By Chris Lackner
Pacifal Waldorf School is bustling with an eclectic mix of customers and vendors — the Ottawa Organic Farmers’ Market is in full swing.
At various stands across the gymnasium, farmers display their wares. Among the assortment of goods are fruits, vegetables, pies, beef, Ethiopian baked goods, breads, coffee beans and jams.
The products have one thing in common: they’re all natural. No chemical sprays. No genetic enhancements. Everything here is purely organic.
The crowd on this Saturday morning is just as diverse as the goods. No longer a fringe group, organic customers come in all ages, shapes and sizes. They range from the stereotypical aging hippy to the middle class yuppie with two kids and a minivan.
Veteran organic farmer David Charette says he helped establish the market 17 years ago and has watched it grow ever since. His 40-hectare farm in the Laurentians, north of Montreal, specializes in crops such as carrots, potatoes, lettuce and broccoli.
Charette embraces organic farming for health reasons, but he also believes it does the least amount of damage to farmland.
“Organic farming is more a lifestyle and philosophy than a machine to make money,” he says.
In order to join the market, farmers contribute 10 per cent of their daily sales to its organizers — up to a maximum of $20.
Carl Deamond raises organic livestock near Morrisberg, Ont. He says customers enjoy cultivating a personal relationship with local farmers such as himself.
“My overall demand has been increasing,” Deamond says. “Grocery stores like Loblaws are trying to get in on the action and are offering organic sections that take a little of our market share. But many people want to be able to see the person that grew their carrot or raised their cow.”
Rachel Beausoleil-Morrison, 36, says she converted to organic foods almost five years ago. She says the health of her two daughters, aged two and three, played a primary factor in her decision to buy naturally-grown fruits and vegetables. “Their small bodies can’t put up with a lot of pesticides,” she says. “And the prices are more reasonable than people might think.”
On average, organic products sell for 15 per cent more than those that are conventionally farmed. In some cases, the price disparity is higher. Whereas an organic farmer may sell a dozen eggs for $4.50, a non-organic may sell the same for $1. A five-pound basket of organic apples typically approaches $7, whereas a non-organic basket would be closer to $2.
In the case of first-year Carleton journalism student Rachael Simpson, the organic “lifestyle” also helps pay her tuition.
The 18-year-old’s family owns a dairy and organic farm outside of Napanee, Ont. Each summer Simpson regularly wakes up at 6 a.m. to harvest the cornfields and sell her family’s produce at their driveway stand.
Simpson and her family earn roughly $500 a week throughout July and August. They split the profits equally, with Simpson’s share typically going towards tuition. She says her farming background has created strong family bonds and given her a natural push towards living a healthier lifestyle.The other advantages? No dress code at work and all the corn you can eat.
“People are afraid of what they’re eating,” she says. “Many like to see where their food is grown and connect with the people who grow it.”
It seems like more locals are searching for that connection. People’s desire to trust what they’re putting in their mouths has allowed the city’s organic market to survive and, more recently, increase its business.
Market organizer Art Ketting says sales have increased over the last five years. Ketting says farmer’s tables are often cleared of most products by the end of a market day. “Either they are becoming better business people or the popularity of organic farming has increased.”