May 9 You are What You Eat; the link between job creation, food, health and Farmers Markets

 Job creation and how each party will help create more jobs seems to be the topic of the day. I will put a slight spin on this theme today by focusing on the link between jobs, agriculture, food and health.

Health is Wealth.

Having been very sick myself and having just had my daughter contract malaria in Asia [she returned home last night !] I can attest to the reality that without health you have nothing.
And the best medicine ? The right food.

Preferably fresh. Preferably local. Organic if possible. And lots of variety. And preferably grown right here in Ontario; the former "garden" for Canada.

Why do I say "former"? Because the USA & Mexico, California in particular, has become our major supplier for fresh fruit and vegetables.


This means:

- fewer jobs in Agriculture
- food that is not as fresh and thus not as healthy
- extra CO2 emissions generated transporting it thousand of km
- odds that extra herbicides and insectides are on your food as more are required in warmer climate and Mexico in particular has loser regulations for their use
- increased risk of health problems as our best preventative medicine is healthy food

But there is a solution: local farmers markets. They are starting up their season soon;
- Metcalfe          http://www.metcalfefm.com/                                 starts May 10 Sat. 8-12
- North Gower   http://northgowerfarmersmarket.wordpress.com/  starts May 31
- Ottawa            http://ottawafarmersmarket.ca/                              started May 4

When you shop at a farmers market you help your community is so many ways;
- you create jobs in Ontario
- you get fresher products
- you have more fun shopping and get to know people in your community
- you are feeding yourself  the best medicine there is - healthy food

Remember, you are what you eat !