It is vitally important that we can continue to say, with absolute conviction, that organic farming delivers the highest quality, best-tasting food produced without artificial chemicals or genetic modification, and with respect for animal welfare and the environment, while helping to maintain the landscape and rural communities.

Prince Charles 

Pauline and Eric O’Brien are skilled at raising things: crops, cattle, pigs, chickens and children.  Yes, they have 9 kids and Pauline, who manages the farm with her family is up and working from 6am till dark.  Eric often works away from home in his profession as a Steam Fitter, along with 2 of their sons who live in the adjacent farm so farm chores fall to Pauline and the remaining family at home.

As Organic farmers the O’Briens raise all their crops and livestock using strict organic methods.  That means that they do not use chemicals on their crops, all feed is raised without chemicals and the animals themselves are not given antibiotics or any other chemical medicines. If antibiotics are required, the meat from those animals is no longer allowed to be sold as organic.  The O’Briens have been farming organically since 1995, following in the footsteps of Pauline’s sister who farms in Stratford. Living in their current farm in Cameron, Pauline related how the first year was spent fixing the barn and making hay; their crops weren’t sprayed simply because the family couldn’t afford to buy the chemicals.  Then they heard that Thompson’s in Pontypool were taking organic wheat and soybeans and were giving seminars on organics so Pauline and Eric attended the seminars and educated themselves on how to rotate their crops and feed the soil to maintain healthy plants. The animals and their feed and produce is monitored closely by Pro-Cert who authorize the organic designation. Records are kept on each individual animal, noting what the cattle are fed, how pregnant animals are fed, notes on baby animals, how much access the animals have to the outdoors and on all crops grown for food for animals and humans.  All adult cattle are kept outdoors and the calfs spend the day outside while sleeping in the barn at night as a protection from predators.

As the head of a large, healthy family Pauline grows as much food as possible to feed her family and she extends that to the meat and produce she sells at the Bobcaygeon Farmers’ Market and at the farm.  She strongly believes that healthy food is connected to peoples’ health.  Beef has been the mainstay of her fare at the Farmers’ Market, along with chickens, turkeys and ducks occasionally on offer.  This coming season for the first time the O’Briens will be selling pork products.  The first batch of their Berkshire Pigs – a heritage breed – will soon be ready.  Pauline heard about the breed when they had a chef living with them, Berkshire Pigs have excellent qualities that pork lovers look for, good marbling and great flavour, and they are an outdoor pig, essential for organic meat.  The O’Briens have built good relationships with neighbours and others in the food production business.  They believe in supporting local business and have found a lot of support from Len and Patty Thurston from the Butcher Block in Lindsay. Ron Hall Meats in Cresswell makes their sausage and smoke their meats and they cooperate with local farming families, including local Mennonite farmers such as the bakery and sawmill, often trading welding for their services.

Pauline takes her meat to the Bobcaygeon Farmers’ Market in frozen form and the meat is kept in a freezer on site.  Pauline is often asked to keep purchased meat items in her freezer while customers browse the market.  Popular cuts are high end steaks for the barbecue such as Tenderloin, Ribeye and Porterhouse, popular sausage flavours are Spicy Italian, Oktoberfest and Honey Garlic.  Always on the lookout for new product, Pauline is introducing frozen Duck Pies as well as the pork products mentioned earlier. Pauline is one of the founding members of the Bobcaygeon Farmers’ Market and is at the market every week during the season.  During the winter and when the market is not operational customers can contact the O’Briens at (705) 887-3974 or by e-mail at obrienviewfarm@xplornet.com  to place orders.

Thank you to Dave Bowland for initiating and maintaining the site to date.

In order to keep the market affordable to local vendors and continue to advertise and market to our customers, our steering committee works all year to secure product donations from local businesses and individuals (for things such as shopping bags with our logo on them and supplies for our Kids Fun Table) and grant opportunities from municipal and provincial government organizations.

The Bobcaygeon Farmers’ Market is a non-profit organization and the steering committee is 100% volunteer.  Our only paid positions are a nominal fee for our Market Manager and our student helper.

This year we are asking anyone that values what our market brings to the community to invest in the Bobcaygeon Farmers’ Market any amount that you can afford to help us operate,  promote and grow the market. Your donations are greatly appreciated and the money is wisely spent to ensure locally grown food and locally produced goods are supported and made available in our community.

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From Delano D’Silva, Vendor at the Bobcaygeon Farmers’ Market

Preparation time- 10 min

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion or 1 small shallot

1 tsp sugar

½ -1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Liter beef stock (preferably homemade)

1-3 tsp Sybil’s Green Curry Paste

2 cups 2 day old bread from farmers market

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Dice onion and slowly cook with oil and sugar until onion is caramelized. Add beef stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp of Sybil’s Curry Paste and salt and pepper. Taste and if the taste of curry isn’t present add another teaspoon.Spoon soup into oven safe bowl, add bread and cheese and broil until cheese browns and begins to bubble.

Serve!

Look at the logistics of eating local produce; it  becomes down right practical and sensible. The food is fresher and it does not have to travel that far to the market and eventually our table. This becomes a great bonus to the environment – less distance, less gas. And we all want to save on gas consumption these days! These are all factors contributing to the sustainable food system as promoted by the food charters.

The City of Kawartha Lakes is establishing a new way to look at our eating habits. The Vancouver Food Charter explains that a food charter is…”an important step forward on the path to a just and sustainable food system for the city and its residents…an ambitious, forward thinking document that promotes education, celebration and real projects for a healthy economy, a healthy ecology, and a healthy society.”

As you can see, it is not just the consumption of locally produced fresh food. Food charters, farmers’ markets, eating local produce and eating healthy are facets of embracing the many aspects of humanity. From birth to death and every celebration in between, food is central. Besides eating and celebrating, the very act of bringing fresh produce to a centrally located market place becomes a social act of bringing community together.

Local markets have been around ever since ancient times; ever since there were farmers with produce to sell. The market became the focal point of the community. It was a place to meet, to exchange news and stories, visit with your neighbours and friends as well as make your household purchases. And anyone who has attended a market can testify that these activities still go on today.

Last year our local libraries focused on “The 100 Mile Diet” by Alisa Dawn Smith. A perfect read for those looking for more information on the subject. This winter, it became the TV series, The 100 Mile Diet Challenge, in Hope, B.C.

But the best sign of the health of our communities is the increase in the number of farmers’ markets being created. They in turn contribute to our sustainable food system. This is a sustainable food system for all people, whether it is produced on local farms, backyard gardens, balconies or in community gardens, sold off the farm or in farmers’ markets; it is for everyone in our society.

Before I close, I’d just like to mention that the information for this article was taken from good old fashion newspapers, books, experience as well as the internet. Looking forward to seeing you at the market! And don’t forget…

“Get Fresh at the Bobcaygeon Farmers’ Market!”