Hope and Optimism for Local Food

One of my core values, both as a consumer and a business owner, is supporting local, and to me, food is so much more than just an ingredient. My mind has been swirling with thoughts on food price increases again and what I want to say. The terms "cheap" and "food" should not be in the same sentence. Cheap food comes at a cost – and we certainly see that now, even in the way society expects food to be cheap, with little concern for the who, what, why, and how of it all. Sometimes, I struggle with these conversations because I come at it from a place of privilege in more than one way. On the other hand, I feel drawn to talk about it – if we build a resilient food system at home, we can answer a lot of the concerns that arise around food security. We’ve had some wonderful, organic, and collaborative conversations around the table at Awn over the last few weeks on this topic, and it fills my cup every time – these conversations matter.

Over the last five years, we’ve seen a global pandemic, climate change impacting all forms of agriculture (big and small), avian flu impacting poultry, inflation, the threat of tariffs, workers being deported in the US, and more impact our food systems – the answer is continuing to build resiliency right at home, rather than reacting when things beyond our control create fear and anger.

These choices and conversations are hard, and it’s not about targeting people or right versus wrong. I believe we all do the best we can, but I also think it’s important to keep our minds open, accept that we can change the way we do things, and look at the bigger picture – even if it feels like your small part doesn’t matter, even if it feels overwhelming as to where to start. The bigger picture here is the importance of supporting local and remembering just how much we grow, raise, and make right here in Canada.

What does "local" mean? I would argue it’s an overused word that has been caught up as a marketing buzzword – something I despise – it blurs the conversations around food – what’s the truth? Marketing is a clever tool; it’s a means for companies to make money... I think it’s important to remember that. "Local," to me, means as close to home as we can get it – and for some ingredients, that might mean from the West Coast or the East Coast, but a lot of what we use it’s from right here in central Alberta. It means flavour, freshness, and nutrition.

At the beginning of the pandemic, our supply chain was rattled. For the first time in many Canadians’ lives, there was a question and fear around food security. I remember very vividly watching small businesses (without big teams!) pivot and adapt to ensure they could continue to serve their communities (while simultaneously trying to keep their businesses afloat). For small businesses, the pandemic hit hard, and inflation, along with a changing world, has continued to impact them – yet they’re still working hard to contribute to a vibrant economy. Small businesses are up against big businesses in so many ways, and it’s getting harder and harder to compete.

Our local food producers (often small businesses too!) were doing the same thing in 2020, and I remember being so hopeful that we would collectively learn from that. How large our Canadian food system is, the importance of supporting small businesses, and taking the fear around food security and connecting it to the fact that the answer is right on our doorstep. I remember these businesses working around the clock, pivoting and changing the way they were making, growing, raising, and packaging food to ensure it was getting into our kitchens (and bellies!). It’s their livelihood, but also their passion – good food for their communities. I also know that for consumers, this was a hard and scary time, the unknown of it all and the fear of seeing empty shelves.

There is no doubt food costs are rising, and with the fear of tariffs from the U.S., it’s reminiscent of that time. Sure, it might be different – one was fear-driven, and I think this is both fear- and anger-driven – both of which I would argue can be the means for change, but the change needs to come from within, not from emotion, for it to be static, sustainable, and long-term. But I’ll tell you what – those small businesses and producers are still here, doing their thing, stronger and more resilient than ever, and they want to feed you.

It's important to remember, like everything in life, it’s about choices. We spend less of our disposable income on food than at any other time in history – and yes, life is expensive, I know that. I am not sitting on my soapbox telling you I make all the right choices in my life – a huge part of my life is connected to these conversations, purchasing food, learning about food, and cooking. It’s easy for me – it’s my passion and my livelihood.

