AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN

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Growing back to basics

bc’S aGRIcultuRe & FooD DIVeRSIty

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Growing greenbc’s leading the way in sustainable agriculture

the life of a dairy farmerWally smith shares his experience on the farm

June 2011

WHY YOU SHOULD

BUY LOCALHow olympian tracy Cameron

uses local food to fuel her performance.

tO SUPPORt LOCAL

AGRiCULtURe

4ReASOnS

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN2 · JuNe 2011

Savouring bc’s homegrown advantage

British Columbia’s unique climate o� ers one of the richest and most diverse agricultural opportunties in the world. However, the term “use it or lose it” applies—the local agricultural community needs support in order to flourish.

“As an athlete, the food i consume is my fuel for performance.”

we reCoMMenD

pAGe 6

nourishing the province p. 5the economic impact of local agriculture in british columbia.

tracing seafood’s steps p. 7What you should know about the origins of your seafood.

■■ Taste fresh food grown close to home.

■■ Enjoy mouth-watering, tasty deli-cious foods that are available in-sea-son only.

■■ Buy a variety of specialty foods that will impress your dinner guests.

■■ Discover a variety of ”new” special-ty food samples that off er new tastes and fl avours.

■■ Meet the farmer who grows your food. Ask the farmer where their farm is, what they do for pest control and when they harvest.

■■ In 2006, Farmers’ Market contri-buted $118 million to the BC econo-my keeping food dollars in the com-munity and strengthening the local economy.

■■ Pick up some cooking tips and reci-pes from chefs and producers.

■■ Purchase foods at the market and support the future of family farms and food sovereignty in British Columbia.

■■ Reduce your carbon-imprint by walking or cycling to your communi-ty farmers’ market.

■■ Connect with friends and neigh-bours.

What’s in season in June?Apples, caulifl ower, cherries, chinese vegetables, chives, cilantro, lettuce, peas, potatoes, radish, rhubarb, ro-semary, sage, salad greens, spinach, strawberries, thyme, turnips.

What’s in season in July?Apricots, basil, beans, beets, blueber-ries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauli-fl ower, celery, cherries, chinese veg-etables, chives, cilantro, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, peas, peppers, potatoes, radish, raspberries, rhubarb, rosema-ry, sage, salad greens, spinach, straw-berries, summer squash, swiss chard, tomatoes, thyme, turnips.

A local championolympian rower tracy cameron shares her healthy eating strategy.

challenGeS

mediaplanet’s business is to create new customers for our advertisers by providing readers with high-quality editorial contentthat motivates them to act.

bc’s AGriculture ANd Food diversity1st editioN, JuNe 2011

responsible for this issue:Publisher: Maggie ritchiemaggie.ritchie@mediaplanet.comDesigner: penelope Grahampenelope.graham@mediaplanet.comContributors: tracy Cameron, Andreas Dolberg,ted Kritsonis, Don Mcrae, Andrew Seale,BC Association of Farmers Markets, BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association

Managing Director: Justin Guttmanjustin.guttman@mediaplanet.comeditorial Manager: Jackie McDermottjackie.mcdermott@mediaplanet.comBusiness Developer: Joshua nageljoshua.nagel@mediaplanet.com

Photo Credit: All images are from iStock.com unless otherwise accredited.

Distributed within:Vancouver Sun, June 2011this section was created by Mediaplanetand did not involve the Vancouver Sun orits editorial Departments.

FoLLow US on FACeBooK AnD twitter!www.facebook.com/MediaplanetCAwww.twitter.com/MediaplanetCA

■■ When it comes to eating local, few are more fortunate than those living in or visiting British Columbia. Most British Columbians connect with the fresh and fl avourful taste of B.C. foods at an early age.

We have childhood memories of pick-ing berries at a “u-pick” with family and friends, savouring the bounty of a fi sh-ing trip, or stopping at an orchardist’s roadside fruit stand while on holidays around our province.

An apple a dayIn order to ensure children across Bri-tish Columbia grow up knowing the great taste and variety of what we grow in B.C., the 2011-2012 school year will in-clude fresh local fruits and vegetables in B.C. public school classrooms, from kin-dergarten to Grade 12.

The B.C. School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program (aitc.ca/bc) deli-vers fruits and vegetables to students in

more than 1,200 schools throughout the school year. The program off ers great-tasting lessons about healthy choices, the importance of buying local and sup-porting B.C. farmers. Putting B.C. apples, berries and vegetables into the hands of hundreds of thousands of students not only provides them with a nutritious and delicious snack but also establishes a tangible link right back to the farm.

