Niagara Region's Local Food Action Plan
The Local Food Action Plan promotes the purchase of local foods and reduces Niagara's carbon footprint.
The plan provides:
potential solutions to many problems that farmers are facing through the creation of stable and reliable markets for Niagara producers
a safe and secure food supply of consumers
economic development through local markets
opportunities to enhance wine and culinary tourism in the region
Downloads:
Niagara Local Food Action Plan EMC - Food Sector Manufacturing Consortium Launches
Why Buy Local?
The farm community is increasingly vulnerable due to a variety of agricultural and global challenges. Low density development, residential development on agricultural land, farm consolidation coupled with global changes such as the rising cost of oil, increasing food and living costs, and rising food insecurity make it increasingly difficult to farm profitably.
Sourcing food locally can address these issues and return multiple benefits, such as:
increasing farm viability and securing markets for local farmers;
ensuring a safe food supply through traceability;
decreasing the transport and environmental costs of food transport;
and fostering a sense of community through local farmers markets, food festivals, and events.
Defining Local
The term local food is difficult to define. Products of Ontario are branded local under the Foodland Ontario labelling strategy. More broadly, the phrase “product of Canada” defines a product as local. Furthermore, a radius of 100 miles (160.93 kilometres) is often used to denote locally produced products.
An understanding of local should consider the stakeholders, surroundings, and Niagara's inability to produce products throughout the year. This might mean that the definition of local food fluctuates based on the suitability of growing certain commodities.
August's Local Food Forum will further examine Niagara's definition of local.
Historically, Niagara has been well-known for the various agricultural products that are grown and processed here. This is best reflected in the bustling farmers' markets that are situated throughout the entire region. Farmers' markets offer the opportunity to buy fresh produce straight from the people that grow it.
We encourage you to explore Niagara's farmers' markets to see what Niagara has been growing:
50 Church Street (Market Square) St. Catharines, On L2R 7C2
Established: 1800's Market Manager: Diane Garrington Administered By: City of St. Catharines Number of Vendors: 40 http://www.stcatharines.ca/
Sylvia Place Market (between Main St. and Stanley Ave.) Niagara Falls, On L2G 4C1
Established: 1950s Market Coordinator: Carmen Mignelli Administered By: City of Niagara Falls Number of Vendors: 9 cmignelli@niagarafalls.ca http://www.niagarafalls.ca/about_niagara_falls/farmers-market.asp
50 Market Square (Young Street and Division Street) Welland, On L3B 6A6
Established: 1907 Market Coordinator: Bernice Booth Administered By: City of Welland Number of Vendors: 66 (33 Greenbelt) market@welland.ca http://www.welland.ca/market/
Convenience Street Parking Lot, Smithville, On
500 Glenridge Avenue (Jubilee Courtyard) St. Catharines, On L2S 3A1
Established: 2008 Market Managers: Iain Glass / Kristen Smith Administered By: Brock University Community Connections Number of Vendors: 12
Located in Town Hall municipal parking lot http://www.pelham.ca
Niagara Stone Road and Niven Road (Across from Jackson-Triggs Winery) Niagara on the Lake, On L0S 1J0
Established: 2007 Market Manager: Brian Andres Administered By: Farmers’ Market Steering Committee village.market@yahoo.ca
19 Ontario Street Grimsby, On L3M 1X3
Established: 2008 Market Manager: Michelle Seaborn Administered By: Grimsby Farmers' Market Steering Committee Phone: (905) 945-7963 mseaborn@silmaril.on.ca http://www.grimsbyfarmersmarket.ca
66 Charlotte Street, Port, Colborne, On L3K 3C8 http://www.portcolborne.com/page/farmers_market
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