There is still this narrative that local food is more expensive and not accessible. We have multi-day farmers' markets now; we have small-scale grocery stores, and we see lots of small independent brands in the bigger supermarkets too. It takes commitment, it takes planning, it takes learning, but it is possible if it’s important. As far as the cost goes, when you’re more connected to your food, you’ll use every bit, and with how much longer local food lasts, your waste will likely go down. Not to mention how much better it tastes! Food cost is a whole other conversation – what is the cost of cheap food in so many areas? But I also think we often forget our food budgets also include eating out, getting coffee, ordering delivery, snack foods, and the food that ends up in the bin... It’s not just about the money you spend at the grocery store. We need to think about these things and approach these conversations from a different angle – for our health, for our economy, for our planet – and for connection. Food is the thing that brings us together. We live in a fast-paced world, and I think sometimes we forget (I am guilty of this too) the joy in slowing down.

I shop at the market every weekend, and I am not seeing prices increase – but I also know that farming is a livelihood that takes so much risk, and sometimes that risk is more than the reward, so I understand when prices have to increase to stay competitive or to make ends meet. Every weekend at the market, I get to hear the highs and lows of their weeks, hear about their families and friends, what’s exciting them, and hear about the customers from Awn who visited to buy local – it’s one of my favourite parts of the week.

I think it’s tremendously important to take this as an opportunity to be optimistic and continue to learn together – we can be angry and scared. We live in Alberta, and it’s February – we’re in the hungry months. I think it’s a fun time to buy from growers right here in Alberta – to see what’s possible, what’s stored and preserved, but also to remember that it wasn’t that long ago that we had to be creative in the kitchen because we didn’t have access to all things coming into our country. We have a big choice to make, and it’s more important than ever – we need to stop reacting and make the change happen with the future in mind, and that choice is to support Canadian, but also to support small. And it sounds cliché, but remember, you can vote with your dollars, your voice matters, your hard-earned money matters – step back and think about the choices you make and how they impact your daily life – from big to small things, and ask yourself if they reflect your values. As I always say – ask questions, be your own advocate. It’s empowering to learn and have your questions answered in a way that aligns with your values.

I’ll end this by saying, we hear a lot about how expensive life is, but people are still spending money – go into a mall, a restaurant, a movie theatre, a sporting event, a concert, look at a drive-thru... I am so grateful that people value the experience we offer and continue to book and support us – and I love that we can have important conversations that are often reflective of our values at Awn, but also that are open. In saying that, there is something I am always mindful of – the demographic that makes up our client base is a demographic that can afford to have these conversations.

So, here we are five years after the pandemic started, and I am optimistic and hopeful that we will learn from our food system being shaken for a second time in such a short period. I encourage you to (if you don’t already) start reading labels and learning where the food you are purchasing is coming from – how much of the food in our supermarkets is Canadian? Be cautious of marketing terms on packaging and read what’s in a package too! Sometimes it’s not super obvious on the package – read all the words, and if it still feels off, do a little more research. But more than that, find out who owns the company that is producing the food – it’s great if it’s made in Canada, but if we’re still supporting the large corporations from outside of Canada, there’s a concern there too.

Food is political, and in all the things I feel – anger, fear, confusion, conflict, sadness, fear... I choose hope. There is a wonderful opportunity for us to learn, gain knowledge, and build a connection with the food we are purchasing. Let’s step back from the anger and the politics and remember the power is in our choice. How grateful are we to be Canadian? We can build relationships with the people we are buying from too, cut the middleman out, and keep your food dollars (and all dollars) in our own communities, cities, provinces, and country. It’s so simple yet so complex. I encourage you to commit to going to a farmers' market once a month (or even better, more!), ask questions, join buying clubs, or sign up for a CSA or farm share – which are all opening up at the moment. But also, step back, slow down, think about your choices and actions, and recognize that change does start small.

As a small business owner and a consumer, I will continue to buy from local farms, and when I can’t (because it’s not grown here), I will buy from small shops to ensure that, if/when they are impacted by these tariffs, they can keep their doors open. And I will continue to be grateful every time I open my computer or social media and see all of you supporting my business in all the ways. But I also chose hope optimism and to trust that change comes from within, and I will continue to do my part by having these conversations in classes, answering questions and continuing to learn.