Food Day Canada with Prairie Farmer Simon Ellis

celebrateWe’ve paired up with Food Day Canada® to celebrate amazing Canadian grown ingredients.

All across Canada you will find some of the most amazing ingredients and at no time is the harvest more spectacular than in July and August.

Let us introduce you to Prairie Farmer Simon Ellis who prides himself in growing top quality food for Canadians.

After speaking with Simon, he left me wanting to take a city dweller to his farm, show them the natural habitat along the creek, the cultivated fields, the growing crops.

And to help them understand how their food is grown with care, share in his pride for the land and the finished product.

#OCanadaFood with Simon Ellis

Farmer Simon Ellis | www.canolaeatwell.comAt 27, Simon Ellis has many passions – agriculture, nature, cooking, health, fitness and family.  As a fourth generation farmer on Black Creek Farm north of Wawanesa, Manitoba he has a deep connection to the land.

He and wife Amanda love walking along the creek which runs through their property.

You can hear the pride and enthusiasm in Simon’s voice when he discusses farming and food production.

Q: What are you growing on your farm this season?

Wheat, canola, oats, soybeans and corn.

Q: Do you think the average consumer makes a connection between to what you produce and what’s on their plate?

This can be a challenge as my crops are not in a ‘ready to eat’ form.  With fruits, vegetables, dairy, eggs or meats the farm to plate correlation is straightforward.  When it comes to flour, bread, pasta, canola oil or tofu the association is often more with the processor than the farmer.

Q: What can be done for consumers to more readily make that connection?

More education. Social media can play a big role for farmers to share their stories.

Canola Oil | www.canolaeatwell.com

Q: How do you feel when you see products on the grocery store shelf which your farm helped produce?

With our gluten-free oats, which are sold directly to Avena Foods, a farmer-owned Canadian company, there is definitely a source of pride.

Grain and oilseed farmers aren’t always able to sell direct to a miller or processor so it isn’t always easy to make that association with a particular finished product in a store.

But I always buy Canadian – our grains and oilseeds are the best in the world.

Q: What will be on your menu for Food Day Canada?

We will be hosting a crop tour and barbeque for 25 people. The menu, sourced from local farmers and my Mom’s garden, is yet to be finalized but will include:

  • Beef or Pork
  • Beets, Carrot and/or Corn
  • Cheese
  • Apple or Rhubarb Crisp
  • Farmery Beer (made from Manitoba barley)

To view Simon’s  #OCanadaFood and learn more about Black Creek Farm’s contribution to your grocery cart you can follow Simon on Twitter: @FarmLifeMB.

#OCanadaFood Challenge: Celebrate Canada’s Amazing Ingredients!

twitter-party

Food Day Canada® and Canola Eat Well are challenging Canadians to cook all-Canadian menus starting July 16th leading up to Food Day Canada, August 2nd. Through social media, @CanolaGrowers and @FoodDayCanada will be asking Canadians to post photos of their #OCanadaFood. 

Tag & Win!  Tag your photo on Twitter with #OCanadaFood between July 16th and August 2nd and be entered to win a prize pack (valued at $100) from Canola Eat Well.

The Guidelines:  The ingredients must be Canadian grown and harvested.  If there are accompanying beverages, they also must be Canadian in origin.

Join the Twitter Party! Join Canadian chefs, farmers, home cooks and food lovers, Tuesday, July 29th from 8pm – 9pm EST. RSVP to receive reminders for the event! Participate in the #OCanadaFood Twitter Party and be entered to win 1 of 2 prize packs (valued at $100 each) from Canola Eat Well.

What are you waiting for? Find Canadian ingredients at your local grocery store or farmers markets, harvest your garden, grab your canola oil and get cooking!

Eat Well…Sandi Knight

Sandi Knight | www.canolaeatwell.comSandi Knight is a farm wife and mom of two grown children who is passionate about agriculture, food, cooking and gardening.

She believes one of the keys to a healthy, balanced lifestyle is by making the kitchen not only a place to create nutritious, flavourful meals but also by making it a place a dance!