A crop of choiceAs British Columbians we also have many opportunities to connect with the families who produce our food by making regular trips to any of the province’s approximately 100 farmers’ markets, shopping for B.C. foods at grocery stores large and small, by go-ing on a day trip to a farm or by spen-ding time at a local summer agricul-tural fair. Considering B.C. is Canada’s leader in agricultural diversity, with more than 225 farm products, there

are plenty of choices and fl avours to discover.

Food grown in B.C. does more than just support our families’ health, it supports our economy and is part of an agri-food industry that generates close to $7 billion in economic activity every year and employs over 64,000 British Columbians.

On behalf of the Province and all Bri-tish Columbians, I want to thank our hard-working producers and proces-sors for continuing to provide healthy, great tasting food for our meals, and for creating jobs and incomes in our communities.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s website gov.bc.ca/agri and bc-seafood.ca offer lots of informa-tion and ideas about foods grown and produced in our province. I ur-ge you to explore and discover your own favourite flavour of British Columbia.

Don McRaeminister of Agriculture

“Food grown in b.c. does more than just support our families’ health, it supports our economy...”

whY Shop LoCALLY?

BC ASSoCiATion oF FArMerS MArKeTS

editorial@mediaplanet.com

tAStY AnD tRUStWORtHYA wide array of measures have been instated to ensure food safety and the control of animal and plant diseases.Photo: Bc AssociAtion oF FArMers MArkets

the history of agricul-ture in British Colum-bia has played a cen-tral role in BC’s econo-mic and societal deve-lopment, and is closely tied to the province’s

many geographic and climatic regions, resulting in the development of more agricultural diversity than in any other province. It is this diversity that has co-me to defi ne BC agriculture, and has set it apart from other regions of the coun-try.

British Columbia also faces the uni-que situation of having less than fi ve percent of the total provincial land base that is suitable for agricultural produc-tion—a reality that led to the establish-ment of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) through provincial legislation in the mid-1970s. The objectives of the ALR were to both preserve agricultural land to meet society’s future needs for food, and to enable and accommodate farm use on that land.

Keeping up with demandBut even with the ALR in place, will BC be able to meet the future food securi-ty needs of the province? By 2030, less than twenty years away, BC’s population is expected to grow by 30 percent to 5.5 million people—further increasing the residential development pressures on our farmland resources and, at the same

time, signifi cantly increasing the need to have a productive agricultural land-base.

Getting heatedAnd our apparently changing climate pre-sents further challenges—while some re-search points to improved agricultural ca-pability, increased uncertainty and costs associated with more frequent weather damage for BC’s agricultural operations is a very likely scenario. BC has also become quite reliant on food imports from areas which have experienced drought and oth-er production challenges. This further de-monstrates the need to maintain and im-prove BC’s agriculture and food production capacity.

But to be successful, a few things will have to be in place and in sync. The envi-ronmental integrity of our farmland will have to be sustained, farmers and ran-chers will need ready access to resources such as water for their crops and livestock,

production effi ciencies will have to be continually improved through the adop-tion of new technologies and innovative techniques and, perhaps most important-ly, farmers and ranchers will have to be ab-le to make a reasonable living from their agricultural pursuits.

This is no small feat, but much work is underway. Some 3,500 Environmen-tal Farm Plans (EFP) have been comple-ted on farms and ranches across BC over the past number of years. Effi cient wa-ter use, stream health and the protection of aquatic environments are just some of the priorities addressed. And the growing demand for green energy has created on-farm opportunities, such as the establish-ment of anaerobic digesters to produce green energy from livestock manure.

In recognition of agriculture’s future water needs, the provincial government’s Water Act review is now pointing to the establishment of agricultural water re-serves to ensure the long-term security of

water supply for farming. And an Agricul-tural Water Demand Model has been de-veloped to help improve agriculture water use effi ciencies in the Okanagan.

Across all of BC agriculture, a wide range of measures have been adopted to ensure food safety and the control of plant and animal diseases—important steps for ac-hieving a safe and secure food supply.

the future of farmingAnd innovation has almost been a way of life on BC farms. BC’s farmers and ran-chers have taken an already diverse pro-duction mix—some 250 products—and provided even more choice. Certifi ed or-ganic production has grown signifi cant-ly in recent years, as has on-farm diver-sifi cation into cheese-making and oth-er products. In addition, BC has literally hundreds of food processing businesses that produce an ever-expanding variety of foods and beverages for the market-place.

