Vert-à-Go

A small selection of the products available at the Saskatchewan indemand trade show

You still have one more day to check out the Saskatchewan indemand 2008 trade show–it’s open at Prairieland Exhibition until 5pm today (admission $5, children 6 and under free). I was there on Friday night and found a lot of interesting (and often delicious!) products on display.

Just a few of the highlights:

• Fresh and dried apples, as well as apple cider made by Petrofka Bridge Orchard (from the delicious new Prairie Sensation cultivar, created at the U of S)
• The flower-derived syrup made by Bedard Creek Acres–the red clover blossom syrup and black pansy syrup was a revelation and will definitely be added to my pancake/waffle roster!
• The cherry swirl ice cream and dried cherry almond bark by Prairie Sun Orchard (they have a lot of different ice creams and products using their home-grown cherries, raspberries, and other fruits)
• Crispeas–a dried pea snack made by KSL Foods
• Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission–giving away dried mustard and mustard seed samples, as well as sausage and cabbage relish containing…mustard!
• Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission–giving away flax seed samples, as well as flax popcorn (yum)
• Willow Creek Organic Grain Company (oats, wheat, flax, lentils etc)

Chefs compete against the clock in the 1st Annual Saskatchewan CCFCC Culinary Challenge on Friday night

There were also quite a few booths selling clothing and other textiles made from alpaca wool and fleece. The socks, sweaters, and scarves looked deliciously warm, and I had my eye on a blanket, but I couldn’t walk away without a tiny toy alpaca (wearing a hat) for the Christmas tree from Just Choice Alpacas. The flax textiles made by Madelaine Walker of Fibrelaine Weaving & Knitting (892-4886) were also lovely (I really liked the tea towels with the gingerbread boy motif).

Along with all the free samples and products for sale, you can also pick up many free recipe books and pamphlets. The SaskMade Marketplace has a large stall with many items for sale, and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture has a booth with information on funding assistance and devleopment procedures for people wanting to set up a small business in the province. There will also be a fashion show, as well as two talks: on on local food, and another on meals for busy families.

The Organic Connections conference starts today in Saskatoon. Tomorrow, I’ll be checking out the trade show and taking part in some of the workshops. I’m also looking forward to the talks by farmer and alternative agriculture guru Joel Salatin (”Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal”) and peak oil expert Richard Heinberg (”Now That the Party’s Over”). Xingji Xiao will be speaking to conference delegates about organic agriculture in China (he is the leading expert on the topic and was the first organic inspector in China) on on Tuesday morning.

The three-day conference features an organic tradeshow, workshops and a strong program covering topics of interest to producers, processors, consumers and traders in the areas of marketing, healthy living and production. It is also an opportunity to celebrate good, healthy organic food and recognize the people who contribute to putting it on tables around the world. (Organic Connections web site)

Farmers interested in making the switch to organic growing methods will find the Transition to Organic workshop series invaluable, while experienced organic farmers can learn more at the Advanced Agronomic workshop. The Organic Incubator will also give everyone the chance to meet fellow producers, processors, buyers, marketers, and certifiers, as well as the speakers, in an informal environment. To schedule an impromptu meeting in the space, talk to the organisers at the Organic Connections booth.

See you there!

When: Sunday 16 November to Tuesday 18 November

Where: TCU Place, 35 22nd St E, Saskatoon (Google map)

For more information: Organic Connections web site, info@organicconnections.ca