CALGARY- A growing movement to buy and eat locally raised food has Alberta producers jumping on board to meet the demand. Some aren’t even farmers.
Tomatoes, peppers, figs, blueberries and lettuce are just some of the items that downtownfood managed to grow this summer, on its rooftop garden in the middle of Calgary’s concrete jungle.
“We never set out to supply the restaurant, it was just to experiment to see what we could do,” explains chef Darren MacLean, adding that the garden supplied a good portion of the restaurant’s summer menu.
“People ate strawberries from the garden, and flipped because they were red all the way through and they tasted like strawberries. So, all of a sudden there was an intrinsic personal connection to where their food was coming from.”
That connection is driving a growing demand from consumers, who want to know how their food was grown. A 2008 survey from Farmers Markets Canada found 92 per cent of those surveyed felt it was important to buy directly from a farmer.
“I think it kind of brought it home that we don’t know that much about our food and where it comes from,” says food critic John Gilchrist.
Alberta is rich in produce, and improvements in greenhouse technologies mean many itmes can be grown year-round.
“They are so good, so rich in vitamins,” Gilchrist says. “It’s not like old hot house where you bite into it and there’s nothing good. This is so good, it’s excellent produce all the way around.”
Back at downtownfood, MacLean says they’re planning to expand their rooftop garden by adding a greenhouse, providing a year-round source of ingredients.
“Where our food comes from really matters, and as a chef it’s my job to educate you through your palate.”
-With files from Amber Schinkel
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