We all need it and it is one of the major ways that we impact the world. Whether that is from the chocolate choices (cacao from child/slave labour from mega corporations), Fair Trade, organic, local, plant-based, too much, wasteful, etc they all have some level of impact.
Edmonton is blessed by having several excellent farmer’s markets which offer us some great food. Some of the vendors also offer certified organic. I will only be highlighting those businesses that offer organic and local at these farmer’s markets. This is a judgment call by me. If you have your favourite non-organic stall at the farmer’s market – good for you.
Of course, one of the very best ways you can deal with the food issue is to grow your own. You would be surprised about how much food you can produce from a small yard. During the World Wars people grew a sizeable amount of the food needed on their lands/in their yards. It has been done in the past. Gardening also gives you lots of other benefits – exercise, connecting to the earth and to natural systems, community, etc. Of course, please do your gardening/food production organically – without the use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides.
If you don’t have land – ask around your neighbourhood. There are lots of retired people that no longer are able to garden but would love for someone to garden on their land. There are also community gardens throughout the city but they tend to get filled up fairly fast. A great bonus of using someone’s land and/or at a community garden is that you have a source of knowledge about growing from the homeowner or others at the community garden. This is an interesting platform regarding Land Sharing from the UK and I thought that there was a similar one in Canada but that was a few years ago.
Of course, when you produce your own food a lot of it comes all at once. You will need to figure out how to preserve it for the non-growing periods of the year (winter).
For a list of Community Gardens in Edmonton, you can visit this City of Edmonton website.
For a complete listing of all of the markets in Edmonton, you can visit this City of Edmonton website.
Local organic food producers offer their products at the farmer’s markets and through CSAs. This list is in no particular order and if I am missing some please let me know:

• Peas on Earth
• Sundog Organic Farm
• Sparrow’s Nest Organic Farm
• Sunrise Organic Gardens
• Reclaim Urban Farm

Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton (OFRE) – OFRE will mobilize volunteers to harvest, process, preserve and donate local fruit. OFRE will get the fruit in the hands, mouths, and minds of people in the Edmonton capital region by fostering community involvement and knowledge sharing. They have workshops and a great community of people that glean food from across our city.
Food Forests – I suggest checking out a local tree and bee activist named Dustin Bajer. He is doing some exciting work in the city. There are some other individuals doing excellent projects throughout the city around food production.
Indoor ‘Gardening’ / Food production – yes, we can grow food inside. A friend of mine has written a good book on the subject – The Indoor Gardener.
Edmonton Organic Growers Guild – Learn through volunteering in a garden – “Enjoy the rewards of volunteering to grow vegetables for those in need, harvest some vegetables for your own use, while staying physically active and making new friends! Located on the University of Alberta South Campus, you can easily access our gardens by LRT, car, or bike. Unlike many community gardens, we garden communally. There are no individual plots. This means that communication, give and take, and friendliness are important. And we’re all volunteers–everyone is responsible for the garden’s success.”
Green and Gold Garden – “The Green & Gold Community Garden is a community garden with a difference. We think of it as a garden with both local and global benefits. The Garden is run by volunteers and is located on the beautiful University of Alberta Farm in the heart of Edmonton. Our produce is grown using organic gardening practices, with no pesticides or herbicides. The Garden is open to the public during twice-weekly markets, when our freshly picked produce is available. All of the proceeds go towards supporting the Tubahumurize Association in Rwanda. Bring your family and friends to see a small working farm, learn about growing food locally, walk around the paths and enjoy the Garden!” Volunteer opportunities.