But, it is certainly not all roses for BC agriculture. Statistics Canada numbers indicate that net farm income in British Columbia has actually been in negative territory for fi ve consecutive years – but this can change, and all British Columbi-ans can help play a role. We would encou-rage everyone to explore BC’s tasty, heal-thy and enjoyable food and beverage pro-ducts. And if you can’t fi nd local products on your grocery store shelf—ask them why not!

embracing our food diversity“british columbia also fa-ces the unique situation of having less than fi ve per-cent of the total provincial land base that is suitable for agricultural production.”

Andreas Dolbergexecutive DirectorBC Agriculture Council

SHOPPinG At FARMeRS

MARKetS GOeS A LOnG WAY in SUPPORtinG

tHe eCOnOMY

SHOPPinG At

ReASOn

1

About 2.5 million times each morning in BC, something remarkable happens.

Every morning in British Columbia, hundreds of farmers and millions of hens get to work to make sure we have fresh, affordable and nutritious eggs. In fact, about 80 per cent of the eggs sold in BC are produced right here in this province, travelling from family-run farms in the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island or the Interior to your grocery shelves in as few as 72 hours.

The 127 licensed egg farmers in BC abide by strict regulations for the care of their hens and the eggs they produce. The result is millions of safe, reliable eggs brought to you each day.

Next time you reach for eggs, most likely you’re reaching for an item proudly produced here in BC, by your local egg farmer. Feeding their neighbours is what the egg farmers of BC do, and they do it with pride.

BC Eggs. From your neighbour to you. Every day.

www.bcegg.com

Eggs are one of nature’s most nutritious foods. From only 70 calories, an egg supplies every amino acid the human body needs as well as protein, minerals and vitamins, including vitamin D. With the exception of the Omega-3 enhanced, all eggs have the same nutritional value.

In BC, we purchase a greater variety of eggs than anywhere else in Canada, choosing from six types of eggs our farmers offer:

Free range

Free run

Certified organic

Omega-3 enhanced

Classic brown

Classic white

Free-range eggs are from hens that have access to an outdoor area.

Free-run eggs are from hens that are free to roam about on the barn floor.

Certified organic eggs are from free-range hens fed a certified organic diet and raised in accordance with guidelines issued by certifying organizations.

Omega-3 enhanced eggs are from hens that are fed an all-vegetarian diet with significant amounts of ground flaxseed.

Traditionally farmed, classic brown eggs are from breeds of hens with brown feathers, which lay brown-shelled eggs.

Traditionally farmed, classic white eggs are from breeds of hens such as the white leghorn with white feathers, which lay white-shelled eggs.

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN4 · JuNe 2011

Dairy farmers face challenges that go beyond the typical harvest.Great importance is placed on meeting domestic requirements, but this must be acheived while adhering to strict standards for product quality—and that of animal life.

Mooo-ving forward: the future of canada’s dairy industryFor Wally Smith, the funda-mentals behind dairy farming haven’t really changed in the 30 years he’s been doing it on his Vancouver island farm, but the process, technology and regu-lation have made it a more effi-cient business.

As any agricultural worker might at-test, the biggest challenge to a dairy far-mer comes from the elements—pressu-res of unpredictable weather that can aff ect production or even timing of the harvest. But increased overhead costs for land, equipment and transport have meant that good management is neces-sary to make the farm viable and profi -table.

“Gaining all your revenue from the marketplace without governme-nt subsidy means you have to do a ve-ry good job of managing on the farm,” says Smith. “There’s been some con-solidation because farms have been getting bigger, and most of them ha-ve higher debt loads than they’ve had historically.”

Stable production practices

Smith adds that dairy farming is much like any other supply and demand in-dustry in Canada. When consumer de-mand increases, Smith says farmers produce more to meet that demand. This means that consumers don’t need to worry about price volatility or supply shortages due to weather because pro-duction “always meets domestic requi-rements.”

“Our regulated marketing system en-sures that there is always product avai-lable in a timely matter for our proces-sing partners,” Smith says. “As farmers, we follow those guidelines pretty tight-ly because we believe in the regulated system.”

Setting the standardAside from technological advance-ments, like automated mechani-zed units that milk the cows them-selves, environmental sustainabi-lity and a code of practice are wor-king hand-in-hand to create an even more streamlined set of gui-delines for all dairy farmers to follow.

