Cornwall ON – Two Cornwall downtown eateries will feature locally-produced foods on Moving Planet Day, Saturday September 24th. At The Grind Café and Espresso Bar, the Martin’s will be cooking up a variety of treats using apples from Marlin Orchards. Around the corner, Moustache Joe and his team will feature several local lunch options.
Owner chef Joe Aiello likes to buy produce “fresh from the farmer’s hands” and says he is a regular customer at both Cornwall farm markets.
“I don’t worry about the price, if I see something fresh and delicious, I buy it. I want to give my customers the very best quality of foods possible. I believe in offering a seasonal menu because it tastes better, but I can never get enough local food as I need fairly large quantities at once. The key to encouraging restaurants to use local food is to be able to deliver a consistent supply.”
Moustache Joe’s is located at 109 Pitt Street and the Grind Café is located at 35 Second Street East.
Moving Planet Day is a worldwide rally in support of action to address climate change. In Cornwall, the People Power: Moving Planet Rally & Parade will take place in LamoureuxParkfrom 11:00 am – noon. After the rally, organizers encourage participants and the community to come out and support the local restaurants that will be serving local fare. Michelle Gratton, member of both All Things Food and the Moving Planet event organizing committee, approached several downtown restaurants about taking part in the event; two agreed to do so. “We’re hoping that other local restaurants will take up our challenge to feature local food, not only this Saturday, but every day”.
Dana Kittle, coordinator of All Things Food, believes that buying locally-grown food contributes to more sustainable and resilient communities. She explains how eating local, sustainably-grown food also reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, much of our food travels more than 5,000 kilometers before it gets to our plates. A recent Torontostudy showed that transporting 500 grams of locally-grown lamb to the city produced seven grams of carbon dioxide, while bringing the same quantity of fresh lamb from New Zealandproduced more than eight kilograms of CO2!
Manufacturing and transporting pesticides and fertilizers, mostly made from fossil fuels, also contributes to greenhouse gases. Studies have shown that conventional farms use about 30% more energy per item produced than do organic farms using naturally-derived fertilizers and pesticides. Organic farms that rely on manure and compost for fertilizer also store more carbon in the soil, keeping it out of the atmosphere.
Not only do our food choices influence climate change, but climate change can in turn influence our food choices by increasing smog, drought and extreme weather. Some of the world’s main food-producing nations are already experiencing more-frequent dry spells and reduced crop yields, resulting in the higher prices we’ve been paying for staples such as rice, corn and wheat. By buying local, we support a local food system and become less vulnerable to global food price fluctuations.
To encourage area restaurants and families in their efforts to serve local food, All Things Food has created a “30 kilometre” local food resource guide, available at Allthingsfoodbouffe360.ca. For more information: contact 350cornwall@gmail.com.
I might also add that The Grind is happy to serve one of their wonderful coffees or teas in your reusable travel mug and I have noticed them making positive strides in serving their take-out offerings in more earth friendly packaging.
Hi Jacqueline. It’s a shame the Grind doesn’t serve Coffey’s Coffee. It’s locally roasted and fresher than any in the area…
Coffey’s coffee is available at the Island Ink-Jet INTERNET CAFE located at 8 Third Street West opposite the RBC parking lot. Come have a cup of the freshest and most delicious coffee in Cornwall.