ottawa foodies

i like to give my business to the local farmer’s and byward markets... but since it is winter i am having trouble finding fresh enough produce. the produce at my local supermarket (superstore in westboro) is what i normally purchase, but i find i only have a few days to consume it all before it goes bad, and at this point I’m completely fed up.

doing my best to buy in season veg, but i love my salads, and asparagus as well :)

just wondering where everyone shops for fruits and veg when the markets are closed for the winter?

It is indeed a challenge finding fresh veggies at this time of year. I usually buy my veggies during the winter months at the organic farmers market in Ottawa South: Ottawa Organic Farmers Market. Two vendors there grow veggies in a greenhouse during the winter months so it's nice getting fresh veggies and locally grown to boot. That market in only open on Saturdays however so when I go there I usually get what I need at the market then make my way up to Farm Boy nearby to pick up the rest of the items on my grocery list.

When I don't make it to the farmers market I often go to the Byward Fruit Market or Market Organics. Sometimes I will make a trip to Produce Depot or I will go to Kowloon or New 168 if I need to pick up Asian ingredients.

I have a larder full of canned local veggies in the basement. So I can support my local farmers year round.

The place I deal with at the Parkdale Market from Edwards (in the East End) has greenhouses, so maybe if you contact them you can find out about where to buy stuff in the winter. They are called Rochon Farms.

Yay for Rochon Farms. I buy from them as well. Once you have their peppers, you will never want to buy peppers from anywhere else.

Smartcookie - Winter is definitely a challenge. I find Lowblaws etal, to be usually a disappointment (they just buy too much too far ahead, too far away, and truck it in... so it only lasts a couple of days after you get it home). In the wintertime, I find myself at Farmboy - Farm Boy more often, better assortment, and it does tend to be fresher, and last longer.

Besides Zym's recommendation for canning (which lets face it not everyone is into)... remember you can always freeze stuff in the summertime. People tend to forget that their freezer can do a great job of keeping things over (exception being leafy greens and some veggies). It is another way of supporting the local farmer "year round", by buying more produce in the summer.

Besides the Farmers' Markets which are an excellent source (albeit somewhat expensive), you might want to check out Acorn Creek Garden Farm - Acorn Creek Garden Farm who in addition to participating at the Farmers' Markets also has a huge farm in Carp, including Greenhouses, and even a "pick your own" option in the summertime. If you can spare some time, it will be a lot cheaper... and they grow a HUGE assortment of things. Then just by reaching into your freezer you'll be able to enjoy variety well into the winter... and the fruits of your labours (picking) on a summer's day. For me it fills the "inbetween" of just buying off the shelf at a big corporate outlet and growing my own (which beyond not having the space for, I don't have the time or energy for).

thank you kindly for everyone's suggestions, i will check them out for sure!

I go to Produce Depot for all of my produce needs during the winter - not too far from the Westboro superstore!