[getsmart-l] Serving locally produced food at Township events proposed

[John O'Gorman]

For your municipality too!!

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Serving locally produced food at Township events proposed

By Francis Baker
5/3/2007

Wellington North’s economic development officer wants to spread the word about locally produced food.
At last week’s economic development committee meeting, Linda Reader said she’d like to promote the "Taste of Wellington North" concept at every major event in the township.
The “Taste of Wellington North” showcases locally produced food – meat from area farms, for example – prepared locally and by caterers who work in the township.
But she’d also like to go farther. "I’d like to see the township … (offer) only locally grown or produced food for township events," she said.
She mentioned the "100-mile diet" that’s a growing theme with people looking to support their area’s agricultural community – eating only things that are produced within a hundred miles of where you live. Such a plan excludes fruit and vegetables imported from the U.S. – or even from another distant part of the country.
It should be difficult for the township to justify importing food for meetings or events, when the township wants to do as much as possible to promote its own agriculture and food industries, Reader said.
"If we’re having a meeting, and we have three or four bakers in the community, why not buy from our own bakers?" she asked.
Sometimes it’s considered a cost issue – produce bought at the farm gate or from local suppliers is often seen as being more expensive, but Wellington North Mayor Mike Broomhead said it’s the pattern of purchasing that’s more important.
"Money is never as big an issue as breaking a pattern," he said. How local produce and meals are marketed to consumers is also an important factor in encouraging people to buy locally, he said.
Members of the committee seemed in favour of Reader’s ideas, with some concerns about regulations and that the push for local-only food doesn’t extend too far too soon – it would be difficult to have every public event in the township use only food and produce from Wellington North, especially in the winter.
"I think it’s a really good idea," committee member Mary Schmidt said.
Major township events would be a good start to the program, she said. "As long as the township is willing to pay that extra (cost for local produce), it’s setting the example."
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