agriculture

THE FIRST and most important thing to say about food – certainly in 1000 words, but just as certainly if I had 1000 pages – is that there is no first and most important thing to know about food.

TRADITIONALLY DRENCHED IN pesticides and fertilizers, Canada’s wineries are quietly shedding their bad environmental reputation, and opting for a deeper shade of green.

Stephen Cipes, owner of BC’s Summerhill Pyramid Winery, believes it’s much more than a marketing ploy. “When I started in 1987, we wore protective suits and goggles to spray,” he recalls. “I was aghast that my children were exposed to those chemicals, which also washed into the lake. I immediately sought ways to operate in a more environmental way.” After eliminating the use of pesticides, and with plans to install geothermal and solar energy systems, Summerhill Winery is now the largest organic winery in the country.

With four million more people expected to flock to Southern Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe by 2031, something has to be done to ease the region’s debilitating traffic gridlock and unchecked urban sprawl. The McGuinty government’s response is a major growth management initiative, referred to as Places to Grow. ­Introduction of the Golden Horseshoe Greenbelt in 2006 was a first step.

The number of farmers clad in their traditional black suits in ­attendance at this year’s organic conference in Guelph, Ontario should put smiles on the faces of people hoping to see an increased supply of chemical-free produce in Southwestern Ontario. A group of Mennonite farmers in and around ­Waterloo Region, many of whom use horse-drawn buggies or bicycles as their mode of transportation, are at the forefront of a new movement that aims to produce more locally grown, organic food.