La Tomatina - Tomato Festival!
Savour, relish, enjoy; you pick the verb for delicious local food. There are many great chefs, caterers, coffee roasters, bakers, fishers, blueberry foragers and farmers across Algoma. Are we savouring Algoma food?
A few weeks ago at RotaryFest; I was surprised to see a Foodland Ontario logo drive by in a big trailer through the fairgrounds. The trailer was setup with some Foodland folks serving Ontario grown appetizers and asking passersby to sing the Foodland Ontario song into a camera. You can check the Foodland Ontario Facebook page to see if your uploaded video is going viral (well first you have to like it).
With all this activity at RotaryFest, it was hard to see local culinary talents and farmers who provide fresh food. I know Algoma has what it takes, but why are local farmers and chefs surprisingly absent from local festivals?
There are many great food festivals across Ontario that celebrate food (and wine). One in particular is Foire Gourmande in Temiskaming that is taking place this weekend. The festival features over 250 varieties of products samples, 50 exhibitors, chefs in action, games and activities for kids, free admission to the site and free concerts.
Algoma needs to celebrate food processing and agriculture in this region. Not only would this increase tourism, but it would challenge local farmers and restauranteurs to experiment and innovate. Local groups like the Algoma Food Network and Slow Food Sault Ste. Marie have hosted local food dinners in the past. Maybe it’s time to crank things up a notch.
I can give you some great reasons to celebrate local food: St. Joseph Island maple syrup, whitefish from Lake Superior, fresh blueberries from Wawa, and a wide array of lamb, beef, and produce from farms in Algoma.
Would you be part of creating a local food celebration in the Sault? Comment!
- David Thompson