Welcome !

Supporting local food producers and urban agriculture is part of BurlingtonGreen’s mandate for a healthy environmentally responsible City.

In 2011 BurlingtonGreen received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and from the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion & Sport Healthy Communities Fund to do outreach and help improve awareness about the importance of people sourcing their food from local suppliers and farmers; to establish a Local Food Resource Network to help people make local food connections, and to create and manage a Community Garden Demonstration site partnering with the City of Burlington. Since then we have been very busy working to achieve these goals.

The NEW Go Local Food Network website is under development and will be launched in March 2012 with all kinds of buying, growing, cooking resources and much more.  Knowing you are here now we have already begun to gather some local food related information to help you, so please click on the topic links further below.

*Plot rental applications will be available beginning March 7th online here or in person between 7pm – 8:30pm at Centennial Hall, Central Library for our SPECIAL MARCH 7 REGISTRATION LAUNCH EVENT:

At the event not only will you learn all about the Central Park Community Garden, but you can watch an inspiring brief video about the empowerment and importance of growing your own food. Learn how you can benefit your health, decrease your grocery bill, and lessen your global footprint, and then apply for a Central Park garden plot rental.

Learn more about the Central Park Community Garden and how you can get involved here.

 More info here Central Park Community Garden to open Spring 2012.

 *Grand Opening Day Sat. May 5^th, 10 am at the garden

Find out what’s growing in Central Park.Get involved, get dirty - help plant in the demonstrative and pollinating gardens. Join a community of kitchen gardeners eager to start the 2012 season. 

Mark these dates for the

Grow Learn & Eat Healthy

Speaker Series:

~ Crops that Wow with Steven Biggs  - Thursday, May 17^th, 7pm, Centennial Hall, Central Library

If your veggie garden space is limited, why grow what you can easily buy? Find out how to paint the supper table with a surprising array of coloured veg. Then add an exotic touch with intercultural crops treats that are hard to find at the supermarket. If you grow veg or want to grow veg, but want to be a bit different, this talk is for you.

~ Edible Healthy Gardens with Jodi Vanderhayden -Tuesday, June 12, 7pm, Centennial Hall, Central Library              

Achieve good health and well being while in your garden this year by including beneficial vegetables and herbs.  Jody is a Horticulturist Royal Botanical Gardens who manages the Veggie Village demonstration gardens.

~ Garden Harvest Recipes with Michelle Gatien -  Tuesday, July 31st, 7pm, St. Christopher’s Church kitchen (TBC) 

Need to know what to do with all those cukes and tomatoes?  Join us in the kitchen to explore seasonal recipes and preserves with ingredients straight out of your garden.  

~ Extending the Growing Season with Linda Crago -  Tuesday, September 11^th, 7pm, Centennial Hall, Central Library

Tree and Twig Heirloom Vegetable Farmer, Linda shares her knowledge, seed saving techniques, favourite harvest recipes and preserving methods.  

 Remember to check out the calendar of events in the menu bar on the right) for many other community  Go Local Food events (in purple) happening throughout the year.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? - please contact us HERE

• Why, What & Where is Local Food?
• Local Food Certification
• Local Food Resources/Helpful Links
• Profiles of Local Food & Drink Suppliers
• What's in Season & Recipes
• How to Grow it Yourself & Halton's Community Gardens
• When & Where Local Food Events
• Local Food News items

More NEWS..

 It's a new year with new possibilities. Supporting our local food system can include small steps like shifting part of your entertainment and grocery expenses to local food sources and businesses, growing some of your own food at home, in a community garden, or helping to start a new school garden, to immersing yourself whole scale 24/7. At any level it is important to strive for a sustainable lifestyle that lowers your ecological footprint . "Be the Change" and explore what opportunities may await you in 2012.

Looking for a new organic food or farm job or internship opportunity in 2012? The best time to apply as an intern on an organic farm is before the middle of February. As farms start planning out their growing season, apprentice positions can fill up fast. Deciding which farms would be right for you will allow ample time to self-educate on the many benefits of joining a local farm, the intern lifestyle, and the skills involved in sustainable farming practices.
Several opportunities have been posted since December for Southern Ontario farms including Everdale, Plowshare and Ingnatius in the Guelph area, and Manorun in Ancaster.
For other local area sustainable farm intern positions and to learn about what being a farm intern is all about click here.

 Many other sustainable local food system jobs from marketeers to chefs, finance and drivers are also posted at GoodWork Canada here.

Here's to a new year of healthy and happy living, working and eating!

Thank you Sarah Carter of carter-creative.ca for creating the Go Local Food Network logo and all project illustrations!