”Our farmers need us. We need the farmers. Here is how to find them”, says Malin Christensson. She is the project leader of The Slocan Valley Food Guide, a comprehensive directory of over 50 local farms and businesses related to local food production. In the food guide, you can find contact information for farmers from Playmore Junction to Hills, as well as local bakeries, tractor services, school gardens and more. You can pick up your free copy of the Food Guide at locations throughout the Slocan Valley or read it online.
“In the grocery store you can find more and more local produce but still only 5 per cent to 20 per cent of what we eat here is produced in the Kootenays”. In Hanoi, Vietnam, 80 per cent of the vegetables eaten in the city are grown within Hanoi. With the summer markets over, and frost nibbling at anything left in our gardens, it is still time to fill your root cellar and freezers.
The guide was produced with support from the Slocan River Valley Farmers and RARTS and much appreciated funding from the Slocan Valley Economic Development Committee, The Columbia Basin Trust, and Still Eagle in Nelson. The guide was also enriched by the incredible photography of Rod Currie (photographer for the book The Garden That You Are) and slick graphic design by i9design.
“I hope the guide acts as a catalyst and a tangible resource to help rebuild our local food system” says Malin, an avid gardener herself. “I was amazed to learn that the average BC farmer is 57 years old and that the usage of the Slocan Valley Food cupboard has increased with 684 per cent since its opening year 2004” says Malin. More amazing food facts are found in the guide.
The food guide can be viewed online at www.slocanvalleyfood.com and some entries are also found at the business directory at www.slocanvalley.com Copies are available for free at: Evergreen Natural Foods, Slocan Valley Coop, Gaia Tree, Cedar Creek Cafe, Rutabagas and more. For more information, contact Malin Christensson at localfoodguide@gmail.com.