Discover Local in August

Jonathan and Shannon Young, Crystal Rill Trout Farm
Credit: Crystal Rill

Meet Jonathan and Shannon Young, descendants of Springbank homesteaders, who have expanded the definition of what livestock can be.

Janna and Ryan Greir, Whispering Cedars Ranch
Credit: C. Van Brunschot

And Janna and Ryan Greir, keen explorers of the 21st century synergies between technology and animal husbandry.

These local producers represent the ever-evolving nature of ranching in Southern Alberta – where the balance between food production, animal welfare, environmental stewardship, and good business is an ever more complex affair.

Read their stories in my “Meet the Producers” feature in the current issue of Savour Calgary magazine – available online or at these food-and-beverage-focused venues around the region.

Then take the opportunity to meet more of the amazing people who produce our food, by visiting some of the tours, tastings, and activities occurring around the province during this weekend’s Alberta Open Farm Days event (August 13 & 14).  You’ll find their passion contagious, their farm operations captivating, and the food – always delicious, of course!

Remember, too, that Alberta on the Plate’s Dine Around Festival starts today at participating restaurants and runs until the 21st.

Proving that August is truly the BEST time in our province to explore local food!

Text © 2022 Catherine Van Brunschot

Alberta Local Food Week

Winter family w their turkey flock
Credit: Winter’s Turkeys

What a GREAT time for local food in Alberta!  Alberta Local Food Week is upon us, bringing with it SO many ways to discover the diversity of food and drink produced right here in our backyard:

  • Alberta on the Plate 2021 Dine Around kicked off this weekend and runs through August 15, with 80+ restaurants across the province offering fixed price menus featuring local producers AND recommended local craft beer or local spirit cocktail pairings.  There’s lunch, dinner, gourmet dinners, and takeout – find full details and menus here or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
  • Open Farm Days runs this Saturday and Sunday (August 14 & 15) with 100+ Alberta farmers inviting you to see what they do and to taste what they produce.  Use the online portal to plan your stops and schedule your visit times. 

Need more inspiration?  Read “Meet the Producers” and “The Bison Whisperers” in the current issue of Savour Calgary magazine – featuring several ranchers who have knocked the socks off Debra Smith and myself of late.  Look for Savour Calgary on these newsstands around the Calgary region.

#ABlocalfood #ABonthePlate #localfood #supportlocal

Text © 2021 Catherine Van Brunschot

Culinary Cowichan Valley

Cowichan Bay Village waterfront (Credit: C. Van Brunschot)

While the covid vaccine roll-out numbers continue to climb, so, too, does the hope that we’ll be able to explore a little beyond our neighbourhoods later this year. 

As you look ahead to the summer and fall, consider some of the great close-to-home destinations covered in the current issue of Taste & Travel International magazine – including Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley, which I was fortunate to visit in 2020. 

Read more here or at https://tasteandtravelmagazine.com/ .