Comments on: Building the Green Link http://www.tasteto.com/2007/03/01/building-the-green-link/ Food & Drink In Toronto Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:19:44 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sheryl Kirby http://www.tasteto.com/2007/03/01/building-the-green-link/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Sheryl Kirby Fri, 02 Mar 2007 19:29:00 +0000 http://www.tasteto.com/2007/03/01/building-the-green-link/#comment-38 Well, it was really only about an hour or an hour and a half of discussion, so no, there was nothing concrete by the end of the session. Perhaps more was discussed individually in the networking session during lunch, I'm not sure. The concensus on education seemed to be that government would have to be involved, and that leaves me with very little hope. After all, the government has given us the Canada Food Guide *rolls eyes*, so getting our hopes up that they'de be on the ball enough to start promoting local growers is a bit of a reach, as they don't really seem to be in touch with this level of things. I think it's an area where grower's associations could help a lot, and I think the expansion of the market network will make local produce more accessible to more people, assuming the BIA folks don't put up a fuss (we lost our market in Parkdale mostly due to the pressure of the local BIA who claimed it was "competition" to local merchants). But something's got to be done - because it's the only way we can collectively pressure the big producers and chains to carry local over imported. Because ideally, we wouldn't need farmer's markets - we'd be able to get local produce at Loblaw's or Sobey's, etc. That's a bit too much of a pipe dream, though, huh? Well, it was really only about an hour or an hour and a half of discussion, so no, there was nothing concrete by the end of the session. Perhaps more was discussed individually in the networking session during lunch, I'm not sure.

The concensus on education seemed to be that government would have to be involved, and that leaves me with very little hope. After all, the government has given us the Canada Food Guide *rolls eyes*, so getting our hopes up that they'de be on the ball enough to start promoting local growers is a bit of a reach, as they don't really seem to be in touch with this level of things.

I think it's an area where grower's associations could help a lot, and I think the expansion of the market network will make local produce more accessible to more people, assuming the BIA folks don't put up a fuss (we lost our market in Parkdale mostly due to the pressure of the local BIA who claimed it was "competition" to local merchants). But something's got to be done - because it's the only way we can collectively pressure the big producers and chains to carry local over imported. Because ideally, we wouldn't need farmer's markets - we'd be able to get local produce at Loblaw's or Sobey's, etc. That's a bit too much of a pipe dream, though, huh?

]]> By: vanessa http://www.tasteto.com/2007/03/01/building-the-green-link/comment-page-1/#comment-37 vanessa Fri, 02 Mar 2007 19:10:26 +0000 http://www.tasteto.com/2007/03/01/building-the-green-link/#comment-37 from a personal point of view, did you think that they were on their way to solving some of these issues or much more still in the discussion phase? i really like a lot of these ideas and am surprised that they've come up now rather than a little earlier in the game. i imagine that with the new farmer's markets opening up at brickworks and other locations that a greater following will appear. was there any concrete development in the education area? i'm curious if any specific programs will be put into place from this whole event. i was hoping to go but got roped into that thing called work. from a personal point of view, did you think that they were on their way to solving some of these issues or much more still in the discussion phase? i really like a lot of these ideas and am surprised that they've come up now rather than a little earlier in the game.

i imagine that with the new farmer's markets opening up at brickworks and other locations that a greater following will appear. was there any concrete development in the education area? i'm curious if any specific programs will be put into place from this whole event. i was hoping to go but got roped into that thing called work.

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