Eat Local Grey Bruce
396, 14th Street West N4K 3X8 Owen Sound, ON, Canada

The jump from $486,000 to $1 million in a year has, of course, come with a long list of costs, all of which have been covered. All, that is, except the lingering issue of producer payments. It took a lot of clever manoeuvring and leveraging to get this co-op off the ground in 2016. The mission to support local food producers is faced with structural obstacles which often seem insurmountable. Two key innovations were used in forming this outfit that has enabled us to exist: T...he first was securing a stream of wholesale products at a price point that enables us to earn a markup, providing core dollars to staff while allowing for products from producer members to be provided at a much lower markup. Not unlike in the grocery industry, where loss leaders that bring customers through the doors are located on the outer walls of the grocery store, and all the products in the aisles bring profits for the retailer. See more

How about some practical Easter decor? Aaron Baker of New Life Farm has created living Wheatgrass Easter centrepieces. Enjoy the powerful nourishing benefits of wheatgrass, while brightening your tabletop with this festive adornment. Select from either sparkly or fuzzy eggs.

Additionally, as mentioned in the previous post, within the new membership model, half of the money raised will also be going to Eat Local producers and here is why: ELGB had a momentous 2020, to say the least. As many of you know, during the first lockdown in March, ELGB saw weekly business double, and saw food producers and distributors receive the highly accurate description essential. Of course, everyone already knew this, but it was nonetheless edifying to have this of...ficial designation! It seemed as if some prescience had been at play in setting up our co-op the way we had, decentralized, with no physical market, with home delivery being the key to resilience and safe operations. While sales more than doubled, the demand was even greater than that, and producers set out to farm as they had never farmed before. Many of our farms posted banner years. For Eat Local, 2020 saw us achieve over 1 million dollars in gross sales! Let’s think for a moment about the impact of this number. That’s a million dollars that you, our eater members, have invested in the future of your food system. Were you to have spent those dollars into the global commodity food streams, they would have left our community, and likely our province and country, almost immediately. Instead, they were funnelled through the co-op and out to staff and producer members, fuelling our livelihoods. From there, this million dollars was further spent in the community. If you know much about the average profit margins on today’s farms, you know they were almost entirely spent on the costs associated with running these businesses, many of which are also located within the region. They were paid to our local suppliers like feed mills and abattoirs, crucial resources that require our support as customers if they are to continue to play their key roles in our local capacity to feed ourselves. Everyone deserves a pat on the back for making this happen; it is cause for celebration.

Exciting news! ELGB is a recent recipient of Investment Readiness Program funding via Community Foundation Grey Bruce. This funding is instrumental as ELGB continues to mature, and we appreciate having the resources available for us to focus on the long-term viability and sustainability of the cooperative. "Funded by the Government of Canada, the Investment Readiness Program (IRP) supports social purpose organizations as they contribute to solving pressing social, cultural ...and environmental challenges across Canada." We are actively soliciting the assistance of subject matter experts in completing several separate portions of this project. The timeline for completion is May 31st, 2021. The detailed Request for Proposal can be found here. We are hopeful to continue this process through April 2nd, 2021, with the goal of having selected candidates by April 9th, 2021, as to give sufficient time for completion. Please feel free to reach out to Jeannine, our Executive Director, at [email protected] to express interest or with any questions. Many thanks to the Community Foundation of Grey Bruce! Request for Proposal: https://drive.google.com//18Cd_MHevhWw2BFm8W0LvvS-UAy/view

