REGIONAL NEWS COLUMN From page 26
tle of the white wine. It was a 2007 and cost us all of €5 (about $8 CDN). At a Canadian winery we would have shelled out more than twice that much. Our bottle disappeared so fast at the family Thanksgiving celebration that I barely had a taste! Later that day, in the same area, we stopped to watch foreign workers harvest grapes on a hillside. The ruins of what was once a small chapel stood nearby. I took many photographs of the operation. On reflection they look like they could have been shot 50 years ago. The fall grape harvest in the Alsace continues the same way it has for centuries. The situation in Germany is virtually identical. The only difference is the Black Forest is more picturesque. Germany is undoubtedly most famous for its beer. But the wine produced in the Baden region is, as they say in Germany, “wunderbar” (wonderful). The magical village of Gengenbach where we stayed for eight days is surrounded by vineyards.
The local “Gengenbacher” wines are superb. I prefer red wine and I particularly enjoyed their “Spätburgunder Rotwein” (red wine made from pinot noir grapes). In fact I enjoyed it every day we were there. I also like their prices. You can buy a 750 millilitre bottle of wine in Germany for as little as €3 ($4.80 CDN). And that’s for a four or five-year-old vintage! Not surprisingly the amount and the variety of wine (including many bottle sizes) available in supermarkets in Germany and France is vast. Without the intrusion of constant government tax hikes the prices are low. Obviously drinking responsibly is very important and, despite more liberal attitudes toward alcohol in Europe, binge drinking remains a serious problem. Wine is meant to be savoured and enjoyed in moderation. We did just that during our latest European adventure. For me, witnessing the grape harvest there was a major highlight. If you have a comment or question for Jeff Maguire he can be reached by email at: jeffrey.maguire@ rogers.com.
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Bill to promote local food passes final vote News – Ontario is moving forward to help promote the good things that are grown, harvested and processed in Ontario with the passage of the Local Food Act, 2013 on Nov. 5. The new legislation is part of a strategy to build Ontario’s economy by making more local food available in markets, schools, cafeterias, grocery stores and restaurants. This will create jobs and expand the province’s agri-food sector. “The Local Food Act will benefit people by making the connection between buying local and helping grow an important Ontario industry,” stated Ontario Premier and Minister of Agriculture and Food, Kathleen Wynne. “If we increase demand to homegrown food, we will create jobs and boost the agri-food
sector’s contributions to our economy. It’s an important and historic step forward and I thank everyone who helped support this legislation.” The new legislation – the first of its kind in Canada – will increase local food awareness and boost sales by setting local food goals and targets in consultation with sector partners. The act will also create a non-refundable tax credit of 25 per cent for farmers who donate their surplus harvest to eligible community food programs such as food banks, and proclaim a Local Food Week that will take place annually, beginning the first Monday in June. Building a stronger agrifood industry is part of the government’s economic plan to support a dynamic and innovate business climate, invest
vegetables, livestock, dairy, poultry, grains and oilseeds. Food processors in Ontario purchase about two-thirds of the food that is produced on the province’s farms. Ontario’s Local Food Fund is part of a $30 million investment from the province to create jobs and support innovative local food projects over the next three years. “By raising the profile of local food, the Local Food Act will provide Ontario food and beverage processors with an opportunity to further develop local food systems and market development strategies,” said Steve Peters of the Alliance of Ontario Food Processors. “Ontario consumers are demanding high quality food and drink and our processors are willing and able to deliver,” he added.
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in people and invest in agriculture. “The Local Food Act will serve as a constant reminder of the bounty of Ontario. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is happy to see that it will target food literacy, local food use and will help farmers attend to the needs of others through a community food donation tax credit,” said the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s Mark Wales. The Local Food Act will also require the government to produce an annual local food report on its activities to support local food. The province’s agri-food sector contributes approximately $34 billion to the economy and supports more than 740,000 jobs across Ontario; while farmers produce more than 200 commodities, including fruits,
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The Carleton Place Civitan club will collect non-perishable items for the food bank and monetary donations for the Christmas basket fund along the parade route
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