Smith says a lot of this has to do with a small blue logo of a cow seen on so many dairy products in Canada. The ubiquitous logo says, “100% Canadian

milk”, and Smith goes on to say that it represents a set of standards to ensure the public knows “we are doing the best job expected from us as an industry.” In-deed, there is a national Dairy Code of Practice produced by the Canadian Ani-mal Health Coalition that all dairy far-mers must follow.

“This includes our environmental standards vis-a-vis sustainability and our ability to care for animals in terms of what’s permitted and recommen-ded,” he says. “The manual is freely

available to anyone who wants to see how animals are supposed to be trea-ted, and we follow that to the letter. If a farmer is found to be non-compliant, then they’re on their own because we won’t go to bat for them.”

Milking the benefits of sustainabilityRegulations also make stipulations for protecting wetlands and streams, so farmers are mandated to have buf-fer zones between actively farmed

land and any environmental conside-rations. As an example, Smith has one of the last salmon streams adjacent to his farm and is active in protecting it.

Smith has been a board member of the National Dairy Farmers of Canada for 10 years, and in that role, has hel-ped push forth new research into best practices to ensure sustainability but also to increase the viability of dairy farms.

“We do, as a dairy industry, contri-bute signifi cantly to research and de-velopment, and we are partnered with the Egg Farmers of Canada on projects on an annual basis where we evaluate herd health, nutrition, environment, harvesting and anything else on the table,” he says. “Almost three-quarters of B.C. dairy farmers have voluntari-ly signed up for this quality milk pro-gram approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), where we would fall under routine inspections to make sure we follow the guidelines. Sooner than later, it will become man-datory to participate in this program through regulatory oversight.”

how we MADe it

Ted KriTSoniS

editorial@mediaplanet.com

InSPIRatIon

Driediger Farms Marketinvites you to enjoy our farm fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, rhubarb and currants.

Try our fresh made pies, jams, honey and snacks.

Upick available depending on weather (sorry, no pets in � elds). Bring your own buckets or buy from us to use and take home.

Picnic area available.Hwy 1

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Have you completed an Environmental Farm Plan?

For more information on how to participate: 604-854-4483 Toll Free 1-866-522-3447 www.bcefp.ca

Led by the province’s agriculture and agri-food industry, the Growing Forward Canada–BC Environmental Farm Plan Program encourages producers from all parts of the province to adopt Beneficial Management Practices (BMP’s) that enhance agricultural sustainability and contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment. The first step is an environmental farm plan - a no charge, confidential, voluntary process available to producers to identify both environmental strengths and potential risks on their farms.

tHe CARe OF COWSWally Smith stresses the importance of adhering to ani-mal treatment guidelines.Photo: PriVAte

108 - 7565 132nd Street, Surrey, B.C. V3W 1K5 Tel. 604.591.5480 | Fax. 604.591.5485To find out how your B.C. greenhouse vegetables are grown, visit www.bcgreenhouse.ca.

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Many hours of sunlight and cooling ocean breezes make south coastal British Columbia the world’s best place for greenhouse farming.

BC Vegetable greenhouses growing cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and lettuce for BC families.

Our growers use “good bugs” to control pests, recycle their water and are committed to food safety.

Fresh, Local, Safe, Delicious, Nutritious vegetables grown sustainably in Vancouver’s back yard.

To fi nd out how your B.C. vegetables are grown,

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SUPPORtinG LOCAL

FARMeRS COntRiBUteS tO SUStAininG FOOD FOR tHe

FUtURe

SUPPORtinG

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AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN JuNe 2011 · 5

Growing an abundance■■ Consumers have never been more in-

terested in sustainable food production than they are today. Greenhouse vegeta-bles show it can be done, growing 11 per-cent of BC’s total agricultural production value on only 0.01 percent of BC’s total farmland.

How is this possible?The glass greenhouses allow the heat of the sun to be trapped, naturally exten-ding the growing season. Computer con-trolled energy screens are deployed over the crops at night, helping to stop heat loss. When supplemental heating needs to be used, such as natural gas, the car-bon dioxide generated as a byproduct is fed to the plants during daylight hours. Through the process of photosynthe-sis, the plants use the carbon dioxide to become stronger and healthier and in-crease their fruit production.

Plants are hydroponically grown in coco peat, sawdust or composted soil, the latter being used in organic produc-tion. Drip irrigation is used to deliver wa-ter and fertilizers to the roots only when they are needed. Anything not used by the plants is re-circulated, preventing waste. At the end of the season, the gro-wing materials are delivered to local re-cyclers, who turn it into compost.

