-- Local food production practices are mindful of the preservation and maintaince of the environment.
-- Buying local food builds community through supporting the local farmers and economy.
-- According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatchewan is only 7% self-sufficient (compare: MB 57% and AB 33%). It is estimated that Sasktachwan consumers spend an $25 million anually on fresh vegetables that could be grown within the province.
-- Local food travels a shorter distance: requiring less packaging and producing less waste. Being closer to the farm results in better quality products with a fresher taste and a longer shelf life (compare: the produce at your favorite big box store; past-ripe upon purchase from having trecked the globe to get here).
-- Buying local food may reduce food waste. 1
--Over one quarter of food purchased by Saskatchewan families is wasted. According to the "Spending Patterns In Canada" outlined by Statistics Canada, in 2007 the median total income for all census families in Saskatoon was $72,970 and the average household spent $6,425 (11%) on food. At the same time, it is estimated that Canadian households wasted 29% of their food, equivalent to $1,863. Based on an Saskatoon household average of 2.4 members, each Saskatoonian spends just over $64 per person/month in food waste.
--Spending money on great quality local produce may reduce food waste as one should be more tempted to eat it due to the higher monetary investment
| Fruits | Vegetables | Herbs | Meat | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatoon berry | Legumes | Basil | Cattle: beef & dairy | Honey |
| Apples | Cabbage | Garlic | Hogs | Rye |
| Dwarf sour cherries | Beets | Dill | Bison | Flaxseed |
| Raspberry | Carrots | Parsley | Poultry & eggs | Wheat |
| Strawberry | Peas | Coriander | Sheep/lamb | Quinoa |
| Sea buckthorn berries | Soybeans | Chamomile | Elk | Oils:sunflower & canola |
| Pin cherry | Lentils | Tarragon | Wild boar | Mustard |
| Haskap | Peas | Coriander | Venison | Wild Rice |
-- List is not exhaustive
-- The interest in organic food production is increasing. "In 2005, Saskatchewan
comprised more than half (295,000 hectares) of all the certified organic land in Canada and more
than one-third (1,200) of organic producers."
-- Organic producers in the province are comprised of: 92 livestock, 12 vegetable, 3 orchards. The majority of organic farming is in grain and oilseed.
1 According to the "Spending Patterns In Canada" outlined by Statistics Canada, in 2007 the median total income for all census families in Saskatoon was $72,970 and the average household spent $6,425 (11%) on food. At the same time, it is estimated that Canadian households wasted 29% of their food, equivalent to $1,863. Based on an Saskatoon household average of 2.4 members, each Saskatoonian spends just over $64 per person/month in food waste.
-- Saskatchewan Organic Marketing and Processing Directory
-- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Vegetables: A Growing Industry
-- Vegetable Program, Dept. of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan: Recommended varieties for Saskatchewan producers
-- Farming In Saskatchewan