Wanderlust and Words

Little Quail Ridge Orchards Dhillon and Sukh of Little Quail Ridge Orchards in Oliver, BC, have been farming a 28-acre orchard for over 15 years – and they’ve been selling their fruit at Saskatoon Farmers’ Market for many of those years. They only sell what they grow and rely on all of us who shop at farmers’ markets to support their families as they don’t sell to packing plants. Swift Current & District Farmers’ Market profiled Little Quail Ridge Orchards on their Facebook page recently and provided the following information: “Sukh moves to Saskatoon for 3-4 months in the summer to manage the sales there and Dhillon drives their refrigerated semi every week from Oliver supplying Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Swift Current with the freshest fruit possible.” Dhillon’s wife, Parvinder, minds the orchard while he is on the road. There is currently a second fruit vendor at Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, but a lot of their fruit is sourced from other farms. If you want to support ...

Fan Tan Alley is a narrow gap between buildings in Victoria’s Chinatown. Formerly the site of opium factories and gambling dens, it’s now home to a variety of small artisan stores, including some wonderful food producers. The owner of La Tana Italian Bakery says he wants “people in Victoria to taste baked good as they will experience going to Italy. I am happy to use certified organic flours and local suppliers for the majority of my ingredients.” My ciabatta sandwich was stuffed with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, basil, capers, and olive oil and was really good. I’ll go back another day to stock up on the mushroom turnovers, Nutella brioches, and Italian cookies. Dessert was Salted Caramel and Sour Cherry & Crème Fraîche ice cream from Kid Sister Ice Cream . Both flavours were wonderful. They make small batches of ice cream and paletas from scratch. Last but not least, I picked up some treats to bring home from Pure Lovin’ Chocolate . They use organic, fai...

Bassano del Grappa, Italy - http://sustainableadventure.blogspot.ca/2016/10/bassano-del-grappa-italy.html Saskatchewan Lacks Organic Regulations Saskatchewan doesn’t have provincial organic regulations so growers can claim to be organic even if they’re not certified. “I think it’s unfortunate,” Dennis Skoworodko, a certified organic farmer and owner of Our Farm outside of Saskatoon said. “I think protecting the organic label and the integrity of organics is really important.” All Aboard the Prairie Lily! Did you know that you could sail aboard the Prairie Lily paddlewheeler while enjoying cocktails, wine, or scotch ? Dawn Wreford, Co-op Wine Spirit Beer’s Sommelier and Procurement Manager, who has been holidaying in Italy, will share some of her favorite Italian wines on August 9 . July 29 is Cocktails and Sunset, while Aug. 23 is a Scotch tasting. Güd Eats The vegetarian Güd Eats food truck hopes to be up and running this week. Saskatoon: A History in Words and Pict...

The Vancouver Island Vegan Association hosted Vegtoria on July 27 in Centennial Square, Victoria, to “celebrate veganism and all of the ways we can choose to lead a more ethical, healthy and environmentally friendly life.” I spent a couple of hours there and the site was jam-packed with people ordering food and sampling all the different options. And there were so many food options! I was happy to be able to pick up two varieties of vegan cheese from Miyoko’s Kitchen . Made from organic cashews, it is so flavourful! The Very Good Butchers had huge line-ups at the festival and at their store across the street at Victoria Public Market for their burgers and take-home products. I decided to go back during the week when they’re less busy. Salt Spring Island Kombucha is so good (they’re also at Moss Street Market). They have all sorts of interesting flavours (Wild Rose, Elderflower Ginger, Lavender Mint) available on tap or in refillable bottles. I had chik’n and ...

Earth Bound Bakery Changes Hands Oh, Trent. You brought great organic bread and pastries to Saskatoon. Thank you – and have fun in your new adventures! Venn Coffee  There’s a new coffee shop just off Broadway. The door and patio for Venn Coffee (803 Dufferin Avenue) are in the alley between Amigos and Bike Doctor. They’re serving Scandinavian-inspired pastries researched and executed by Night Oven Bakery . New in Saskatoon  Here are some more new places that sound like they’d be worth checking out. Lynn’s Road Petals ‘n Edibles is selling locally grown flowers at the Ideas Inc. market around the corner from the Saskatoon Farmers' Market. Hometown Diner on 20th Street is serving all-day breakfast and lunch. There are some new ice cream places as well – Fable Ice Cream on Avenue H and The Wholesome Roll (check out their alcohol-spiked ice cream at Silver’s Local Market ). Designing Dignity in Food Banks  The Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank “was fo...

Toad Lane Market If you’re looking for fresh, local produce straight from the farmer/producer, head over to Early’s Farm and Garden on Lorne Avenue on Thursday afternoon s from 2-6 pm . You’ll find familiar faces from Grandora Gardens, Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens, and Country Lane Market. Other farmers will be joining them as the summer progresses. Urban Agriculture in Saskatoon Celebrating Women Farmers A Tanzanian television show is celebrating its women farmers in a talent contes t that pits 16 contestants against each other in challenges involving cooking, planting trees, and making tools. Venus Sophia Tea House & Vegetarian Eatery, Victoria Venus Sophia Tea House & Vegetarian Eatery near Victoria’s Chinatown combines some of my favorite things – tea, vegetarian food, and yummy desserts. They have a large collection of their own organic tea blends and many of the desserts are gluten-free. It’s such a warm and inviting atmosphere for a visit with friends...

Pike Lake Farmers’ Market  The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market is holding a Pike Lake Market every Thursday at 10 am from June 29 to August 31 . Saskatoon Berry Festival, July 22 & 23 Don’t miss the Saskatoon Berry Festival at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on July 22 & 23. There will be a black box chef challenge, a charity pie sale, pie-making classes, and a saskatoon berry waffle bar brunch. Local restaurants will be competing to win an award for the best saskatoon berry dessert. Veggin’ at the Lake, July 27  Join Chef Jenni at The Local Kitchen on July 27 and pick up some excellent vegetarian recipes for lakeside barbecues or camping trips . Building a Food Policy for Canada  The Government of Canada recently brought representatives of various groups to consult on a Canada food policy . There were many positive aspects to the event but also concern that the federal government’s focus on increasing food exports would detract from ensuring food securit...