Flavourful Saskatoon, January 6, 2020

Local Happenings 
Happy New Year! I’m so pleased to see that the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market attracted a good crowd at its first market in its temporary location at 2604 Koyl Avenue. Change is hard, but it’s also an opportunity for renewal. I’m hoping that this move will provide the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative with a chance to focus on their long-term goal of connecting the urban public with the source of their food. I look forward to seeing new vendors coming forward who really value that connection with the people who eat their food and new customers who are eager to meet the person who grew or baked their food – whether it’s the farmer who tells you about the hailstorm that played havoc with their crop or the baker who tells you about the Mexican festival origins of their different baked goods.

There has been an interesting conversation on City Perks’ Facebook page this past week (Jan. 3 post) about ways of reducing the number of disposable coffee cups. Some people agreed with me that disposable cups shouldn’t even be an option. One way to do this would be by providing to-go cups that people can use and then return as a number of coffee shops are already doing. This might even work for people who order their coffee online.

Food for Thought 
The Canadian worker-owned co-operative that created the Camino fair-trade organic chocolate brand explains how they got started and what they see as the advantages of their business model: “If we were not a worker co-op, our business would have sold out by now. Our brand may not have the same soul, our products may not taste as good as they used to, our Camino fans may no longer be the same, and the nature of our relationships with our producer partners may be more transactional.”

Discussions around food and climate change often focus on meat, but our plant-based choices matter too. Israel is now growing sea asparagus irrigated with sea water. However, “not all climate-resilient foods are new and unusual. Okra, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and pomegranates are all resilient choices in many regions. So, too are edible weeds, such as dandelion and burdock, which are hardy enough to survive our efforts to eliminate them.”

Now here’s an interesting idea. The large sculptures on Easter Island may have been designed to protect the land and create fertile soil.

The vegetarian/vegan food options in the UK are sensational – from ready-made meals, to restaurants, to the largest bakery chain in the UK. And Greggs isn’t introducing vegan options to be fashionable – they’re making a profit. Perhaps the most important aspect, for me, of fast food chains offering plant-based options is the recognition that a vegetarian/vegan diet doesn’t have to be either expensive or elitist. My preference will always be local, independent producers and restaurants, but it’s good to see expanding options.

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 nature/environmental initiatives and events. 

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