Sunday, March 22, 2020

Where to buy seeds, seedlings, fresh veggies and herbs - LETS EAT BETTER, STARTING TODAY.

A FEW KEY RESOURCES FOR EATING WELL 

Published originally on March 22, 2020 Updated April 14th, 2020
Updated again April 18th 2020
I published a Blog entitled "What Next? How to survive COVID 19" on March 22nd, about how to stay healthy during this time.  EAT WELL! Buy local or begin your own sustainment practices by small gardening at home.  (Further note - I'm trying to stay on top of changes and news... and will update here best I can - I do apologize if you go to speak to a farm, and their service has changed)

In this Blog I've captured some key resources where to start:

Section 1 - Where to buy food from local farms
Section 2 - Where to buy Seeds
Section 3 - How to start your own gardens

SECTION 1: BUY FOOD FROM LOCAL FARMS 

Many are now delivering or have curbside pickup and know that one more advantage of local farms is points of contact. Especially with small farms and veggies. Forefather's farm writes, "I'm the only one that touches them, until the customer does. Not something I considered before!" How important is that these days.  Savour Ottawa has updated local farms at the link here, and more details I'm aware of are below.

SAULT STE MARIE FOLKS - This website has a list of local farms you can order from:
NOTE: Jardin Farm has delivery options for only 10 dollars!
"In times like these, the most important thing is keeping our community safe & healthy and we want to do our part. We're offering Zero-Contact Home Delivery to help keep SSM vibrant with fresh, nutritious & organically grown microgreens. To mitigate risk to our community, we will:
-have zero contact with any of our customers during our delivery route.
-continue to uphold the highest hygienic standards during production/harvest
Delivery will be Fridays, so please order by Thursday to ensure your weekly greens.
www.jardinfarm.ca 
*$10 minimum order - THEY SELL OUT FAST NOW SO BE QUICK!
*Delivery only available within city limits
*For those who wish to use E-transfer, message us your order and delivery address and we will get back to you with payment info*
ONLINE OPTIONS ACROSS USA and CANADA:  This website has a number of farms joining up and delivering to you! Order online here.

DONATE TO SUPPORT OTTAWA FINANCIAL STRUGGLES
In Ottawa - low income and vulnerable households have signed up to order a 'Good Food at Your Doorstep' box full of fresh fruits and veggies for $20. The cut off date was Friday April 17th for orders.  There is an option to volunteer or donate to a household financially impacted. 


 OTTAWA FOLKS.... NEED FOOD DELIVERED???
Visit GoodFoodOttawa.ca / BonnebouffeOttawa.ca

From Just Food: "Due to the COVID-19 crisis, you may be looking for ways to buy online. Just Food will continue to update Good Food Ottawa as a one-stop-shop for finding food - for those struggling with income AND for those who are more financially secure AND for people seeking options to support local farmers. This service existed before, will be updated during COVID-19, and will exist into the future, to ensure good information on food is available." On this site you will find:
  • Resources just published by City of Ottawa re. what is open now for emergency food support, for household and for isolated seniors
  • Good Food at Your Doorstep: a $20 box of fresh fruit and vegetables with free delivery for those struggling with low-incomes 
  • Savour Ottawa Buy Local Food Guide: Producers newly updated on April 8, 2020 - find local farms, restaurants, markets, retail, breweries, wineries and microprocessors (including those who have online shops)
  • CSA Farms: a detailed listing of who still has boxes available for the 2020 season (CSA stands for Community Shared Agriculture farmers in the Ottawa region)
  • Groceries and Restaurants: find online stores and restaurants that are open and operating with pick up or delivery options
  • FoodLink Directory: food bank, community meal program, community kitchen or meal programs (Please check individual websites for updated COVID-19 hours as many of these may be closed or have reduced hours)
  • Farmers' Markets: find more information on farmers' markets in Ottawa as it becomes available.  Many are moving towards online ordering with pick-up options

April 16th update on Community Gardens as an Essential Service in Ontario:
Local public health officials from across Ontario are reviewing the following recommendations for gardening during COVID-19 brought forward by the Ontario Community Growing Network and the Cross-Food Communities Network. These recommendations still being considered by the provincial governments.

JOIN A CSA - Community Supported Agriculture - For people who cannot start their own gardens this is the best way to have consistent fresh veggies, delivered to your door throughout the summer and support local farming! I just joined with Fair Sun Farms for the summer as they deliver to many areas at a frequency you choose.

Acorn Creek Garden Farm is open as long as you call ahead 613-836-2613.
http://acorncreek.ca/
"We still have cabbage in; round green, round red and pyramid sweetheart cabbage.  We also have maple syrup and preserves.  We will have bedding plant vegetables and 50 varieties of herbs in May.  They all do well on our farm and should do well in your garden" - you can pick up seedlings from them to grow at home!

