’t.
While I was at Fraberts, I also managed to get my hands on some local Ontario rhubarb. I used to eat rhurbarb a fair bit when I was growing up because it grew in our garden…AND…this is the important part, my mom knew what to do with it. I have contemplated buying rhubarb in the past but never did precisely because I wasn’t sure what I could turn it into (and since my husband’s not a big fan of rhubarb, whatever I did make had better be good because I’d be eating a lot of it!). Continue reading Another spring favourite – fresh Ontario rhubarb  There is a growing demand for Ontario rabbit meat, which means opportunity for Ontario farmers to fill a local food niche.
But there is very little research to help farmers improve and increase their production, according to a literature review commissioned by Ontario Rabbit. In fact, there are North America-wide gaps in meat rabbit research and resources. Continue reading Research needed to meet local food demand  It’s a healthy green vegetable that is growing in popularity with consumers. So much so that a niche market for Ontario-grown edamame could be one with potential for farmers.
Edamame is a succulent soybean that is a staple in some Asian diets. Although it is planted and grown like a regular soybean crop, edamame is harvested when the plant has reached the R7 stage – still green and at the peak of its sugar levels, which results in the best flavour. Continue reading Edamame – a new local food?  This post is courtesy of fellow blogger and farm and food aficionado Tiffany Mayer. She writes in the Niagara Region – check out her blog, Eating Niagara or follow her on Twitter.
Len Troup has been doing something unusual this past week. The Jordan Station tender fruit grower has been farming. It’s a drastic change of pace from the previous weeks, when Troup, chair of the Ontario Tender Fruit Producers Marketing Board was spending more time in the political arena than his orchard. Continue reading Saving Ontario’s fruit farms Ontario’s farmers are using a town hall meeting in Stratford today to reach out to the public. The Save our Farms forum will focus on the beleaguered state of Ontario’s farming sector and on what the future of an Ontario without farming could look like down the road if nothing is done. Continue reading Plea from farmers: Save our farms | |
