TAKE A BITE OUT OF CLIMATE CHANGE CALEDON!
This season the Caledon Countryside Alliance has brought an innovative twist to its Eat Local Caledon programming. With the aim of engaging Caledon residents to have more environmentally-friendly and locally-inspired diets, it has launched a program called Take A Bite Out of Climate Change Caledon! The program promotes both large-scale and small-scale actions that residents can take to cut down on their “foodprints” and embrace our region’s foods.With funding through the Town of Caledon Community Green Fund, Eat Local Caledon is asking residents to take a pledge of nine major climate-friendly diet actions.
1. Eat with the Seasons – Choose food grown close to home.
2. Shop Local – Farmers’ Markets, u-picks, farm stands & local shops.
3. Cook Fresh – Cook with fresh ingredients as much as possible.
4. Eat Lots of Plants – Fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, legumes & grains.
5. Grow Your Own – Try the 100 yard diet – start simple with a small garden plot or containers.
6. Savour the Harvest – Dry, freeze, can, preserve, pickle and more.
7. Choose Local Alternatives – Use honey & maple syrup in place of sugar, and choose local options for high-emission foods such as meat, dairy & eggs.
8. Avoid Food Waste – Reduce, re-use and recycle leftovers to avoid refrigerator rot.
9. Take Back the Tap – Tap water is safe, inexpensive and climate-friendly. Kick the bottled water habit
Furthermore, each week of the season features a specific climate-friendly, food-related challenge. Those that undertake this action will be entered into a weekly prize draw. Photographic proof of the ‘action’ must be provided, either via post to the Eat Local Caledon Facebook Page, or via email to eatlocal@eatlocalcaledon.org. Some of the weekly challenges over this past month have included: cook with garlic scapes; make a homemade honey or maple vinaigrette; and make homemade pet treats.
Upcoming weekly challenges include:
Aug. 18th – Aug. 24th – Make some corn salsa with local corn!
Aug. 25th – Aug. 31st – Barbecue local meats!
Sept. 1st – Sept. 7th – Make a fruit crumble that uses at least 3 local ingredients!
Sept. 8th – Sept. 14th – Make a fall soup that includes at least 3 local ingredients!
Sept. 15th – Sept. 21st – Pick apples, either from a Caledon orchard or from one of the many wild apple trees here in Caledon!
For more information about the program, guidelines and weekly actions, please visit www.eatlocalcaledon.org/take_the_pledge.htm andwww.eatlocalcaledon.org/eight_easy_guidelines.htm.
