A fantastic website was just launched on Wednesday that can help you find your nearest farmers market. It's called Greenbeltfresh.ca and it offers easy-to-use maps to find where you can buy local produce in your community.
As you may have heard, buying local produce can have many benefits, both for the environment, and potentially your health as well. Food that is grown locally does not have to travel long distances to reach your table, and so less fuel is needed to get it to you - which means less pollution. Buying local also supports our local farmers, and helps strengthen our local economy. In addition, buying locally helps you feel better about how the food was grown, since you may not be aware how food production is regulated in far-off countries. Finally, some foods begin to lose nutrients quickly after being picked, so buying food that has been brought to market locally has a higher chance of containing more of the nutrients your family needs to stay healthy.
The David Suzuki Foundation and Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation (who created the website) recently released a report that found that "Ontario’s Greenbelt contributes $2.6 billion worth of non-market ecological services to the province each year, an average value of $3,487 per hectare". These services include "water filtration, flood control, climate stabilization (i.e. carbon storage), waste treatment, wildlife habitat, and clean air".
Toronto Mayor David Miller also noted that "Farmers' Markets help build communities and Toronto is no exception: For every $1 spent at a farmers' market, $4 is spent in our communities".
The website also offers links to restaurants in Toronto that offer locally grown food on their menus.
Image by Preethy Sivakumar
