New Brunswick celebrates Organic Week

Sackville – Itʼs Organic Week in Canada! Starting Saturday, October 15 through to Saturday, October 22, dozens of activities are taking place across the country to highlight organic food and agriculture.

In New Brunswick, several retailers and chefs are getting involved and choosing to feature local organic ingredients for the week.

For Chef Jesse Vergen, of the Saint John Alehouse, it was only natural to highlight the grass-fed organic beef from Larry Slippʼs 7th generation farm.

“Larryʼs beef cattle are born and raised on the shores of the Saint John River–theyʼve got a full flavour that our customers love,” said Vergen.

Chef Vergenʼs burger will also be served with a homemade bun made from New Brunswickʼs own Speerville Flour Mill grains and accompanied by one of Picaroonʼs award-winning local brews. This local organic special is available all week long.

Chef Carson Edwards of Boutoucheʼs Dune View Inn has a unique twist on Organic Week.

“Our inn and restaurant is also a certified organic farm, where we grow more than fifty varieties of vegetables throughout the year,” said Edwards. “We are proud to feature dishes during the week that are part of our 100-metre diet!”.

Retailers are also making their mark, with many offering special promotions and opportunities for the public to meet with farmers.

Dolma Foods in Moncton will be launching its salad bar for Organic Week, using local organic greens from Susan Linkletterʼs Earth Friendly Farm in Salisbury. The public is also invited to stop by during the week to meet Susan and hear more about her farm. Other participating retailers include Winterwood in Sussex, Sequoia Whole Foods and Corn Crib Natural Foods in Moncton, Aura Whole Foods, Real Food Connections and True Food Organics in Fredericton.

In New Brunswick, the Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN) has been coordinating the Organic Week events.

“We have so much to celebrate in this province, with more and more organic farmers and supportive businesses starting up every year,” said Theresa Richards, ACORNʼs New Brunswick Coordinator. “Itʼs a great time to invite friends over for a local organic meal and support our farmers.”

At the national level, Organic Week has also organized a special contest for people wanting to share some of their best organic ideas: the Organic Breakfast Challenge is open to anyone in Canada who has a great recipe, picture, or memory of “Mom’s favourite” meal. A winner will be selected every day during Organic Week and will receive a basketful of great organic goodies and coupons from participating companies. Anyone can enter from the Organic Week website or Facebook page.

For more events in New Brunswick, and right across Canada, visit the Organic Week website. To find local organic food in New Brunswick, contact ACORN (Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network) at 506-536-2867 or visit the website.

Additional Information

For more information, contact Theresa Richards, 506-536-2867 or theresar@acornorganic.org

ACORN website: www.acornorganic.org

Organic Week website: www.OrganicWeek.ca

Organic Week on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/organicweek

Organic Breakfast Challenge: www.Facebook.com/organicweek

Organic Week on Twitter: www.twitter.com/organicweek

Organic Week event hashtag: #oweek

About Organic Week 2011

Canadaʼs National Organic Week is the largest annual celebration of organic food, farming and products across the country. Hundreds of individual events showcase the benefits of organic agriculture and its positive impact on the environment. Organic represents a vibrant alternative food system and an alternative option for clothing, personal care and cleaning products.

We have so much to celebrate in Canada:

•    A growing sector. Organic farming is a rare success story for Canadian agriculture with lots of new farmers, fair prices and growing markets in Canada and abroad.
•    A transparent food source. Organic foods are the most regulated in Canada, offering Canadians a healthy source of food that isnʼt just good for our health, but also good for the health of our environment.
•    A source of food that is sustainable in the future. Organic farmers work with nature, not against it to produce food that doesnʼt degrade soil quality, ensuring future generations will have access to the rich farmland that exists in Canada.
There are more than 60 certified organic farms and processors in New Brunswick, including vegetables, livestock, eggs and maple products.