Growers often choose varieties of crops that are less susceptible to disease and pests. Parasitic wasps, predatory beetles and other “good bugs” are relea-sed to keep pests like aphids, whiteflies and thrips in-check. Probiotic fungi are added to the growing media to prevent root and plant diseases.

Food safety is a must and food quali-ty specialists monitor activities in both the greenhouse and the packing house. Once a year a third party auditor ensures nothing is overlooked and issues a food safety certificate that retailers ask to see before they buy the product.

Such careful tending of the crop requi-res a large workforce. The greenhouse ve-getable sector provides over 3200 local jobs.

■■ Visit www.bcgreenhouse.ca.

GrowinG Green

Rendering is recycling.

Every day in Metro Vancouver, up to a million kilograms of animal by-products are rendered into feed and fertilizer ingredients for local farmers, protecting the environment

while ensuring regional sustainability.

...shouldn’t end up here.

What starts off here...

Learn more, www.wcrl.com

Watch our video “Local Food Heroes”

Support the industry, nourish the province

BC’s geographic diversity gives way to an even more unique as-sortment of agriculture, from the grapes and tree fruit of the Okanagan Valley to the catt-le grazing the interior. But how much does this industry rely on the individual’s decision to buy local?

“One of the things about British Columbia’s agriculture is that it has more diversity than any other provin-ce in Canada,” says Andreas Dolberg, ex-ecutive director of the B.C. Agriculture Council, an organization that advoca-tes for and on behalf of the agriculture community.

Saving the soilDolberg points out that even though only five percent of the province’s land is suitable for agriculture, the province protects that land.

Of course in order to justify protec-tion, the land needs to hold some sort of profitability and that, Dolberg says, is where the public’s support for buying local helps to sustain the industry.

“If you don’t support what’s happe-ning now it’s not going to be there for the future,” says Dolberg.

Feeding the growth of the industryIn the eyes of the Agricultural Coun-cil, buying local food helps to put mo-ney back into the industry allowing for further investment in an industry that promotes environmental sustainability and small communities.

Clem Samson is vice president of Wes-tern operations for Farm Credit Canada, an organization that lends capital across the agricultural spectrum or as he puts it “on both sides of the farm gate.”

Samson says the economic benefits of buying local food and agriculture is important both to the province and the country as a whole.

“Agriculture is the foundation of the nation’s safe food supply, employs hundreds of thousand of Canadians and is vital to this country’s continued economic growth and prosperity,” says Samson.

Mouths to feedAccording to FCC, one in eight jobs in Canada are related to agriculture—an industry that contributes $130 billion to the economy and represents 8.2 percent of the country’s GDP.

And it’s not just the agricultural

industry.Nico Human, CEO of the British Co-

lumbia Food Processors Association no-tes that the food processing industry it-self creates 27,000 jobs in BC.

“Agricultural has become a very sophisticated, complex business,” says Samson adding that FCC tries to support this growth by helping both large con-solidating farms and the smaller family ranches.

“We are seeing many people leave the urban centers and go back to the farms,” says Samson. “That is something that

we haven’t seen for a while.”But with rising capital costs, the in-

dustry could use a boost of support from the individuals.

“Here in B.C. we are blessed with (one of) the biggest menus on the planet… B.C. processors supply foods that are in-credibly creative, safe and healthy,” says Human. “By buying those products, you will help the B.C. industry grow.”

Andrew SeAle

editorial@mediaplanet.com

■■ Question: how can british columbians continue to benefit from the province’s unique and rich agricultural gifts?

■■ Answer: by choosing home-grown produce and locally-raised meats, consumers can help sup-port the industry and ensure its future.

Introducing the “fourth R”When you think of the “three Rs” of recycle, reduce and reu-se, you probably aren’t realizing there’s a fourth, one that tends to utilize all three in its own way: rendering.

Rendering is basically taking by-pro-ducts from the meat industry and re-cycling them into proteins and fats through a grinding and cooking pro-cess. They can then be used in live-stock feeds, pet food, soap and a range of other consumer products. Bones are all rendered together with all the other by-products, which explains why proteins from cattle are called “meat and bone meal.”

“Long before recycling was a part of our everyday activities, rendering was already established as one of the best examples of reducing waste vo-lumes,” says Ken Ingram, who heads up environmental services at West Coast Reduction in Vancouver. “Dis-posing these by-products in landfills would be a huge burden to our so-lid waste disposal systems, genera-te enormous volumes of greenhouse gases and potentially contaminate water supplies.”

