Sell your food products directly to the consumer

Jarrod Gunn-McQuillan,
Northwestern Health Unit

For all those avid readers out there getting ready for another great column from Gary, there is one little change this week. Gary has been kind enough to offer his column space to the Rainy River Valley Food Council. We are a group of local individuals interested in agriculture, food, health, community and the environment.
So, are we all getting sick and tired of the ‘farm crisis’ here in Canada? Why do farmers have to work so hard for so little? Let’s not get used to it and let’s do something different! What if you sold your food products directly to the consumer? Or if consumers knew where your locally produced products were already available? That could definitely make things a little nicer on our pocket books and the local economy. Let’s show our fellow Northwestern Ontario folk what we have to offer.
Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone knew where they could buy food produced right here in the Rainy River Valley? In the north, the Rainy River Valley is a special place that allows for diverse agricultural production. The Rainy River Valley Food Council wants to encourage everyone to take pride in what is produced here and support the local economy. One of the food council’s main objectives is to ensure that all folk know the importance of buying locally, for their health, economy, community and environment.
For this reason we are planning on putting together a brochure called ‘Local Flavour’ outlining where locally produced food can be purchased. This brochure would be used to inform folk about where they can buy food products produced right here in the Rainy River Valley. The brochure will also outline when foods are in season so that Northwestern Ontario folk can know what to expect and when it will be ready.
The first places that come to mind are Farmers’ Markets, which bring together a wide variety of the food this district has to offer into one spot. We would also like to know where local products are available directly from the farm-gate. Who wouldn’t love to drive out to the countryside and pick up some farm fresh food right from the people growing it! If people know where to go they can stop in on their way to the cabin for a weekend of wonderful Rainy River Valley cuisine.
We don’t want to stop there, if you have your products available around town, let us know and we can put it in the brochure as well.
We are lucky enough to have the Northwestern Health Unit provide funds for this project and now all we need is you!
If you want to be part of the ‘Local Flavour’ brochure please give us a call and we will gladly add you to our promotions. We are looking to have the brochure together for the end of May so let us know by May 5th. You can contact Eric Busch at 482-2354; Deb Cornell at 486-3409 or Jarrod Gunn-McQuillan at 482-3704 to be part of this initiative!
So that being said let’s celebrate the food that is produced here and take a step back and enjoy family, friends, community and wonderful Rainy River Valley Cuisine!