Health-conscious urbanite seeks fresh farm fare.
Local farmers seek customers for straight-from-the-earth produce.
Sounds to us like a match made in (gastronomic) heaven.
Enter the matchmaker – Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association. The farmers’ collective has published a roadmap-style list of farms and their products which they’ll kindly mail you free of charge. (E-mail them to request a copy.)
Prefer the Internet to paper (to help save some trees)? Alberta’s Department of Agriculture has also put out a list of all the farms in Alberta that offer U-pick services and gate sales (www.agric.gov.ab.ca/farm_fresh_map).
This year, at least five farms just on the outskirts of Calgary will sell fruits, vegetables, meats or herbs—all (literally) at their front door. We can get our fruit ’n’ veggie fix at Buckler Farms, a century-old family farm just 45 km from the city. A quick zip to Okotoks, and we’ll be at Willowbank Ranch to load up on their incredible preservative-free beef and Saskatoon berries.
Gate sales are seasonal, so check with the individual farms before heading out. We recommend calling ahead to be sure the farm has a good supply of what you want.
(June is a great month for asparagus, lettuce, onions, peas, radishes and tomatoes.)
Sounds like love at first bite.
Alberta Farm Fresh Association
www.albertafarmfresh.com
1-800-661-2642
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