Ottawa Foodies

I forget the vendor... not helpful but pretty carrots eh?! lol

I was there too! Bright and early! I was in a good mood for the rest of the day. I can't believe how much I've missed it.

I bought some hot sauce and maple butter that I'm giving away as a prize on my blog. John, Monsieur Hotsauce aka Chamomile Desjardins, was kind enough to throw in a bottle for me! How nice... and appreciated! It was delicious!

I also got some rhubarb, and asparagus, and feta (Oh The Feta From Canreg - so. good.) and some cukes... and some Art-is-in bread... then I ran out of money and had to go home!

I've missed my 'friends' so much. Can't wait til next Sunday!

Thanks for the tip on the chickens Snoopy...

Oh, I haven't gotten my chicken yet, I just picked up the form. I'm getting it from the Natural Lamb farmer naturallamb.ca/. $150 for 5 chickens (6-8 lbs post butchering weight). Their first chickens will be available in July. You can go visit your chickens if you like! :)

snoopy loopy who did you get your chicken from? I have been buying my chickens from a guy at the farmers market in Ottawa South however he is no longer raising his chickens and his kids aren't interested in taking over the farm. If I can find someone at Lansdowne that would be so much more convenient...

I too was there. There are a couple of new stalls there that I'll probably end up checking out. I'm intrigued with the $10 T-bone Angus beef, and I picked up a chicken CSA form from one of the farmers there. I also want to try Bread and Dough.

hipfunkyfun It looks like there were two of us foodies at the market yesterday and perhaps the first time it snowed during my walk there-;) Agreed there were mostly meats there yesterday but it is still early in the growing season. We may not see more veggies for another month yet. I did however get my hands on a chicken patty from the Piggy Market (it was delicious!) as well as an almond croissant from Délice Royale which I had for breakfast this morning.

the market is back. today was the first day. there was asparagus - $6 (ouch!). some new vendors, there seemed to be a lot more meat sellers this year. prices are higher this year, which is going to affect my ability to shop there.

To quote from the article Buddy Rich is referring to:

"But free-range doesn't mean the hens are running around outside, oh no. Rather, they're able to run free inside the large barns -- they're not kept in the usual small battery cages. But their beaks are trimmed to minimize destructive tendencies among birds confined in the henhouse."

Take from that what you will, and this is something that might be best moved into the forums.

In my opinion, it's better conditions than what large-scale industrial farming can provide, and I'm willing to pay a premium because the eggs taste better, and because it's from a local farmer.

Actually I would like to comment on the Beking thing, and if anyone can clarify further it would be great. We buy Bekings weekly at the Herb on Wellington and like them for their taste alone, let alone their locality... but if what Ron Eade of Omnivore's Ottawa describes in this blog post is true, the dreaded factory farm description is apt, if not entirely accurate. I would describe it more an organic farm (though I know Beking doesn't claim organic certification), but that ain't saying much as the organic standards on the animal side of things are not that great.

Free-Roaming, doesn't mean they roam around a yard, etc... Big Organic is just as bad a Big Factory Farms in some ways... but that is another topic for another discussion. Nor am I accusing Beking's of deception, the standard is what it is, its just that not many people know what it really means. In any large operation, organic or not, you have beak trimming and being confined to the barn is better than being confined to a small cage.

The blog post I mention is here (see the comment on Bekings further down):

communities.canada.com

This is just one man's description but I assume a respected journalist has visited the farm before commenting...

Irishgal, I have to agree with F&T that your review is not only misleading in speaking to Landsdowne, but also in speaking to Byward Market. You're implying that Byward doesn't have any factory farming, which it does (Savour Ottawa is designed to minimize FF and create more transperancy).

Further, it's stipulated on the market's website that "The promise of the Ottawa Farmers' Market is that all goods sold by the vendors who participate are produced by those vendors. This ensures that the customer wanting to buy locally is able to and is purchasing the freshest meat and produce available while supporting local producers."

As a customer, I have to trust that the OFM has a way of determining that the products sold are local.

I'm curious about evidence supporting your claim that Bekings (who are also selling at Byward) are using factory farming. If you are correct, and they do indeed factory farm and are selling at both Byward and Landsdowne, then your intial claim that Byward discourages factory farming and promotes local goods is unfounded.

I think F&T, myself, and the rest of the users would appreciate some clarification regarding your comments.

NB: I know that I could have just marked the comment as questionable, but like G&T said, there is merit in creating a dialogue, especially when the review speaks to issues such as locavority.

hey you can get awesome apple butter at the lansdowne market every sunday between 10am and 4pm until the last weekend of october (as in next weekend or wait til spring). i tried it and am going back for a couple of jars to last the winter. at 4 bucks a jar its great price too, but the taste is what matters.
spike

I bought 1 lb of frozen ground bison here. They (Pykview Meadows) also have burger patties and steaks. I used the meat for tacos-deelish!