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Edible Tours
A bus tour takes guests to more than one location for a day filled with discovery about food. This
format eliminates the need for parking at farms and only enough space for a bus to turn around is
needed. Food samples or tastes offered at each stop or a tour stop could feature a restaurant with
a local item on their menu. The picnic lunches of Vancouver’s Farm Folk, City Folk Incredible
Edible tours is one example. http://www.ffcf.bc.ca/programs/past_projects.html
Taste Events and Wandering Picnics
These might be either indoor or outdoor events. The venue could be a large park, a farm,
community hall, or conference centre. Chefs are paired with farms to create and present new
dishes using local ingredients. The ticket price includes a number of coupons which guests can
exchange for sample size dishes and drinks.
Feast of Fields is an outdoor version of this format. Guests are given a cloth napkin, a plate and a
wine glass and are encouraged to wander to different stations through out the site tasting small
servings of food and drink. Several feasts take place across Canada usually in late summer or early
fall to coincide with the peak of the season for fresh fruits and vegetables. Locations include
Calgary and British Columbia. http://slowfoodcalgary.ca/events/ http://www.feastoffields.com
Crop Specific Food Festival
Corn, garlic, tomatoes, saskatoons and pumpkins have entire themed events in their honour. If
your area is known for a specific food or crop this could be a good option. The theme could be
carried throughout a whole day or weekend with demonstrations on how the food is grown and
harvested, taste tests, meals featuring the food as an ingredient, and more. The Gilroy Garlic
Festival is an example from California. http://www.gilroygarlicfestival.com/
Source the Local Foods
A local food event requires access to local foods. While local foods are now more available, be
prepared to look beyond the grocery store. We are accustomed to accessing foods from all over the
world and year round. Many foods are not available fresh year round; therefore, searching for
local food can feel limiting at first, but Alberta does have four seasons.
Start by considering the landscapes and farms of your area. Review the crops and foods that are
available (see appendix one for a full list for Alberta). Don’t forget to explore Alberta made
beverages; there are more local beers, wines and meads available all the time. Here is a list to help
you source local:
• Alberta Regional Cuisine Sourcing Directory – This is a database of Alberta farmers and food
producers who are willing and able to supply local foods.
http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app68/dinealberta