Stringent standardsDespite its positive environmental im-pact, rendering has been met with so-me controversy over possible contami-nation through pesticides, bacteria and chemicals when the dead animals are processed. In addition, there have been allegations that dogs, cats, skunks, rac-coons and even horses have been pro-cessed alongside pigs, cows and chick-ens. But Ingram says this is unlikely, gi-ven the inspection process involved.

“Nowhere in Canada are dogs, cats, skunks, or any other non-food animals rendered,” Ingram explains. “In Cana-da, all by-products destined for rende-ring originate in federally-inspected meat processing facilities, and are regu-lated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.”

Part of the idea behind rendering is to ensure the sustainability of local food supplies, Ingram adds. There are mo-re than 200 rendering plants spread th-roughout Canada and the United States, and has become a billion dollar industry.

Ted KriTSoniS

editorial@mediaplanet.com

GReAt GAtHeRinGSWorkers gather apples in Oliver, B.C. Oliver is also known as the “Wine Capi-tal of Canada.”Photo: Picture Bc/russel work

coutesy of the bc Greenhouse vegetable

Growers’ Association

editorial@mediaplanet.com

newS

photo: Bc Greenhouse Growers AssociAtion

*The BC Greenhouse Vegetable Growers’ Association is a non-profit organization representing BC green-house vegetable growers who produce cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and lettuce for BC families.

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN6 · JuNe 2011

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Enterprise Infrastructure Traceability Program – EIT

For more information on how to participate: Phone 604-854-4483 Toll Free 1-866-522-3447 www.ardcorp.ca

Traceability is the ability to follow the movement of a food product through specified stage(s) of production, processing and distribution. This program will assist producers/farmers, food processors and agri-food businesses by assisting with specific costs relating to the purchase and installation of traceability infrastructure, and the training of staff to implement traceability systems for plants, animals and agri-food products.

Funding provided by Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

We want your feedback!Email us at editorial@mediaplanet.com

Be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter!

Dairy Farmers of Canada and British Columbia Dairy Foundation are proud to celebrate the 2011 CANADIAN CHEESE GRAND PRIX WINNERS from British Columbia:

ISLAND BRIES, made by Little Qualicum Cheeseworks Ltd. and NATURALLY SMOKED BOERENKAAS, made by Natural Pastures Cheese Company.

Held every two years, the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix showcases the outstanding quality, variety and taste of Canadian cheese made from 100% Canadian cow’s milk.

Congratulations to these two British Columbia cheese makers who have a flair for innovation and a definite passion for the art of cheese making.

ISLAND BRIESMade by Little Qualicum Cheeseworks Ltd.

NATURALLY SMOKED BOERENKAAS

Made by Natural Pastures Cheese Company

eAtinG FReSH iS A GReAt WAY tO BOOSt YOUR

eneRGY

eAtinG FReSH

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Have you joined the local Fresh food movement? I would have to say that I never left. I was born and raised in a small com-munity in Nova Scotia where farming and gardening are a way of life. The majority of food that I ate, we grew ourselves. What we didn’t grow (or raise), we bought from local farmers or picked up at the farmers market. So eating fresh has been a way of life for me since childhood.

is eating local seasonable food important to you?Eating food that is in season is extra important to me. As an athlete, the food that I consume is my fuel for per-formance. I want to ensure that this fuel is as nutrient dense as possible. Foods that are in season are packed with energy; very little of their nutri-tional value has been lost due to time before consumption. So I consider se-asonal food as premium fuel for high performance.

What’s your favourite food?Cheese in any form makes me smi-le. Cheese with crackers, cheese with fruit, cheesecake, wine and cheese—the options are endless.

What do you eat before a race and why?As a light-weight rower, I have a two-hour window of time post weigh-in to eat and refuel before my race. So what I eat during this time frame needs to be a form of carbohydrate (the main source of fuel that we utilize during a race) that is quickly digested and ea-sily absorbed in my system. I like to keep variety in my meals, so typical-ly what I eat pre-race simply needs to follow those parameters. For ex-ample, late last summer Rowing Ca-nada held a qualifi cation race to de-termine which crews would head to New Zealand to compete at the World Championships. A few days before the race, I’d gone apple picking with my friends. As I was planning my pre-race meal, I looked at the apples and knew they’d be loaded with goodness, so I turned them into a delicious app-le crisp. The result was akin to rock-et fuel! We fl ew into the qualifi er, so I stayed with this theme in New Zea-land, and apple crisp went on to beco-me the fuel of champions.

