Support for Eaters

             Increasing local organic food skills

 

• Why Local AND Organic
• Build Your Local Organic Food Strategy
• Local Organic Farm Directory
• Eat Out Local Organic Guide
• Exploring the Local Organic Food System

 

Why Eat Local AND Organic

There is sometimes confusion around what both “local” and “organic” mean. To clarify, local and organic are distinct food labels that deal with different aspects of the food chain – how our food gets to us and how it is grown, respectively. Together, they represent an opportunity to more fully address the problems with our food system and generate more benefits than either could do alone:

For our health

• increased consumption of fresh, whole foods consumed at their peak nutritional value
• food free of genetically-modified organisms, synthetic pesticides, hormones and irradiation

For our environment

• decreased water pollution, greenhouse gases, soil degradation and erosion as a result of organic agricultural practices that eliminate artificial inputs and emphasize soil and agro-ecosystem health
• improved farm biodiversity and pollinator habitat

For our community

• strengthened local economies and urban-rural ties
• greater farmer sovereignty and prosperity
• safer working conditions for those who produce our food with the elimination of synthetic pesticides

 

 

Build Your Local Organic Food Strategy

Switching to a local organic diet can be a big lifestyle change (and is definitely a big change for the better for yourself, area farmers and our environment!). To support you through this process, we've created an informative and empowering resource - Regain Control of Your Food Choices: Build Your Local Organic Food Strategy.

Read about the benefits of local AND organic food and get ideas for how such a food strategy could work for you. The resource highlights the principles of growing, buying, preserving, requesting and learning about food, while also promoting experiencing the seasons fully, connecting with farmers, sharing the process with fellow eaters, and embracing the joy of regaining control of your food choices.

 

Local Organic Farm Directory

COG PWW has made sourcing local organic food

even easier with our Local Organic Farm Directory.

The comprehensive, product-based directory features certified organic farms in Perth-Waterloo-Wellington

and surrounding areas. Discover the bounty of local organic food that is available!

This updated version includes over 50 farms and nearly 120 food products.

 

 

 

Eat Out Local Organic Guide

A growing number of restaurants in the area have a mandate to purchase local organic products for their menus. Consult our Eat Out Local Organic Guide for a listing of restaurants serving up such fare.

 

Preserves line the dining area

at Artisanale Café & Bistro

 

Exploring the Local Organic Food System

To learn more about our local organic food system, COG PWW commissioned an exploratory study in 2011. The study interviewed key actors in the local organic food system in our area, including eaters, farmers, restaurants/ caterers, buying clubs, processors, and natural food stores. These conversations revealed some interesting trends and challenges in the alternative system. The report provides a series of recommendations to aid the local organic food movement and its actors in building a stronger system. You can read more about the report "An Exploration of the Local Organic Food System in Perth-Waterloo-Wellington" on our blog and read the full study here.