Over 11,000 lbs of local food donated for Soupstock, mega-quarry protest

TORONTO – Local farmers and food growers have donated over 11,000 lbs. of food in support of Soupstock, a large-scale culinary event protesting a proposed mega-quarry north of Toronto.

Truckloads of produce were dropped off at the Evergreen Brick Works in the Don River valley on Wednesday morning, greeted by volunteers and chefs who are participating in Soupstock this Sunday at Woodbine Park.

Over 200 of North America’s top chefs will turn local ingredients into original soup creations.

“We are thrilled with the overwhelming support from our colleagues in the culinary, food and farming communities,” said Chef Michael Stadtländer from from Eigensinn Farm and the Canadian Chefs’ Congress, which is co-hosting Soupstock with the David Suzuki Foundation.

Participating chefs – including Jamie Kennedy, Brad Long, Susur Lee and Donna Dooher – are coming to Toronto from as far as Boston, the home of the hedge fund that is backing the proposed mega-quarry.

“Having the Boston Chefs Collaborative join Soupstock helps to connect the dots between the money backing the proposed mega-quarry and the landscape of great agricultural, cultural and ecological importance that the project would destroy,” said Faisal Moola director general for Ontario and Northern Canada at the David Suzuki Foundation.

MEGA-QUARRY

In 2006, John Lowndes purchased almost 3,250 hectares of land for Highland Companies, telling local farmers of his plan to start a large co-operative potato farm. Local residents eventually grew suspicious of Highland’s plan for the land.

In 2009, Highland Companies, which is backed by $25-billion Boston hedge fund Baupost Group, held a public meeting where it laid out the company’s proposal for digging a mega-quarry.

The proposed quarry site falls within the region known as Hills of Headwaters. It is currently home to some of Canada’s richest soil. The countryside attracts hundreds of tourists and cottagers every year.

The quarry would stretch over 930 hectares in Melancthon Township. The quarry would be deeper than Niagara Falls, plunging
down more than 60 metres. Because the quarry would fall below the water table, 600 million litres of water would be pumped out of the quarry every day, and thousands of 40-tonne trucks would travel on local roads every day, 24 hours a day.

“This quarry plan is unprecedented in our county,” said Moola.

“These watersheds are literally ensuring the health of our communities,” said Moola, adding while there’s no one right way to value our ecosystems, ” …there is a wrong way, and that’s to not value it at all.”

In September 2011, after numerous protests and petitions, Ontario’s Minister of the Environment John Wilkinson ordered Highland Companies
to undertake a comprehensive environmental assessment of the quarry
proposal.

Thousands of letters of objection had been sent to Linda Jeffrey, the province’s Minister of Natural Resources, questioning the science of Highland’s initial application.

Currently, the province is awaiting notification from Highland Companies whether they will participate in the environmental
assessment or abandon the project.

SOUPSTOCK

The goal of Soupstock is to build on the success of 2011’s Foodstock, attended by 28,000 people on a potato farm across the road from the proposed quarry site.

This year, critics of the mega-quarry are bringing their fight to Toronto, where 40,000-50,000 people are expected to attend.

“It’s so important that we secure where our food comes from,” said Chef Stadtländer.

Speaking at an event earlier this month, Stadtländer highlighted the impact this region has on what ends up on Ontarians’ dinner
table.

“This land produces 20 pounds of potatoes for every citizen in Toronto,” he said. “And it’s only 100 km away.”

“People drive by this farmland in their BMWs and think it’s just land,” said Stadtländer. “We need to connect people to their food.”

This year, a Niagara region vineyard produced 500 cases of “Stop the Mega-Quarry” wine to be sold in local restaurants.

“Two dollars from every sale will go toward the cause,” said Paul Harber, chef proprietor and brand manager of Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery.

Soupstock is free to attend and tickets will be available to purchase the food presented by participating chefs and restaurants.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own bowls and utensils to cut down on waste.

Follow Heather on Twitter @heatherloney