Introducing the human who runs this account, me Callum 1. What brought you to working with Eat local? I have been passionate about food and food justice for a long time, and moved to the region to support Indigenous food sovereignty movements with some of the close people in my life. As a white settler from Cornwall, Wales, and England I believe it is a deep responsibility of mine to talk to other white food folks about how we engage in supporting food sovereignty movements t...hat center BIPOC folks and include everyone. Additionally, I want to support community and farmer lead solutions to our food futures, and Eat Local does exactly that! 2. What is something that surprised you about working with the organization? I love how invested and involved everyone is, from eaters to producers to our amazing staff team and the board. This is not a job you do if you do love and believe in creating more sustainable, grassroots solutions to our current food system. 3. What is something you have learnt? It has been amazing to meet the various farmers and producers in the region and hear them talk about why they do what they do, what they believe needs to shift in our current food models, and how we can collectively change the food landscape across the region and hopefully beyond! 4. What is something you hope for Eat Local in the future? I hope for Eat Local to be able to continue to grow as an organization and to be able to reach as many folks as possible that are seeking access to healthy local foods, regardless of income. I hope I hope we continue to step into our responsibilities to the SON Nation as we exist within their territory and continue to build relationships that foster mutuality, learning, growth, care, and reciprocity at their core. 5. What is something you wished folks in the cooperative knew more about in terms of your role? That I am here to support you, answer your questions, have the conversations you want to have! Never hesitate to reach out :)

Solidarity Tokens: Our new Solidarity Token system will allow you to purchase a token through the online store at various price intervals ($2, $5, $10). Increasing your donation amount is achieved by increasing the quantity of tokens purchased at a given time. The funds from this program will go directly and exclusively into the Solidarity Model Fund. Herbal Blends Fundraiser: We are launching a new line of Teas and Tinctures made by Callum, our Outreach Manager, to fundraise... for the Solidarity Model Fund The Saugeen Food Hub, Baagidi-waad Alliance, producer payments, and one to come that is being launched soon! Only the cost of the materials will be reimbursed to the cooperative to enable Callum to continue making these products, otherwise, all proceeds will go to the organizations listed above. If you would like to become a Solidarity Member, please fill out the form below so that we can learn how to help you best, explain the process to you and answer any questions you may have. Please know that all information collected will be kept confidential within the cooperative and no one in the membership will know you are a Solidarity Member. https://airtable.com/shrSTc9TH1l08FNbk

It's Follow Friday! Every Friday we'll be posting a local group or organization from the Territory that you can follow. This week we're sharing Emily Kewageshig...'s page. Visit her here: https://www.facebook.com/artbyemilykewageshig/ or https://www.facebook.com/giizhigphotography Emily Kewageshig is a 23-year-old Anishinaabe artist. She was raised in Saugeen First Nation #29, a small community located along the shores of Lake Huron. Emily captures interconnection of life forms using acrylic paint, sometimes also working with oil paint, watercolour paint and other culturally significant materials gathered from the land. Her work consists of bold lines, bright colours, and symbolism which is inspired by traditional Ojibwe Woodland artists and Indigenous world view.

We are excited to announce four new systems that have been designed to reduce the barriers to healthy and local food for all, here are two, check out others in the next post! Free Membership: For every 40 memberships purchased, Eat Local will donate one free membership to the Solidarity Model Fund. This includes yearly membership renewals. Various Membership Level Options: New membership levels for those at various income levels will be available and will include Solidarity Member, Full-Priced Member, Coop Patron Member for $100 a year, and Coop Support Member for $250 a year. If you choose to purchase a Coop Patron or Coop Support Membership, the money over the standard membership rate of $39.55 will go toward the Solidarity Model Fund and towards supporting producer payments (this is discussed in more detail below).

We have been working hard on developing Eat Local Grey Bruce to be the best we can be, and we have a call for proposals to announce! Please read through the needs that we are looking to fill, and be in touch if you have any questions. https://docs.google.com//1iBAok0OcKygDp2brvpHx9BGzZ4e/edit

As Eat Local grows and becomes more established as an organization, we open doors to new opportunities for providing delicious local food to more folks within our region. One of the barriers that ELGB faces is supporting lower-income folks in gaining access to local, affordable food. We all know that local food is more expensive than conventional grocery stores because it reflects the true cost of food, including ecological impacts and conditions for farm workers. As an orga...nization, we strive to create alternative food systems that not only allow for more localized food distribution hubs that centre the ecological impacts of both their infrastructure and producer outputs, but also embody equitable structures within the community. The Solidarity Model has been created to allow access for lower-income families and individuals to the cooperative, because everyone deserves access to healthy and local foods regardless of income. We are also offering free memberships to Black, Indigenous, and People of colour to acknowledge the dispossession of food ways throughout history through racism, ongoing colonization and anti- Blackness. We hope you embrace the cooperative spirit with us, and embodying an ethic of solidarity, so together we can really make this program shine! Check out the next posts to learn more about the program!