Forefathers Farm 
Wrote: "I do deliver depending on distance but we prefer pickup. I bag things and leave them in the freezer for self serve pickup. (Meats) We can bill via PayPal or e-transfers, as well as cash in the cash box at the stand. I wash up well, and bag using our new box of shopping bags instead of reused ones. 
Our stand is open for eggs, self serve again, and I disinfect the fridge, and offer sanitizer at the stand. 
Once our veggie season starts it's all self serve as well, on the honour system. We will be selling lots of transplants this year at the stand, as well as focusing on container gardening."

Capital Greens Urban Farm
Wrote: "I will be selling my organic veggies locally. People can buy a vegetable subscription with options for home delivery or pick-up right at the farm (learn more at capitalgreens.ca/veggie-subscription)."

Bryson Farm - Delivers
http://www.brysonfarms.com/delivery/
Stuart wrote: "Yes – we deliver throughout the Ottawa-Gatineau region certified organic vegetables, beef, and prepared foods year-round.  Since our farm is closed to the public and very isolated, we are doing our best to stay open! Our COVID-19 safeguards can be found here.  They do not sell seeds but our seedlings are delivered to our home-delivery customers when they are available."

Fat Chance Farm - delivers boxes and has pickup
https://fatchancefarmstead.com/
Josh writes "Our plan is to still run our food box program and our upick strawberries.  Visit our website learn more about these two. We may have to change the way things operate a bit but this time more than ever our communities need access to good, local food."

Terramor Farm 
" We have adopted bio-intensive farming practices, using mostly hand tools, cultivating just over an acre of land.  Each year, we produce over 30 varieties of vegetables providing for our CSA program, restaurants and markets."

Arc Acres  - Manotick Station
https://www.facebook.com/Arc-Acres-1402248406654109/
"Practicing local sustainable agriculture by providing our local community with delicious and nutritious vegetables and pasture based meats through a CSA model focusing on biodynamic and permaculture approaches………”while living the dream!”"

Cadence Ecological Farm - Update April 15th We're doing sales online, pickup at the barn. No delivery as of yet. I'll be delivering a portion of our CSA by bike come late June.
Website: https://www.cadencefarm.ca/
Brett writes: "I might have the odd extra seed for a few items (lettuce is the only thing that comes to mind at the moment). Gaia Organic Seeds,We're doing a CSA again this year! Sign up at cadencefarm.ca
We're selling every Sunday at Just Food outside the barn from 11:00-12:00 alongside a few other farmers (eggs, microgreens, garlic, lamb, ferments, honey, maple syrup)

Website with ALL LOCAL food producers and Markets:
https://savourottawa.ca/buy-local-food-guide/

Just Food:  April 9th Update - orders now available online for veggies and eggs. "Just Food works to ensure that Ottawa is Food Secure. Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs, as well as to culturally acceptable food preferences for an active and healthy life. As well, foods are produced as locally as possible, and their production and distribution are environmentally, socially and economically just."
See their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/justfoodfarmstand/


SECTION 2: BUY YOUR OWN SEEDS for a small home garden- grow herbs and use them every day:

Gaia Organic Seeds - April 15th update: They still have seed options! Plus they are expecting more shortly so keep in touch with them on their page for more information.  ALSO, for the new gardener, here is a perfect option - The Gardener's Tray! For only $85 dollars you get all of the seedlings in May ready to plant - for a perfect small garden:
Seedling includes:

1 Cherry Tomato, 1 Slicer Tomato, 1 Italian Tomato
2 varieties of Sweet Pepper
2 varieties of Cucumber
2 varieties of Kale (3-4 plants each)
2 varieties of Chard (3-4 plants each)
1 Zucchini
1 Acorn Squash
1 Delicata
Cabbage (3-4 plants)
Basil (3-4 plants)
Parsley (3-4 plants)

Bird and Bee Farm - March 25th update: Thank you for your patience as we manage a higher than usual volume of online orders. We are taking the utmost care with your seeds, and batching orders for shipping once per week to keep us all healthy and safe.
Website: https://www.birdandbee.ca/
Wrote: "We sell seeds using our website - www.birdandbee.ca.  Right now we ship out seeds once a week.  We can also take orders by phone with cheques or email transfers."

Veseys - April 15th update - Still can order online and have them delivered direct to home.  Due to increased demand and limited resources, please realize that your seed order may take 3-5 weeks to ship.
https://www.veseys.com/

Greta's Organic Seeds:  Update April 15th - most seeds sold out but some still available.
https://www.seeds-organic.com/

Beetbox is selling Seedlings (ready to plant!!) - Update April 15th **Sales on hold while we catch up on orders**
https://beetbox.ca/plant-sale/

Bryson Farm - Delivers Seedlings to home delivery! Check back in May - orders aren't available now.

