The local food movement, which has been going strong for many years, has a number of positive effects for our local farmers and communities.

Ontario produces more asparagus than the rest of Canada combined, with 90 growers alone in the province; this amounts to 3500 acres worth of asparagus to harvest from. It is a $25 million dollar industry. Due to asparagus farmers investing in this kind of research and breeding, initially, it was a success story. But circumstances quickly changed.

Not only is it fun to walk through colourful stalls of produce, flowers, and baked goods, it's a great way to support local farmers and stock up on wholesome ingredients. There always seems to be a new ingredient or product I haven't tried and I love getting to know the local vendors and businesses that work so hard to help us get fresh, delicious food on our plates! There really is nothing like fresh ingredients to really add that extra touch to a home cooked meal.

A baby's relationship with food begins with their first bites. What babies eat early on has a profound effect on how their eating habits develop as they grow up. Exposure to a wide variety of flavors and textures develops their palate for good food.