By Justine Féron
When Centretown resident Josh Johnson shops for fruits and vegetables in Byward Market each week between May and October, he always asks vendors the same question: “Was this grown locally?”
“If you don’t ask, it’s impossible to know if the apples, gourds, corn, or whatever you’re buying were grown around the world or around the corner,” says Johnson.A new initiative will soon make it easy for Johnson and other Ottawa shoppers to spot locally-grown foods.
The Savour Ottawa program will provide promotional materials to the city’s farmers, vendors, grocery retailers and restaurateurs who sell locally-grown foodstuffs.
Restaurant owners, for example, will be able to use the program’s logo to identify menu items made with local ingredients.
The initiative was born from the collaborative efforts of local stakeholders including the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism, and Just Food, an Ottawa non-profit organization.
The program’s primary aim is to increase the distribution of locally-grown food to Ottawa businesses.
Ottawa rural affairs officer Derek Moodie says participation in the program will be voluntary.
According to Moe Garahan, the director of Just Food, program participants will be required to pay a membership fee.
“The fee will be based on sector, depending on whether you’re a producer, a restaurateur, a hotelier, or from another group.”
Garahan says Savour Ottawa’s definition of “local” will follow Canadian Food Inspection Agency guidelines.
“For this program, ‘local’ includes all of Ottawa plus one county on each side, essentially amounting to all of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.”
The initiative is consumer-driven, says Philip Powell, who manages Ottawa’s markets.
“People want the assurance about safety and quality that comes with eating locally, plus they’re concerned about nutrition and they want to support small growers.”
John Taylor, of Byward Market’s Domus Café, is one chef who supports local farmers and producers.
“The biggest reason we’re so busy at Domus is that people want to know where the food they’re eating comes from. When you eat locally, you’re keeping money in the area, supporting local farmers, and there’s a huge market for that.”
Taylor says he’ll be happy to participate in the Savour Ottawa initiative.
“That kind of program can help get the word out about what we’re doing, and about local farmers and producers,” he says. “You can’t change the world, but you can make a difference in your own backyard.”
A process to determine eligibility for the Savour Ottawa program is currently being formulated, Powell says.
“We want consumers who look for the logo to know they’re getting the real thing, so checks and balances will be in place to ensure that the products being promoted as local are indeed local.”
The Savour Ottawa logo and details of the program will be unveiled to local producers, chefs, and restaurateurs on Nov. 26.
Moodie says he hopes to see the logo on Ottawa-grown food next spring and in local restaurants and retail stores even sooner.
“Anything that helps me to tell the difference between food in the market that’s grown in the Ottawa area and food that was just taken off a truck from California or Mexico is great,” Johnson says. “Hopefully, it will help others shop smarter as well.”