Our government has now revised the official definition of
local food to include any food produced in Ontario. This change was driven by restaurateurs and
others who found the 50 km definition too restrictive. A Toronto cheese store could not list Upper Canada
Cheese (made here in Jordan Station) as local, nor could a butcher in London
say that organic chicken from Fenwood Farm near Ancaster was a local
product. The problem was especially
difficult for farmers’ markets where farmers from further than 50 km. could not
participate as a “local” producer. In
an age of quick and easy transportation, these restrictions may seem excessive
and the media certainly featured many examples of food producers who were
negatively affected.
We here in Niagara are perhaps less affected by such a
restriction than other less fortunate spots.
Our market gardens produce a seasonal abundance, which can be found at
any of the many farmers’ markets in our towns.
Fruit? Of course. Niagara is famous for the quality of our peaches
and apples, pears, apricots, cherries, and grapes. As one of the few locations in Canada that
has a climate where tender fruit production is possible, we benefit not only
from the delicious fruit that is available for our tables, but from the
spectacular orchards and vineyards that are the backdrop of our region.
As for drink, no one in Niagara has to travel 50 km. to get
local wine, and the wine on offer is as good as anywhere in the world. We even have two distilleries that most
Niagara residents can get to in less than 50 km. for those who favour whisky,
and my tippling contacts tell me that the quality of the rye whisky produced at
both Forty Creek in Grimsby and Dillan’s in Beamsville, is world class. Even local craft beer is available to us at
Niagara College’s teaching brewery. If
you have not tried their small batch specialty beers, available only at the
college and only in tiny quantities, you are missing a treat. And two craft breweries have sprung up nearby
along Niagara Stone Road: Silversmith
and Oast House… both producing delicious beer that makes them delightful
additions to the wine tour.
Our artisans make excellent cheese, outstanding charcuterie,
unique breads, and much, much more. We
are a region where “local” is hardly a restriction at all. Of course, olive oil and citrus fruit are
still out of reach (until global warming really gets rolling) so we will always
have to go beyond our provincial borders for some of the things that make our meals
enjoyable, but for those of us in Niagara, the semantics of local food are not
awfully relevant.