Acorn Creek Garden Farm call ahead and in May you can pick up seedlings
http://acorncreek.ca/

Ritchie Feed and Seed - April 15th update: You can try to order from their website.  No idea if they can make their seeds available as I have not tried.  You will have to order and pick up curbside as a minimum.  *PLEASE NOTE: OUR GARDEN CENTRES ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED. WE DO NOT HAVE PLANTS IN STOCK AT THIS TIME.
http://www.ritchiefeed.com/

SECTION 3: VIDEO RESOURCES TO START YOUR OWN GARDEN:

Capital Greens Urban Farm writes, "For folks who are just starting out with gardening and are interested in workshops and other educational opportunities, I’d recommend that they subscribe to my farm’s mailing list (at the website linked below), and to Just Food’s mailing lists (http://justfood.nationbuilder.com/newsletter_signup), as we will be offering workshops on gardening topics throughout the season."


MIGardener - great videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVGVbOl6F5rGF4wSYS6Y5yQ

Nature's always right - Urban Gardening
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCejgtTHroWI5sF_2-fuiF4Q

How to build your own raised bed for a backyard garden
http://www.rathersquare.com/2016/03/how-to-build-covered-raised-garden-bed/


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What NEXT? How do we survive COVID-19 and any other ?

Many posts online including the Ontario Health Centre continue to state "We are all in this together. We'll get through this together".  What does this really mean as we are all separated, sitting in our homes?  What does this mean, I pondered this morning... and I think I may have figured out where I can help.. where I can make a difference.

I began to write in my journal, as any other Sunday morning, writing what comes to mind while looking out on the vast field in front of my front window... noting the too few cars passing along Dunrobin Rd.


What can we do??? I asked myself.  We can begin to live differently.  The virus (any virus) attacks those with weakened immune systems.  What is a weakened immune system?  A weakened immune system is where your body no longer has the ability to fight infections and diseases.

So what causes a weakened immune system?? Many experts will point to  inflammation as the main root cause of the diseases that bring about a weakened immune system. They blame inflammation for cancer, diabetes, MS, auto-immune disease, and many many more..

So then, what causes inflammation?  This one, if you do not already know will cause you to go into a new paradigm...  FOOD.  The experts will tell you, food is the primary cause of inflammation in our bodies. (Anti-inflammatory eating links below).

So the elephant is officially in the room.  We can no longer ignore him.  We must, as a society change the way we EAT.  Now, how can we do this together??  We start by helping each other understand WHAT it is we need to eat.  There are many resources available.  I'll share a few below.  I'll share more as the days pass as I am very excited to support this cause, if I can.

The bottom line, the simplest of all explanations, is that you must start eating mostly veggies, and no more boxed products... no more manufactured products... no more factory foods.  We each need to start small gardens at home - you need to have herbs everyday to reduce inflammation.  Know that simple, easy to grow herbs such as Basil and Parsley have important health benefits including vitamins A, K an E, and potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenols.

Every one of us can be planting a herb box in our windows.  If you have a back yard, please start to grow a handful of your own vegetables - carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, lots of greens, broccoli, cauliflower - all very easy to grow but yes, a bit of work. If you are zoned in a place that can have chickens -  three chickens will give you enough eggs for protein in our diets.

That's the answer!

BUT - what about those of you who are in small apartments, you cannot grow your own food, you do not have your own space, or you are having too much trouble getting access to resources - there must be enough land and farmers in the Ottawa area to support the Ottawa city.

I think if we are going to set ourselves up to eat better together, and fight any virus that comes our way - and there is no doubt going to be more - then we need to sustain our city together.  How do you think our ancestors survived the middle ages?  They did not each independently went off and did everything themselves, they worked together as a city to share resources and collectively do well.

So I'm excited to start looking.  Where are the Ottawa farmers? Who has appropriate land? Where are the current cooperative gardens operating? And how can we, with self isolation in place - take the time to build up enough food to sustain us - now and in future.

These are my questions.  If you know or have any ideas please comment below or send me a private note. Please let me know how I can help you get started.

This is how we CAN work together, and fight off inflammation, and potentially get through any virus, bacteria, or disease that finds us.

Yesterday was the first day of Spring!! Time to collect or buy your seeds and get planting!!

Simply Google "Foods that cause inflammation"  here are a few links:
Anti-Inflammatory Diet: what to know
Harvard Health Publishing: Foods that Fight Inflammation
Arthritis.Org: 8 Food Ingredients that Cause Inflammation
Dr. Gundry's the YES and NO lists: Foods that can cause inflammation


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