Just got back from a trip to Halifax, where I was struck by the number of restaurants and cafes of all sizes touting the local produce on their menus. They also have a bustling Saturday morning farmers' market right next to the Alexander Keith brewery downtown.
But while most places offering local food are private shops and restaurants, a group in Toronto is asking the city to buy local first for the food it serves in city-run facilities such as shelters, daycares or seniors' residences. This story was in today's Toronto Star.
Activists would like bolder action than city hall's go-slow approach to buying more locally grown food as a climate-change initiative.
"The message should be (we're) going to 30 per cent to 50 per cent local," said Jamie Reaume, executive director of the Holland Marsh Growers Association. "They've limited themselves to 37 daycare centres in the first year."
Councillors yesterday endorsed a policy to "progressively increase" the percentage of local produce served at city-owned venues.
It stops well short of the proposal floated last spring to commit $100,000 to boost the local content of food served in its shelters, daycare centres and long-term-care facilities.
Instead, the government management committee pledged $15,000 to enable 37 city daycares to use more local tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers and lettuce.
Reaume said people need to be educated on the importance of eating food that's in season.
"We can feed not just the city of Toronto, but the province of Ontario," he said. "But people want their blueberries in December. That's not realistic."
Is this something that Hamilton should look at? Is $15,000 for local food, as the Toronto committee agreed to, enough? Is it a city's responsibility to help local growers?
