Did you know that the fruit and vegetables whose “freshness” you pay for so dearly actually travel an average of 2,500 km to get to you? So says the Quebec Produce Growers Association which launched its 2015 campaign this week to entice us, obviously, to favour locally-grown products.
Under the header “Grands crus”, the 2015 campaign is the brainchild of Laval agency Effet Boomerang, a neighbour of mine actually. It’s fresh, coloured, inviting and very appetite appeal, so kudos to them.
The young Émile Gariépy, 11 years old, had everyone talking when he faced the Québec Dragon’s Den seeking investors for his pumpkin business. He was on hand for the launch, along with the Association’s spokesperson for the past 6 years, nutritionist Isabelle Huot.
Given that the weather is hesitating between winter and summer, with barely any spring in-between, our farmers are sitting uneasy right now. Go figure how things will turn out with the cold nights and little sunshine that could threaten seedlings, already one week late at this point. And one week can really hurt when lettuce is sold 99¢ early in the season… and 49¢ at the end. For our farmers, that’s the difference between making bank and going bankrupt. Let’s hope Mother Nature’s feelings turn more maternal during this worrisome start to the growing season.
If like me you care to support local producers, visit the EatQuebec.ca website to follow produce arrivals on a weekly basis. Right now, asparagus and fiddleheads are arriving in farmers’ markets, two vegetables I eagerly wait for every spring. Green overdose on the horizon, I suspect. Bon appétit.
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