When Kat Rendek first moved to Cornwall four years ago, she built raised beds in her front yard, covered them with straw and started growing potatoes. Puzzled neighbours couldn’t help but ask questions, and over the course of the summer, the garden became a constant source of curiosity and conversation. The following season, Kat added tomatoes, butternut squash, eggplant, zucchini, herbs, and edible flowers to the mix. Last year, the 30-year-old local food system facilitator and head of All Spice Solutions was thrilled to see more people growing their own food. On a 10-block walk to the grocery store, Kat counted almost two dozen front yards, steps and balconies packed with veggies.
The rising number of vegetable gardens in Kat’s neighbourhood points to a trend in our region: an increasing appetite for good, fresh, local food and drink. It seems that our agricultural heritage, paired with a global awareness for sustainable food practices, is informing and inspiring a new food culture, helping to diversify our local economy, and spurring tourism.
In Cornwall, the Edible Cities project will launch this summer with the planting of food-producing plants around the bandshell in Lamoureux Park. The project is one of the first examples in Ontario where a municipality has not only approved the project, but also provided a centralized space and resources. (Often, municipalities relegate similar projects to less desirable locations.) In Akwesasne, the Mohawk Council put forward an ambitious proposal for the Smart Cities Challenge—a top 5 finalist in their category— that included building “smart” greenhouses, one in each district, to help address food sustainability, support healthier diets, and revive community traditions.
Meanwhile, Community Supported Agriculture programs offered by Wild Rose Organics in Moose Creek and Pitt Street Gardens in Cornwall are thriving, and pick-your-own farms and orchards are offering more varieties of berries, apples, and pumpkins than ever before. In Chesterville, the treasured market recently rebranded itself as the Waterfront Market, capitalizing on its location, and is enjoying fresh energy and ideas from new organizers. In Cornwall, the Kinsmen Farmers’ Market recently opened its third year of operation with close to 35 vendors—about a 15% increase since it first started.
As for libations, there’s progress there, too. New this year, we have Wood Brothers Brewing in Glen Robertson, Stonehouse Vineyards in Alexandria, and the Upper Canada Cidery Co. in Glen Walter. Also of interest: the harvest festivals being held by Stonehouse and Mountain’s Smokie Ridge Vineyard, when visitors are invited to help harvest grapes that are used for wine production. “Harvest the Hops” is a similar idea, hosted by Old 4th Hop Yard in Williamstown in partnership with Beau’s Brewing from Vankleek Hill.
There’s no doubt that we’re returning to our roots and really digging our region’s food and drink. Isn’t that tasty?
Photo: Thomas Schoch/Lil Red Barn Photography