What are three tips you can provide our readers on eating healthy and staying fit?Instead of making exercise and eating healthy a dreaded and daunting task, turn it into an adventure and have fun with it:

■■ Find an activity you enjoy. You will only stick with activities that you lo-ve, so choose to do those.

■■ Educate yourself. Read and un-derstand the importance of choosing to eat real food.

■■ Experiment in the kitchen. Use a variety of fresh herbs, use spices to jazz things up, make your plate look like a work of art. If the food looks ap-pealing to your eyes, it’s sure to ap-peal to your taste buds as well.

A LoCAL ChAMpion

tracy Cameronolympic rower

1. Showing off medals at the World Championships.2. tracy and her rowing partner, Lindsay Jennerich.

Photos: 1: JAckie skenDer, rowinG cAnADA AViron, 2: Joel

roGers For rowinG cAnADA AViron21

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN JuNe 2011 · 7

thinking of tiger Prawns?Why not try the locally caught B.C. Spot Prawn?

Not only do they taste the same, but they’re caught right in our own back-yard. Up until fi ve years ago they were mostly shipped to Japan, but the sushi market has boosted their popularity in North America.

Choosing Chilean Sea Bass?

Try sticking with Sablefi sh!Also known as Black Cod, this

is an oily fi sh, just like the former-ly popular Chilean Sea Bass. And, li-ke it’s kindred species, this dense fi sh can be left in the oven for hours wit-hout running. Oh and did we men-tion it’s caught using pots and bottom longlines, and has low bycatch?

Sardines anyone? B.C. has it’s own Pacifi c Sardines that are well managed and off er

an alternative to the overfi shed Medi-terranean Sardines.

Don’t MiSS!

newS

Good For You. Good For Us All.

Th e C l ove r L e a f S e a f o o d s Fa m i l y

lot has been written

recently about the health

benefi ts of eating seafood.

At Clover Leaf Seafoods,

we’ve spent over 100 years

feeding Canada’s hunger for

more healthy food. But our

commitment doesn’t stop there.

We have set the standard

in quality seafood. And as

an industry leader, Clover

Leaf is committed to leading

the way in preserving the

world’s aquatic resources.

No single initiative is more

important, or more central,

to Clover Leaf’s business

philosophy than ensuring

responsible fi shing practices

and management of the

fi sheries from which we obtain

our seafood. This is not only

important to the environment

and our consumers, but

it is critical for our business

as well.

Sustaining Fisheries, a focal

point of our overall Corporate

Responsibility Program, is a

key driver in how we conduct

business around the globe.

At the heart of these efforts

in tuna fi sheries management

is our support of the mission,

work and resolutions of

the International Seafood

Sustainability Foundation

(ISSF), a global partnership

among leaders in science, the

tuna industry, and the World

Wildlife Fund (WWF), the

world’s leading conservation

organization.

ISSF’s mission is to undertake

science-based initiatives for

the long-term sustainability

of tuna stocks, reduction of

by catch, reduction of illegal,

unregulated and unreported

fi shing, and promotion of

ecosystem health. Clover

Leaf, a proud founder of

ISSF, is at the forefront of

seafood sustainability. We

are committed through our

leadership and our actions

to the effective management

of ocean resources for

generations to come. Please

visit http://iss-foundation.org

“Quality and taste every time”

is more than our mantra – it’s

our commitment to you and

future generations.

We encourage you to learn

more about Clover Leaf and our

relationship with our oceans.

For more information please

visit us at www.cloverleaf.ca

A

Sustainable Seafood Banner Bar_Ad (11.33” x 3.6” - Ocean’s Report Media Kit/Seachoice Folder)

Save-On-Foods is committed to offering customers environmentally responsible seafood choices, plus all the information needed to make buying decisions that support the long term health of our oceans.

We’ve partnered with SeaChoice to identify seafood that’s harvested in sustainable ways. Look for SeaChoice recommended options in our seafood department. saveonfoods.comsaveonfoods.comsaveonfoods.com

sustainable seafood

For millennia humans have pea-cefully coexisted with the oce-ans, taking what they needed as needed. With the ushering in of technology and a growing num-ber of hungry mouths, however, the whole-scale harvesting of our oceans has left us in quite the conundrum.

Mike McDermid is program manager for the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program, and says, for the most part, pe-ople are interested in sustainability.

“People like to be a part of the solu-tion,” according to McDermid. “Most pe-ople don’t want to be a part of the pro-blem—destroying the environment.”

nothing fishy about itOcean conservationists have started to develop and promote traceability in or-der to direct the fi sheries in a more sus-tainable direction.

