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Our Local Food System

Taking Action for Local Food

1. Ask where your food comes from and how it is grown.  Among the advantages of eating locally grown food is the opportunity to get answers about your food.  For local food, you can talk to the person who grew or raised it.  For items grown in New Zealand, California or China, you’ll be left with questions, not answers.
2. Preserve farmland for local food production.  When the cost of fossil fuel prohibits long distance shipping as our oil production declines, we’ll need farmland nearby to grow food locally.  Let municipal, provincial and federal politians know that we need prime farmland for food production, not for highways and housing developments.
3. Change the menu. Ask for local food options in restaurants, schools, hospitals, workplaces, cafeterias and institutions - everywhere!  If you operate a food-based business, consider the advantages of shifting to local markets for supply and sales of food.
4. Eat in season. Eat blueberries in blueberry season, corn in corn season and tomatoes in tomato season.  Out of seasons you can still eat locally by putting root vegetables in a cold storage area and preserving foods - freezing, pickling, drying, making jams and jellies, chutneys and salsa.  Start small and follow up-to-date recipes for safe and tasty results. There is a rich diversity of quality food available in every season right here in Simcoe County!
5. Host a 100 km Potluck, Picnic or BBQ. Spread the word about sustainable, local, seasonal eating.  Gather friends and family to share a meal with as many ingredients as possible from within 100 km of where you live. Share recipes.

Adapted with Permission from www.fooddowntheroad.ca

A strong local food economy involves a process of partnership building and awareness-raising between urban and rural residents, and the full range of food system stakeholders. Simcoe County Farm Fresh strives to develop partnerships and deliver services that help more local food appear on local plates!

“Eating locally isn’t just a fad - it may be one of the most important ways we save ourselves and the planet.” David Suzuki

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is pleased to align our healthy eating messages with community efforts to promote local food.

Create a positive eating environment in your home and community

• Enjoy healthy eating...foods from the four food groups of Canada’s Food Guide, including locally grown/produced foods, can help you be healthy and active.
• Get your copy of "Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide", take a food guide tour , and improve your eating habits with "My Food Guide" and My Food Guide Servings Tracker
• Use credible sources of food and nutrition information such as Health Canada, and try the Dietitian’s of Canada interactive tools to help you plan daily menus and analyze or improve your favourite recipes.
• Involve your family and friends in preparing healthy meals and snacks using resources like Foodland Ontario for recipes and seasonal information about local food, and cookbooks with nutrition information like Suppertime Survival or Cook Great Food .
• Speak out to improve healthy eating opportunities in your community – in schools, workplaces, homes, health professional settings, recreation centres, and other public places. Encourage local stores, restaurants and caterers to use locally grown/produced foods.