I found out this week that our local Farmer’s Market will continue running until December! Yay! In this northern part of the world it has been thrilling to be able to access the quality, delicious food available at our local market.
Fifteen years ago, when I first moved here, the “farmer’s market” consisted of a bread vendor and a plant/produce vendor. I appreciated the market then and was a regular visitor, getting my first taste of spelt bread and learning about the plant varieties that thrived in our northern climate. But now our market has more than 30 vendors flogging such diverse products as recycled fiber, hand-loomed scarves to the Happy Pig Farm’s “Happy Biscuit” ...think fresh, homemade English muffin topped with organic, free range egg and a delectable patty of savoury sausage... all prepared on the spot and hand delivered to you as you drink coffee with friends standing in the sunshine. Saturday mornings couldn’t get much better.
Remember though, if you aren’t here when the bell rings to herald the official market opening at 8am you will not be getting your weekly supply of spelt bagels or cinnamon buns....food goes fast and certain items have been known to sell out by 10am! We still take those farmer’s market essentials like bread, plants and produce very seriously here... but now as well as your weekly meals you can buy the hand thrown pottery plate on which to serve it.
So...if you live in our region I highly recommend the Smithers Farmer’s Market as a great place to find some of the most delicious, fresh food in the Bulkley Valley and probably a friend or two. If you don’t live here...look in your local paper, or ask at your town office if there is a market in your area. You are bound to enjoy it and at the same time you can access food straight from the farmer’s who make and grow it! Fresh food the old-fashioned way!
Cultural Activities
Community in the Kitchen
Monday, September 13, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Ground2Griddle visit Hazelton, BC
Yesterday was an all day expedition for Ground2Griddle Kitchen participants to the culturally rich area of Hazelton, BC. With our lunch packed we headed 67 km west on Highway 16 to take in the sites of Hazelton, South Hazelton and the Kispiox Valley.
Hazelton is one of the most beautiful places around. Situated on the banks of the Skeena and at the base of the stunning Roche de Boule Mountain Range we were suitably inspired by the end of summer breeze and the pristine waters of the Skeena and Bulkley Rivers. This region is rich in the cultural food traditions of the Gitxsan people of which Salmon is one of the most important. At ‘Ksan Historical Village, we toured the many longhouses, the museum and the “River of Mist” art exhibit. This exhibit is a moving documentary featuring current and archival photographs demonstrating the symbiotic relationship of the salmon, the people, the wildlife and the land of this region.
As we walked along the banks of the Skeena in “old town” we stopped to admire the 10,000 fish display organized by the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition in their struggle to prevent Shell from establishing oil and gas industry in the Sacred Headwaters. With so much of our land, water and food at stake the struggle to preserve this area is imperative. Reconnecting people to their place within the food cycle is a vital part of this community and the community in which the Ground2Griddle kitchen operates.
It was inspiring to visit the youth educational garden behind The Learning Shop, lush with beets, squash and potatoes, and to admire their pop bottle greenhouse. Providing opportunity for people to “own” their community fosters the initiative required to maintain and protect cultural traditions and the land and waters on which they are dependant.
We at the Ground 2Griddle Kitchen are thrilled to be a part of a movement to bring back food into the hands of the people!
Hazelton is one of the most beautiful places around. Situated on the banks of the Skeena and at the base of the stunning Roche de Boule Mountain Range we were suitably inspired by the end of summer breeze and the pristine waters of the Skeena and Bulkley Rivers. This region is rich in the cultural food traditions of the Gitxsan people of which Salmon is one of the most important. At ‘Ksan Historical Village, we toured the many longhouses, the museum and the “River of Mist” art exhibit. This exhibit is a moving documentary featuring current and archival photographs demonstrating the symbiotic relationship of the salmon, the people, the wildlife and the land of this region.
As we walked along the banks of the Skeena in “old town” we stopped to admire the 10,000 fish display organized by the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition in their struggle to prevent Shell from establishing oil and gas industry in the Sacred Headwaters. With so much of our land, water and food at stake the struggle to preserve this area is imperative. Reconnecting people to their place within the food cycle is a vital part of this community and the community in which the Ground2Griddle kitchen operates.
It was inspiring to visit the youth educational garden behind The Learning Shop, lush with beets, squash and potatoes, and to admire their pop bottle greenhouse. Providing opportunity for people to “own” their community fosters the initiative required to maintain and protect cultural traditions and the land and waters on which they are dependant.
We at the Ground 2Griddle Kitchen are thrilled to be a part of a movement to bring back food into the hands of the people!
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