Local Delicious

Ever since I was a kid I’ve noticed that the impression a meal makes on me is directly proportionate to the lengths I went to in order to prepare it. Like when I go fishing whatever I catch tastes great, way better than any fancy local fishmonger bought equivalent. Having an inquisitive mind with a bit of analytical twist, being a foraging enthusiast and a lifelong foodie I decided to put that theory to the test.

So last fall off I went with my mushroom guru Sequoia Lesosky to see what can be found in a local forest floor this time of year, and I came home with a variety of exotic mushrooms. I also bought some wild mushrooms of the same or similar kind on Granville Island Market to use in the same recipes for my “control group”. I patiently waited until tomorrow when I prepared a feast of three different dishes from the wild and bought mushrooms and shared them with my family. The verdict?

To my family there was no discernible difference. To me the wild stuff tasted stronger and quite different than any of the store bought stuff, which is what I sort of expected as for me it wasn’t a blind tasting – I knew which was which. And then I decided that it must be that the difference is owed to the residual “spirit of the hunt”. It took a lot of effort to get the whole thing together, and it was all in my plate. In theirs? It was just soup or risotto or whatever. I decided they missed out. I am taking my family with me the next time I take to the forest.

Have you ever wanted to just chuck it all and escape back to the land? I’ve harboured that fantasy every once in a while when the rush of urban life seems too much. Yes, even though the thought of actually getting my hands dirty grosses me out. (Hey, I’ve never claimed to be more than a bumbling gardener at best!)

I’ve recently come across an organization that has me seriously considering an escape. Okay, not quite to the far reaches of the Sub-Sahara, but certainly to spots somewhat closer to civilization. Like maybe a berg in the Maritimes or a homestead just up the river from Dawson City, Yukon. (It’s beautiful up there, I’ve been twice.)

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is an international network of organizations that offers access to organic farms throughout the world where volunteers can learn about farming and contribute to the running of the farm in exchange for room and board.

The criteria are simple. Volunteers must:

• Have a genuine interest in learning about organic growing, country living or ecologically sound lifestyles.
• Help their hosts with daily tasks for an agreed number of hours.

Hosts are required to:

• Grow organically, are in conversion, or use ecologically sound methods on their land.
• Provide hands-on experience of organic growing and other learning opportunities where possible.
• Provide clean dry accommodation and adequate food for their volunteers.

Other than that, the specifics vary from host to host, with summaries posted online. For a $20 annual fee you can read the full details and contact the host whose project interests you, literally across the globe.

In checking out the site I was astonished at the wide variety of locations and job descriptions, and quickly became lost in time as I contemplated how wonderful it would be to escape to a far away place and get back in touch with the land in a very tangible way. Working with livestock, building, clearing land, planting, harvesting, you name it.

Even me, with my loathing of dirt and distaste of bugs, could find a spot that suits me, and allows me to contribute. Hmmm, I’ve always wanted to explore Newfoundland, and go back to Spain, and explore New Zealand…

Often when we think of food costs, we’re only considering the immediate funds out of pocket. But it’s also important to factor in the big picture. Food is fuel for your body. If it’s poor quality, your engine isn’t going to run as well as you need it to.

It may be hard to make a tangible connection between long-term poor diet and health care costs that impact you financially, because the results are often not immediate. But what about the costs to quality of life which, if left unchecked, become those health care costs?

About 15 years ago a friend of mine had what I considered a horrific diet, even back then before “organic” was a mainstream word. No breakfast, lots of fast food for lunch and dinner, and — what grossed me out the most — she started each day with a giant Pepsi from the local 7-11, and usually had a few more by the time the day was done. She had stomach problems and a lot of headaches, but it wasn’t until she decided to clean up her act in preparation of getting pregnant that she realized how much her diet was affecting her life.

“I didn’t know you could get up in the morning without a headache!” she told me, once she’d been “clean” a few months. She’d become so addicted to caffeine that by the time she got up in the morning she was experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Not that she knew what it was. She just knew that drinking another gallon of Pepsi and taking an aspirin made the headache go away.

What kind of toll is your diet taking on your body right now?

What we eat, how our agricultural systems work, and how the food industry operates are entirely entwined. Think about it. We don’t eat what we want, we eat what’s put in front of us.

Food expert, nutritionist, NYU professor, and author of Food Politics, Marion Nestle explains how our food systems have reached this point, and what you can do to choose the healthiest food.

An articulate, thorough, must-see perspective of the food industry…

Marion Nestle at Gel 2009 from Gel Videos.

As the beautiful spring sun begins to awaken our gardens ’tis the season to start growing your own gourmet mushrooms. It’s not as hard as you’d think!

Start with a mushroom block. It’s a super easy way to keep yourself stocked up on delicious mushrooms throughout the year. The blocks come pre “seeded” and just need to be kept moist and cool. And, if properly cared for, each block can produce 3 to 4 crops.

The mushroom blocks, supplied by Western Biologicals Ltd. here in BC, will be available by the end of February. Email stephanie.lynn.leclair@gmail.com to reserve yours, instructions included. Last season’s sold out quickly, so order early!

Shiitake and Oyster blocks are available for $15 each with $1 from each block going to support VanGrow, the Vancouver backyard garden growing club.

Oh, and if you can’t get to mushrooms, they will come to you.

Bicycle delivery is available for an additional $2 if you live within the delivery area (west of Main St., north of 41st Ave, and downtown Vancouver). Map

Find out how this former professional basketball player, corporate sales executive and urban farmer is feeding 10,000 people and starting a community food revolution out of his inner-city farms in Milwaukee and Chicago. Winner of the $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship in 2008, Will Allen is transforming the cultivation, production, and delivery of healthy foods to under-served urban populations.

GROWING OUT OF HUNGER
featuring Will Allen, CEO, Growing Power Community Food Centre, Milwaukee & Chicago.

Thursday, March 25, 7-9pm
Croatian Cultural Centre
3250 Commercial Drive (at 14th)
Vancouver, BC
(Transit: #20 Victoria bus from the Commercial/Broadway Skytrain station)

This event is free, however pre-registration is required. Click here to RSVP

More information is available from SFU Centre for Dialogue.