“Traceability is ultimately something that we’re striving for but we’re not the-re yet,” McDermid says.

The principles of sustainable seafood would “promote transparency and ac-countability through all stages.”

Ideally, consumers would know the exact scientifi c name of the fi sh they’re eating; where it was caught, who caught it—among other information.

With the Ocean Wise program sea-food is rated and the most sustainable choices are then highlighted on menus by the logo.

“Ultimately we wanted something that was easy for consumers,” McDer-

mid says. “If we do the research and get the restaurants to highlight it, then it gives the consumer the opportunity to make the right decision.”

The program has expanded to include 300 restaurant locations, six market lo-cations, two culinary schools, and a uni-versity campus.

An ocean journeyOcean Wise doesn’t hold a monopoly on the concept—there are plenty more crusaders in the quest for sustainably-caught seafood.

Kelly Roebuck is the sustainable sea-food campaign manager for the Living Oceans Society.

“A majority of Canadian retailers now have a sustainable seafood program in place,” Roebuck says.

Of course seafood goes through many hands throughout the supply chain.

“Something like Pollack caught in Alaska will be sent to China to pro-cess, then put into fi sh sticks and then brought back to Canada with a “ma-de in China” logo on it,” says Roebuck. “It’s a bit defeating when you’re trying to work out where your products are co-ming from.

She points out that SeaChoice—an-other labelling program—helps to track what came from where.

“We really need to push the govern-ment into getting a stronger labelling policy,” says Roebuck.

Andrew SeAle

editorial@mediaplanet.com

tracing the steps of sustainable seafood a canadian catch:

fi nding home-caught alternatives

Andrew SeAle

editorial@mediaplanet.com

An OCeAn OF inFOtransparency is required on all levels to ensure seafood is caught sustainably. Photo: Fisheries council oF cAnADA

KnOW WHeRe YOUR FOOD

COMeS FROM

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN

KnOW WHeRe

ReASOn

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AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN8 · JuNe 2011

when to buy local

PRESENTS

SOUTHWESTERN BC SEASONAL CHART

VEGETABLES J F M A M J J A S O N D FRUIT J F M A M J J A S O N DArtichokes ApplesAsparagus ApricotsBeans (Fresh) BlackberriesBeans (Dried) BlueberriesBeets Cherries (pie)Broccoli Crab ApplesBrussel Sprouts CranberriesCabbage-Green & Red CurrantsCabbage-Savoy & Red GooseberriesCarrots GrapesCauliflower KiwiCelery MelonsChard-Swiss NectarinesCorn PeachesCucumbers PearsFennel (Bulb) PlumsGarlic (Fresh) PrunesGarlic (Dried) QuinceKale RaspberriesLeeks Rhubarb - FieldLettuce Saskatoon BerriesMustard Greens StrawberriesOnions-GreenOnions-Red/Yellow MEAT & DAIRY J F M A M J J A S O N DParsnips Dairy ProductsPeas EggsPeppers BeefPotatoes - New BuffaloPotatoes - Red, Russet, Yellow ChickenPotatoes - White DuckPumpkin GoatRadishes LambRhubarb-Field OstrichRutabagas PheasantSalad Greens PorkShallots RabbitSpinach TurkeySquash-Summer Note: Frozen meat products are available year round. Squash-WinterTomatoes HERBS J F M A M J J A S O N DTurnips-White Bay LeavesZucchini Basils

ChivesSEAFOOD J F M A M J J A S O N D Chives-garlicClams ChervilCod: Pacific CilantroCrab Dill -leafCrab: Dungeness Dill-seedFlounder/Sole: Pacific EpazoteHalibut: Pacific Fennel-leafHerring Fennel -SeedLingcod LavenderMussels Lemon GrassOysters: Pacific Lemon verbenaPrawns: Jumbo Marjoram- sweetPrawns: Spot MintsSablefish (Black Cod) OreganoesSalmon: Chinook/King/Spring ParsleysSalmon: Chum RosemarysSalmon: Coho (Northern) SagesSalmon: Pink Savory-summerSalmon: Sockeye Savory-winterSardines: Pacific ShisoScallops SorrelShrimp: Side Stripe Tarragon-frenchShrimp: West Coast ThymesSpring DogfishTuna: Albacore ETC. J F M A M J J A S O N DNote: Frozen seafood is available year round. Grains

Honey = Greenhouse Grown This guide is general information, Mushrooms = Stored/Dried/Frozen availability can change due to weather. Nuts

www.getlocalbc.org www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca

© 2011 FarmFolkCityFolk