Our 11 Fave Farm foodsters (excerpt) by John Gilchrist and Catherine Caldwell
Swerve, October 12, 2007

Calgary’s first couple of cuisine pick their favourite purveyors of farm fresh food. All of it is available year round at local markets and stores – but it’s at its peak right now.

‘Tis fall, and the frost, as they say, is on the pumpkin. Right now it’s also doing a number on the turnips, the Brussels sprouts, and the kohlrabi. The chard is looking a little limp.  It’s time to bring in all the gourds and roots, separate the parsley roots from the parsnips, and shake the dirt off the spuds. It’s harvest season, time to enjoy the bounty of the land around us and the company of friends and family.

Over the past few years, we’ve come to know a number of farmers and food producers whose fare we enjoy and, even more importantly, trust. They are mostly Alberta folks (there’s one from BC) who, in one way or another, champion the local, seasonal ideals of the slow food movement. They grow organic carrots and heirloom tomatoes, they raise chickens with flavour, and they create unique edibles from raw Alberta grains.

We like the flavours and the quality of this food. Some is organic. Some isn’t. That’s not an absolute requirement for us. Some of their products are available in large grocery chains, but the natural habitat of the new generation of old-style farmers and processors seems to be farmers’ markets and smaller retail outlets. At the farmers’ markets, you can meet these producers face to face and find out how they grow their crops, feed their animals and process their foods.

So, in the spirit of harvest time, we’d like to share a bit about our 11 favourite farmers whose fare fills our kitchen every week. Even though the fresh feasts of summer are behind us, a full bounty still lies ahead.

Highwood Crossing

Breakfast just wouldn’t be breakfast around our house without a big bowl of Highwood Crossing’s Oatmeal topped with fresh fruit. For variety, we may have Highwood’s Sunflower Flaxseed Granola. And when we dress a salad or add oil to a dish, it’s often with Highwood’s cold-pressed canola oil.

Having grown crops without chemicals for almost 20 years, Tony and Penny Marshall are local pioneers of the organic movement. They purchase organic grains from other growers, too, and process them all into flours, oils and mixes. They control the process and the product throughout, creating tasty, wholesome grain products.

Highwood Crossing, which is located south of Calgary along the Highwood River, is also home to River Café’s kitchen garden. Each summer and fall the chefs of River Café nurture an organic garden on the farm, gathering vegetables for the restaurant and learning about farming. (Even professional chefs don’t always know a lot about how food is grown without first-hand experience.)

Available at: Amaranth Whole Foods Market, Calgary Co-op, Community Natural foods, Safeway, Sunterra Market, Sunnyside Market.
Our Favourite Dish: Hot oatmeal topped with fresh blueberries and sometimes a splash of Vital Green cream.