WRFoodNews February 12, 2010

Please find below the latest update on Waterloo Region's food system as described on the website of the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable at www.wrfoodsystem.ca.  Join discussions of the topics below and many more on our Discussion Forum. 

1. Gravel Pits event 
On February 23rd, the Roundtable will be hosting an event at the Kitchener Public Library calling attention to the threat to agriculture posed by gravel pits and quarries.  Representatives of three different organizations monitoring these issues are scheduled to speak at the event: Ric Holt of Gravel Watch Ontario, Nanci Malek of the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce, and Tony Dowling of BridgeKeepers (Woolwich Township). The event will be moderated by Mark Reusser, Roundtable member and Director of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. For more event details, background reading on the issues, and a printable poster to post in your neighbourhood or workplace, click here. 

2. Full Program Now Available for Bring Food Home Conference, March 4-6, Kitchener 
A wide range of workshops and speakers on food issues will be on offer at the Bring Food Home Conference, happening March 4-6 at the Delta Hotel in Kitchener.  The full program is now available on the conference website: it includes hands-on training for farmers, sessions on everything from urban agriculture to food policy councils to getting food issues into the media.  Registration for the full conference is $325, but bursaries are available to significantly reduce costs: details on website. 

3. Local Butcher shops in trouble 
A Tavistock butcher who supplies organic meat stores in Stratford and Shakespeare is in danger of being shut down for failure to comply with health regulations.  Local organic livestock producers fear this will threaten their businesses.  See full details in story from the Stratford Beacon-Herald.  Talk to local farmers and activists concerned about the issue on the Roundtable's Discussion Forum. 

4. Sustain Ontario Annual General Meeting 
Join Sustain Ontario for a celebration of its first year of working towards a food system that is healthy, ecological, equitable and financially viable. Over the past year, Sustain Ontario has reached out to farm and food leaders across the province to identify research, advocacy and communications priorities. Come and hear about Sustain Ontario’s 2010 work plan and meet the steering committee and advisory council. Local food and drinks will be served. Everyone is welcome.  March 5, 2010, 5:30-7pm, Kitchener Children's Museum. 10 King St W.  Details on Sustain Ontario website. 

5. Liberals call for National Food Policy 
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff was in Guelph on February 5, 2010 for a meeting to discuss the Liberals' proposed national food policy.  Ignatieff was quoted in the Guelph Mercury as saying: "One of the key issues of a national food policy is that it allows Canada to make an attack on things like obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, which have some diet connections. If we want to get our health care costs under control we have to have a national food policy.”  Guelph Mercury article.  Discuss on Roundtable Discussion Forum. 

6. Bye to Buy Local Programs for Canadian Municipalities? 
Almost buried in this week's media coverage of the deal struck between the Harper government and the American government over Canadian access to what's left of the US stimulus package is the fact that, in exchange, the Canadian government has given American corporations the ability to bid on all municipal and provincial contracts - forever.  This has enormous implications for the ability of municipal and provincial governments to give preference to local food providers.  See links to CBC coverage, analysis by theCouncil of Canadians and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) on the Roundtable Discussion Forum. 

7. Upcoming Food Events
Full details on upcoming food-related events in Waterloo Region can be viewed under Upcoming Events on the Roundtable's website.  To share news of your event, email details to the Roundtable's Site Administrator, who will post it to the website.  Some upcoming highlights include:

        Worm Composting - February 13, Little City Farm, Kitchener 
        Organic Stone Soup - February 15, St Matthew's Lutheran Church, Kitchener 
        Grow Your Own Food - February 20, Little City Farm, Kitchener 
        Seedy Saturday - February 20, KPL Main Branch, Kitchener 
        Gravel Pits and the Threat to Agriculture - February 23, KPL Main Branch, Kitchener 
        Bring Food Home conference - March 4-6, Delta Hotel, Kitchener 
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