Wanderlust and Words

Local Food Trail, Osler, Sept. 29  Visit the farms on Osler’s local food trail on Sept. 29 on a bicycle tour organized by the Saskatoon Food Council . Zero-Waste Microgreen CSA Green Cycle City Farm , a member of the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative, is introducing a Fall Microgreen CSA starting mid-October. You’ll get two varieties of greens in a glass jar along with a recipe. The CSA will be zero waste and have super-low food miles – not to mention healthy, flavourful greens as winter sets in. Contact Haley at greencyclecityfarm@gmail.com if you’re interested. Support your Local Farmer  This has been an emotional week for me as many of us have joined forces to let Saskatoon City Council know that we support the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative. We live in a funny age where local farmers are being threatened with eviction while at the same time major supermarket chains are using “fake farm” branding to mislead their customers into thinking their...

The City of Saskatoon has big, bold dreams for the future of the old electrical building (current home of the Saskatoon Farmers' Market Co-operative). That’s fantastic, but I believe their plans are fatally flawed. Here’s why. Party or Buy Food? The City wants more “animation” at the market site. First of all, I’m not sure what that means. Secondly, I go to the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market to buy locally grown food. I don’t go there to be entertained. If your primary goal is to bring lots of people to the site, turn it into a Tim Horton’s or a discount fashion outlet. If your goal is to support local food production and food security, then a farmers’ market is your best option. It’s true that Granville Island Public Market is animated 6 days a week. (In fact, it’s so busy there are traffic jams and locals have turned the site over to the tourists.) But Saskatoon isn’t Vancouver. We don’t have the population, the idyllic location, or easy access to tropical Asian fruits. Inste...

Harvest Vegetarian Dinner, Sept. 30 The menu is now out for Slow Food Saskatoon’s Harvest Vegetarian Dinner and it looks yummy! Buy your tickets now – they’re going fast. Borsch Supper, Oct. 20 The Doukhobour Society of Saskatoon is hosting a borsch supper on October 20. I used to live in an area of BC with a large Doukhobour population and they make the best borsch ever! There are two seatings at 4:30 and 6:30 pm . Food Product Development Workshop, Oct. 29  The Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre is offering a one-day food product development workshop on Oct. 29. Making Urban Agriculture a Way of Life Saskatoon City Council take note: “As the food movement gains strength and farm-to-fork practices become increasingly popular, many cities across the United States are investing in urban agriculture, both to attract tourists and to improve community health .” Yet more reasons for continuing to support the Saskatoon Farmers' Market Co-operative. Saskatoo...

Local Food that is Good, Clean, and Fair  I spend over half my weekly food budget at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, purchasing everything from eggs and lentils to fruit and vegetables. This is a very deliberate decision. I want to eat food that is grown and produced locally. I want to be able to greet my food producer with a smile (and many of them are now friends). I want to keep my dollars in the local economy – to support local residents rather than large multinational corporations based in another country. It’s harder in winter, but I eat seasonally as much as possible and I’m grateful for farmers with covered fields (Floating Gardens, Grandora Gardens, Kaleidoscope) who extend the season as much as possible. Is it expensive? Possibly, but I believe in aligning my purchases with my values. I’d rather spend money on food that is healthy and that provides an income for my fellow citizens than on an extra pair of shoes or a new dress. I feel safer buying food locally. Ye...

Pumpkin Fest, Sept. 15 & 16  Black Fox Farm & Distillery is hosting a Pumpkin Fest on Sept. 15 and 16 with lots of activities for kids. Breakfast Blitz, Sept. 16  Frisk Market is holding a pop-up vegan breakfast from 9 am to noon , Sept. 16. New Canadian Farmers, Oct. 12 If you’ve been enjoying tulips, eggplants, peppers, and other delicious vegetables from Kaleidoscope Gardens for the last 7 years, I hope you’ll join me on Friday morning, October 12, at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market when Jennifer and Adi become Canadian citizens. Thank you, Jennifer and Adi, for all you contribute to the Market and to our supply of healthy local food. We’re so glad you decided to live in Saskatchewan. Food Not Bombs  Food Not Bombs serves up solidarity, not charity, at its first freestanding event in Saskatoon. They welcome additional volunteers. Urban Cellars I visited Urban Cellars , a private liquor store at the corner of 8th & McKercher, last week ...

I’ve been spending 5-6 months housesitting in Europe for the last few years. If you’ve ever thought about doing something similar, here are a few tips. 1. Getting started.  I use Trusted Housesitters and Nomador websites. Trusted Housesitters is the largest online listing of housesitting opportunities. Nomador is particularly useful for French housesits (most listings are in French). Be flexible. I've stayed in wonderful places that I would never otherwise have visited. The good housesits get snapped up quickly. I browse the websites, using the filters, at least once a day when I have several gaps to fill. References are critical. If you’re new to applying for housesits online, be sure to get reviews from family and friends whose homes and pets you’ve cared for. Prepare a good profile with photographs that gives homeowners a sense of your personality. 2. Start planning well in advance.  This year I booked my first 3 housesits 6-9 months before the actual ...

Chili & Chat, Sept. 4  Riversdale residents are invited to enjoy a bowl of chili by Chef Jenni and discuss the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market role in the Riversdale neighbourhood at 6 pm , Sept. 4. Craft Beer Night, Sept. 5  Metro Liquor is hosting a Craft Beer Night from 6-9 pm , Sept. 5. Sign up in advance to check out beers from 9 Mile Legacy, Paddock Wood Brewing, and Prairie Sun Brewery. CHEP Workshops, Sept. 13, 20, & 27  CHEP is hosting two canning workshops: Pickling 101 on Sept. 13 and Jam Making on Sept. 27 . Contact stefanie@chep.org or call (306) 655-4575 to register. They are also hosting a Mexican cooking class with home cook Liliana Rodriguez from Texcoco, Mexico, on Sept. 20 . You’ll find all the details in CHEP’s September newsletter . Saskatoon Farmers’ Market  I was at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Sunday stocking up on food for the week ahead. I had a falafel wrap from Seif Kitchen (they do monthly lunches as well a...