Flavourful Saskatoon, May 14, 2018

Orofino Wines, May 30 
Sample a selection of Orofino’s wines with winemaker John Weber from 7-9 pm, May 30, at Co-op Wine Spirits Beer.

Sukh in the melon patch

Little Quail Ridge Orchards 
Sarah Galvin, a vendor at the Swift Current & District Farmers’ Market visited Dhillon and Sukh from Little Quail Ridge Orchards in the Okanagan. Little Quail bring their fruit to both the Saskatoon and Swift Current markets. Sarah writes a regular column on food and agriculture for The Western Producer. (photos of Sukh and unripe cherries are by Sarah Galvin)

Soon (but not soon enough!) we'll have fresh ripe cherries at the farmers' market

Square Cup Café & Prairie Pie Company 
Maduro Coffee is now selling coffee by the cup at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Square Cup Café. The Prairie Pie Company has switched to selling only frozen products – but that includes Mary’s full line of single-serving pies and 3 kinds of soup.

Kombucha & Honey 
In addition to all their fabulous baked goods, The Night Oven Bakery also sells housemade kombucha. I highly recommend the Kitako Lake Honey they sell. It’s the most flavourful honey I’ve ever purchased and well worth the price. Kitako Lake Honey, based near Lac Vert, SK, “aims to offer delicious, high quality honey. Willingness to experiment, open mindedness and a high level of respect for our bees are the foundations on which Kitako Lake operates.”

Composting at the Market 
The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market is composting and recycling to reduce waste. They’re part of Loraas Disposal Services’ pilot compost trial, which means even paper products and proteins can be composted.

Food in Your Backyard 
Go foraging in your backyard – dandelion, plantain, violets, and chickweed.

Incredible Edible 
From the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Israel, Palestine, Colombia, and Brazil, groups are following the example set by two women in Todmorden, England, and planting free food. “The Toddies didn’t set out to start a food-growing revolution, they wanted to bring their small town together at a difficult time. . . . But the real culture change is about kindness. There’s no need to be a victim in this trumped up shitty time. People doing stuff for each other, for their town, bringing a tiny bit of joy – that’s important. With each person contributing a tiny bit, you can do huge things.”

Cheap Nature + Cheap Labour = Chicken Nuggets 
An extract from A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things by Raj Patel and Jason W. Moore describes chicken nuggets as a symbol of our times. The article outlines the role industry, politicians, and capitalism have played in shaping our current food system. New, more “efficient” breeds of chickens and turkeys, prison and migrant labour, monocultures, and superweeds – it’s a disturbing look at how far we’ve come from growing our own food.

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post articles about food that is good, clean and fair; travel; and books. You may also enjoy EcoFriendly Sask profiling Saskatchewan environmental initiatives and events. 

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