The #EatLocal! food and sustainability challenge is upon us in about a week starting September 29 to October 6!
Who’s excited?! We’re excited.
We’re dreaming up recipes and getting inspired by those posted in our Facebook group and event pages. We’re thinking up cool DIY projects like pickling our own vegetables as suggested in our babble group. Heck, some of us are even dusting off our bikes because it’s still sunny in our towns!
But pickling and recipes aside, there is still an obstacle: Where do we get all this delicious local food that will become pickled and recipe’d?
Some rabblers seem to be seasoned #EatLocal veterans, while quite a few others are new to the experience and ready to learn. For those inexperienced people, we’ve dabbled in a farmers’ market or two and heard of some farm to table restaurants, but aren’t really sure what is open and available right now.
The following is a list of resources to find local food markets and grocers and some of the organizations and initiatives, we think, are doing it right and will help for future planning and involvement.
Peruse our list and let us know in the comments below where you like to get your local goods!
Farmers’ Markets in Canada
B.C. Associations of Farmers’ Markets
If you live in B.C. — anywhere in B.C. — this is the guide for you! Along with recipes, vendor information and resources, there is a searchable map for farmers’ markets in B.C. Just for fun, I looked up Prince Rupert — yeah, they have a market.
The Alberta’s Farmers’ Market Association
Year round, the dead of winter, September fresh: Alberta’s got markets! Use the interactive map and detailed listing to find out when and where you can get some great local goods.
Saskatchewan Farmers’ Market Cooperative
This website is still awaiting their upgrade, but they’ve got the necessary information. It takes a little more elbow grease to find the locations, but all the markets are listed out for you, you just have to go and find em!
Farmers’ Market: Association of Manitoba Co-op Inc
There are so many farmers’ markets in Manitoba it is almost baffling! Besides all the links to the markets, there are tips on eating local and an excellent list of links for further reading.
Mimicking the east coast attitude, this site cuts right to the chase. A list of markets all over Ontario, their location, their time and what they are selling right now. Get in, get out, eat local.
Association des Marchés Publics du Québec
A list of markets in Quebec complete with beautiful photos of what is available — we’re envious of those who get to purchase goods in these markets. With plenty of markets pushing late into fall, there are plenty delicious places to choose from.
Farmers’ Markets in New Brunswick
New Brunswick farmers’ markets make it easy to #EatLocal by many being open year round! This list of markets provides the details on when and where you can grabs some goods and makes sure to tip its hat to your sustainable community minded actions.
Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia
It may be small, but it is mighty! Nova Scotia has an ample amount of farmers’ markets across the island and provide a print out map for your complete with all the essential details.
Okay, so we could only find one, but there looks to be a fabulous farmers market in St. John’s! On top of that, it is open all the way until December! Do you know others in Newfoundland? Let us know below!
PEI has a great listing of farmers’ markets, large and small, and many year round. Oh, and of course, there is a lot of seafood on the menu. A lot.
We need help! There are some great farmers’ markets in the North, Yellowknife Farmers’ Market comes to mind, but since summer is over, canning season has begun. Let us know the resources below for eating local in the North!
Great Organizations and Initiatives
When a homeowner can’t keep up with the abundant harvest produced by their tree, they let us know and we mobilize our volunteers to pick the bounty.With an incredible crew of volunteers, we’re making good use of healthy food, addressing climate change with hands-on community action, and building community by sharing the urban abundance.
If you’re already a local eater and producing your own food, awesome! Not Far From the Tree aims to work with local fruit producers to round up those fallen fruits and share them among food banks, shelters and community kitchens.
Our mission is to work with urban children, youth and their families to learn about, grow and prepare fresh foods, cultivated in an environmentally sustainable manner, in hands-on programs.
Green Thumbs Kids Growing looks to educate children and their families on the importance of eating healthy, but also sustainable living. Interested in started a school community food garden? Check out their interactive guide to getting started and the benefits behind it.
The Stop: Community Food Centre
The Stop strives to increase access to healthy food in a manner that maintains dignity, builds health and community and challenges inequality.
Resources, resources, resources! If you live in Toronto — and even if you don’t — beyond access to farmers’ markets, The Stop: Community Food Centre provides information on sustainable resources, healthy food education and urban agriculture.
The Westside Mobile Food Market is a joint effort of The South Granville Seniors Centre and The Westside Food Collaborative. This one year pilot project will assist seniors and other vulnerable people living on Vancouver’s Westside in “food deserts” – zones with few or no grocery stores or produce stands.
A great initiative out of Vancouver, this project aims to provide fresh local foods right to the doors of the city’s senior citizens.
FoodShare Toronto is a non-profit community organization whose vision is Good Healthy Food for All. We work to empower individuals, families and communities through food-based initiatives, while advocating for the broader public policies needed to ensure that everyone has adequate access to sustainably produced, good healthy food.
Find a Food Share provides resources to food markets, food box delivery and education and innovation on hunger relief.
Our mission is to transform the way communities shop for, cook, eat, and relate to the food that is grown and produced in their area.
Yowza! If you life in Vancouver, Edible Vancouver provides pretty much every resource to a farmers’ market in the metro area, as well as recipes, restaurants and great events.
Dig In Manitoba is a cooperative effort between Food Matters Manitoba, local parents, health educators and farmers. It is rooted in the belief that we all have something powerful and important to learn from each other when it comes to growing and eating healthy, sustainable food.
Dig In Manitoba provides access to lots and lots of local recipes provided by local people, how-to videos and information on where to find the best, freshest local ingredients from Manitoba farmers.
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