CANMORE – The Bow Valley’s burgeoning local food scene has received a boost from the provincial government in the form of Alberta-wide recognition that local agriculture, brewing and distilling are cornerstones of the provincial economy.
Alberta’s government has designated Aug. 12-19 Local Food Week, with the annual promotion taking place every third week in August going forward.
“Agriculture is our second biggest industry here in Alberta, and we have a lot to be proud of; amazing producers of all kinds of food, and Albertans want to eat local,” said Banff-Cochrane MLA Cam Westhead.
The week-long promotion of Alberta agriculture coincided with Alberta’s open farm days, which allows people interested in the production of food to see first hand how ranches, farms, and agricultural tourism operates across the province.
“People are more interested in where their food comes from and where it’s grown, so this is a way we can help support our local producers and meet market demand for home-grown food,” said Westhead.
The week-long promotion is a result of the Supporting Local Food Sector Act, which passed in the legislature on May 30.
Wildlife Distillery is one of the local Canmore businesses that were able to take advantage of the government’s promotion.
During the week, anyone who mentioned Alberta Farm Days received a free tour of the distillery and tasting of gin made with exclusively Alberta-sourced grains and botanicals.
“The support from local agriculture is what makes this province work and what makes the economy work,” said Wildlife co-founder Keith Robinson.
“Without the Alberta agricultural support for food processors and the local distillers, we couldn’t make a quality product and an affordable product for our customers.”
Canmore’s own branch of The Organic Box has been another beneficiary of local organic food production in the Bow Valley and across the province.
“Because we work with so many producers throughout the region, we’re able to pull in a lot of diverse products that you wouldn’t normally see in a farmer’s market,” said Alex Raymond, marketing coordinator with The Organic Box.
Raymond would like to see the promotion of Alberta and B.C. organically produced local food be expanded nationally.
“It’s a fantastic cause, and something that should be inclusive in every community, not just in Alberta, but Canada-wide,” he said.
Other Canmore Mountain Market vendors also expressed the economic benefits available to their small businesses through the
government’s promotion.
Chef Patric Stettler produces elderflower syrup for use in sodas and wine, along with cured salmon and hams, in Canmore for Bow Valley farmers markets and local catering events.
He says promotion of Alberta-based food producers will make it easier to open and operate small businesses centered on food and drink
“If we are able to get away from these mono-trades … we have an opportunity as a town and a province to expand into something larger,” he said.
“Food processing is one of those avenues I think we can go down.”
The Supporting Local Food Sector Act aim is stated to promote diversification and promotion of Alberta’s agricultural production industry, including farms, ranches, breweries and distilleries through the creation of a local food council and promotional activities.
The council will be made up of Alberta agricultural producers and will advise the minister of agriculture.
The act also defines what constitutes organically produced products in Alberta, tying the definition to the federal organic products regulations passed in 2009 and requiring certification from approved Canadian Food Inspection Agency organizations to be marketed as organic.
The act was passed with 34 members of the NDP voting for, and 12 members of the UCP, Alberta Party, and Freedom Conservative Party against.
