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Welcome to a guided tour of Vancouver Island Local Food!
THE CONCEPT:
Local Living – Close to the Table
We have approached the website design as if it’s a guidebook – dividing the region up into culinary areas or food trails. When you go to a specific area you will find blogs, articles, news and events information relating to that area. Readers are able to post their comments, suggestion and tips related to each post. There will be info on finding and preparing fresh food and drink, close to your table.
There are many fine non-profit groups doing great work for our region. One of our goals is to help them market and promote their programs and events. We’ll give free links and space to these groups and act as a catalyst for their fundraising and educational activities.
A few of the subjects that will be covered in the website are:
- food trails – regional tours to explore local food
- restaurants – the local heroes
- farms – the real dirt on where to dig
- markets – the artisans and reputable merchants
- producers – the growers and the makers
- information – on food community events and issues.
ISLAND FOOD TRAILS
A key tool we promote is a self guided tour of the charms of our region. The way to truly explore a region is to get out and visit the farms, producers and fishermen of the region.
How you explore these routes is up to you. Drive, cycle, hike or stroll around a culinary themed route and you’ll live life a little better. We have an abundance of great local experiences out there waiting to be discovered.
Once you build a strong connection to the source of your food, you are motivated to continue to support our local food system. We’d like to help build that connection between the farms and the tables of our region.
For example: one of the Island Food Trails is the Cowichan Valley Tour. Click on this region and you are able to access all the posts and comments that relate to that area. Each businesses or location mentioned in the post is enabled with Google maps to show you exactly how to find it on the ground.
We’ll recommend a great sequence of places to visit on your explorations of the area. There will be tips on seasonal treats like field fresh asparagus, where to u-pick fruit or how to purchase locally made cheeses, breads and artisan products. We salute the best of each region in a profile of local heroes and champions of the regional food scene.
COOKING, TIPS & RECIPES
Another great feature of the website is the Farm-to-Table recipe section. Here the viewer will find recipes that use local ingredients and producers. Each recipe is cross-referenced by cooking style and seasons. We encourage readers and chefs to submit their own recipes and share stories on family traditions around the table.
We’ll focus on preparing the best local products along with a guideline for eating at peak seasonal times. This is also when products are abundant and at their best prices. Shopping smartly can translate into good value eating all year round.
For example the fall will feature tips on buying and preserving wild mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes and other harvest bounty.
The site is meant to grow and be enriched by the community who use it. Add your comments, your favourite recipes, your source for the finest local ingredients and stir in your love for the food and drink of our great region.
