We did come and enjoy the music, food, people and the festival this weekend. It was awesome! The music was great, food was incredible and we left with a fistful of information and a gratifying feeling about being part of something good.
SunTrio tomatoes - photo taken by Eric Leong
I feel extremely fortunate that there’s many local farmers here at the Organic Islands Festival, as I’m learning so much about the food that our Island has to offer. The fact that our island can grow anything from Dragon Fingers (Thai peppers) to French galisse lettuce immediately eliminates the notion that a local Canadian diet can only be as plain as, well, potatoes. Aside from all of this, though, I’m also getting to know the growing seasons of the food on our plate, which is something that not many are aware of (read: city dwellers) since we live in an era where it’s possible to buy broccoli and tomatoes from supermarkets even in the dead of winter.
I got to know a bit more about tomatoes when I visited the exhibit of SunTrio Farm, who’s a member of the Islands Organic Producers Association (IOPA). The growing season for tomatoes on the Island is between mid-July to the end of August. So what about those tomatoes that you can buy in March or May? Well, they’re probably from California, or maybe Mexico. With the typical supermarket perpetuating the idea that we can consume nearly any type of food all year round, we start to lose touch with what’s the real availability of food, especially those that are also grown locally.
So if you want to stay committed to local eating, does that mean you’re only limited to consuming tomatoes for a mere 2 1/2 months of the year? Not really. After talking to SunTrio Farm, I found out that their tomatoes have an extended growing season from April to November. Their tomatoes are grown in a special greenhouse which allows them to flourish for several months beyond the typical growing season.
Clearly, Island farms like SunTrio are developing innovative methods to deliver produce locally due to an ever-increasing consumer demand for local food sources. While it’s great that farmers like SunTrio are working hard to ensure that we can get our local tomato fix during months like October, getting to know these local farmers is also helpful to get yourself acquainted with the diverse food options readily available here on the Island and, perhaps more importantly, the actual growing season of the food on our plate. You can find a list of these local farms, including SunTrio, on the Organic Islands Exhibitor Directory.
