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Local food movement sprouting – Metro US

Local food movement sprouting

In the wake of food-borne bacteria outbreaks from mass-producers across the continent, Edmontonians have begun to put trust in local growers to fill their plates.

“People want to know where their food comes from, and who’s producing it — there’s no question,” said Growing Food Security in Alberta spokeswoman Susan Roberts.

Roberts said local farmers have, within the last 20 years, opted to export the majority of harvests, because the demand for homegrown food was minimal. The supply and variety of locally produced food will increase as demand continues to rise.

Growing numbers at packed local markets is proof that the population of “locavores” is on the rise, Roberts said.

Edmontonians Ivor and Lona MacKay recently completed a 100-mile diet, and are in the beginning stages of writing a cookbook on foods from the 780.

“On a local diet, you have to prepare much more, and can’t just call and order a pizza,” Lona MacKay said. “You feel a lot less vulnerable to larger market forces, you know that they’re not going to poison you, and have dedicated their lives to provide a good product.”

Another 30 peanut products were added to the Canadian Food Inspec­tion’s list of foods poten­tially contaminated with salmonella. The list con­tains more than 200 products, about three quarters produced outside of Canada.