Check out this weeks offerings from Wild Thyme Foodie of Chicken and Sausage Paella, and Frutti Di Mare! Ifyou have not tried their prepared meals yet, you should give them a try this week. They are amazing! . . . .... . #eatlocal #eatlocalgreybruce #localfood #greybruce #owensound #farm #foodjustice #food #cooperative #ontario #localbuisness #supportlocal #farmersmarket #ontariofarmers #local See more

There is nothing quote like fresh basil in cooking! Especially now it is seed season, you can begin to dream of all the herbs that can come into your life. The amazing thing about @newlifemicros is they grow Basil all year round check out what they have to say about it below! Reposted from @newlifemicros Genovese basil is a variety of sweet basil that originated in Italy, it produces large leaves that have a sweet and slightly spicy flavor.... Fresh or dried, basil leaves are an essential ingredient in many dishes! It is a very good source of vitamin A since it is high in beta-carotene. An excellent source of vitamin K, as well as significant amounts of magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, and vitamin C. I regularly sow genovese so that I am able provide customers with the basil at the desired stage of growth. The look as well as flavor profile changes with the plant as it grows. I sell micro and baby genovese both living and fresh cut year round. #basil #genovese #sweet #plating #flavor #microgreens #localfood #fresh #culinary

Have you ever seen Gluten Free and Vegan baking look so good?!So greatful to have Thornbury Bakery Gluten- Free. You can order them through our online store :)

Have you ever tried beet shoots? Well here is your chance! Not only do they look amazing, but they are grown locally by a chef at New Life Farm. Let us know what you think!

We are so greatful for all your support this year. We know it has not been easy navigating a global pandemic, not seeing family over the holidays, folks struggling to get what they need to support themselves and those they love. We are honored to have been an avenue to make life a little bit easier for our members. Thank you for investing in local food systems Thank you for standing by us as we navigate uncertainty ... Thank you for supporting local producers and farmers in this region Thank you for welcoming in the new year with us Amazing by @esme_batten - check out her page! Perfect photo looking at the stars and landscape of our region welcoming in the new year

When the store reopens on January 1st, a new spice blend arrives on Eat Local this week courtesy ofTwo Birds One Stone.Za'ataris a versatile mix made of sumac, thyme, oregano, coriander and sesame seeds. Try it on meat, roasted veggies, dips or a new popcorn topping! Also new is a sweet,Lavender Calendula Sugar.

This one is pretty simple! Food produced within the community means that money gets put back into the local community to support more localized financial security. When you choose to spend money on locally grown food, it keeps your money in your community. Instead of supporting large supermarket chains, you can support individuals in your own community and help them prosper. Furthermore, local food producers can supply their meat and produce to other local businesses, such as... restaurants, schools and hospitals. Many people today choose to eat at particular restaurants because they use local food. In turn, restaurants become more successful and further grow the local farming economy. By challenging what can be called Power centralization in food value chains that cause unequal sharing of benefits throughout the food chain that tend to be enormous in scale - promoting independently owned food chain elements (processors, distributors) in order to reduce reliance on power chains ensures that local food chains can internalize external costs. This means that more money comes back into the local community. There is a lot more to this - but this is a start! By supporting Eat Local Grey Bruce, you are supporting 40+ local producers, farmers, and makers livelihoods, and helping maintain the local economy! We have producers all over the region, and it is because of Eaters like you that they can continue to do what they do.

