For those of you who may not know... I am a foodie. A sustainable foodie. I love local farmers and their markets. I know that I get too excited about small kitchen gadgets and appliances. I love cooking as much I love eating but most of all... I love having a deep connection and understanding of the food I eat.
So when a friend invited me up to her farm so we could attend Foodstock together, I said YES before checking my calendar. Knowing full well whatever was booked that was getting a big order of "rain check".
Foodstock was an event held on October 16th, 2011 World Food Day, to help raise funds and awareness to help stop the proposed mega quarry in Melancthon, Ontario.
The event featured 71 chefs who prepared dishes with local and sustainable food to celebrate the prime farmland that is under threat from the proposed mega quarry.
A few worrisome stats...
- 49% of Central Ontario's farmland has been lost to development in the last 60 years.
- .5% of Central Ontario's farmlands is considered Class 1 highest quality land, the proposed quarry sits on 98.5% of that land.
- It has been said that the proposed quarry will also need to pump 600,000 litres of water out the quarry to prevent it from flooding. More than 60 times the amount pumped out by other quarries in Ontario combined.
- The proposed quarry will take over, over 7,000 acres of land in Melancthon, just north of Shelburne, Ontario
If you want to learn more please go to nomegaquarry.ca
It was a wonderful feeling to see so many people eating and walking through the forest. Thank you to the four farmers who refused to sell their land and kindly shared it with everyone who came. Proof that if you build it... we will come.
Enjoy the photos! And yes that is a chicken! A heritage chicken! Just for record no one ate it!
xo
A