Happy Holidays everyone, our staff are greatful to have a few weeks to rest and come back even stronger for 2021 to continue building to a more just local food system <3

When we speak of food sovereignty and food justice, we speak of supporting Indigenous Food Sovereignty also. Please support if you are anle. https://drive.google.com//1u_LF_bCFBbSijzqJgHNh4-Mfp/view

Welcome to David - one of our board members! Here is a bio he wrote :) "I was born and raised on a mixed farm in Oxford County and I worked there for 9 years after leaving school. I purchased a farm near Williamsford in 1983 where we grew grain, hay, some vegetables and had u-pick strawberries. We also had a few cattle, some pigs and chickens. I worked at Mapleton’s for 6 years and during that time I helped build the ice cream processing plant.... I moved back to my farm and started to do a machinery repair business as well as some farming. We sold the farm in 2014. I have done some part time teaching at Georgian college and for the last 6 years I have worked for Earth Power Tractors in Owen Sound. On a volunteer level I have been involved with the Council of Canadians chapter locally, organic certification with OCIA Ontario, Junior Farmers in Oxford County, the Saugeen Trading Community and the Ontario Organic Farmers Co-op. Currently I am involved with the Climate Action Team and Eat Local. My wife, Dawn and I live in Owen Sound and I have 4 sons , 2 stepsons and 4 grandchildren.

Behind the scenes of the warehouse!

Ahren of Blackshire Gardens is cleaning the old Allis Chalmer's combine which needs to be cleaned between harvesting each variety. This year we'll have for sale - Black Turtle, Cannellini, Kidney and Dutch Brown.

Nothing like cute pictures of pigs to brighten your morning <3

What are you looking forward to eating this fall? Thank you to the greenhouses that make life able to continue to grow in the coming winter months

Although the season has changed a bit into the fall, here is a photo of some of the folks on our team! We deeply appreciate the opportunity to support our community and grow and learn together.

Check this out!

New products fromRedwillowhousewill also help you indulge in the taste of the season. A menu of harvest soups will help warm your soul as cooler breezes begin to blow.Chicken Tikka DahlSoupwith yellow split peas, garlic and ginger.Miso Veggie Dumpling Soupwith mushroom potato dumplings and aHarvest Chicken Soupwith squash and fennel. You will also see the return of theWild Apple Chutneya wonderful autumn blend of sweet, tart and spice!

Whether you are new to Eat Local or you have been with us since we started, you know Lukas. Lukas is our delivery driver, and is exceptional at his job. Eat Local is so grateful to have him, and is sad to say (for us) but happy for Lukas that he is graduating from driving and exploring some exciting new opportunities. We wish you all the best Lukas, thank you for everything you have done for the cooperative <3 He has a few more weeks of work - so if you seem him make sure you wish him well and thank him for all the safe deliveries to your door!

For those of you who want to join in on the Eat Local Grey Bruce No Go Gala but only want to join for the trivia portion - this option is for you! Ticket link is in our bio Enjoy an evening of Trivia with Ross and community connections all from the comfort of your own home! All the food will be sourced from our diverse array of Eat Local producers! Anyone can come, you do not need to be a member :) As a result of COVID 19, we have been working hard to accommodate the needs of... our community and as a result have grown our operation both in terms of increasing staff supports and our physical space. In a time where there is a dire need for sustainable food systems, delivery options for those most at risk, and developing robust community responses to crisis, we believe Eat Local is needed more than ever. We are committed to continuing our legacy of providing delicious, local, thought-provoking, and inclusive spaces in the region, and are deeply grateful for your continued support. Date: September 26th 2020 Time: Eat Local welcome and Trivia with Ross starting at 7 pm Location: Online! Information once you register Questions can be directed to Hannah at [email protected] Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eat-local-grey-bruce-no-go-gal

Jeannine and her Hubbard squash from Better Together. Look at this one!

The podcast 1619 by The New York Times is definitely one to listen to, specifically the episode linked below. There is a deep history of anti- Black racism within farming that needs to be seen, and abolished. https://www.nytimes.com//podcasts/1619-slavery-sugar-farm-