Penokean Farms: local beef for your dinner table

Learn about how local beef farmers have organized together to survive the global market for beef by marketing to the local community.

Response has been great so far, which is no surprise – local, organic meat is going to taste far better than anything trucked in to the grocery store.

There is also something attractive about knowing where your food has come from, and knowing it isn’t full of harmful hormones, pesticides and other chemicals.

Alicia Mills, marketing intern with Penokean Farms shares more with me on this new venture. To order beef for your table, visit their web site.

Video taken at the Horticultural Society’s annual plant sale event.

Looking for a way to compost but don't have the option of an outside bin? Courtney, a Katimavik volunteer with Clean North explains all there is to know about worm composting.

I had no idea worms could eat that much! It's also a lot easier than you might think. You can order a worm composting kit, complete with renewable coir soil from Clean North.

Video taken at the Horticultural Society's annual plant sale event.

The rocks and trees group gets together once a month to chat about all things green and good for us and the environment, that is when we aren’t eating some good eats. Potlucks are the best!

This month we were at Tim Kelly’s place.

My 3.5 year old daughter Malia was the videographer, her first video production.

This is a great event. Bring the kids – they’ll enjoy looking at all the incredible variety of plants. Be sure to bring cash or a cheque book, though or you’ll be begging the neighbour you bump into there for a $20 bill.

I’m hoping to pick up some tomatoe plants, maybe a few garden tools and some compost. See you there!

The Red Cross has a community kitchens program. It’s a great way to share the work of cooking and meet other people at the same time. Meals are cheap (only $5 for the event) and good for you.

The recipes come from the fun Looney Spoons and Crazy Plates cookbooks, which we use at our house also.

WHERE: Best Start Hub/Child Care Algoma, 148 Dacey Road
WHEN: June 9th, 6:00pm to 7:30pm

Menu for June 9th:

• Bean Me Up Scotty (soup)
• The Thigh Who Loved Me (bbq chicken) and noodles
• LA Slaw
• BonBon Jovi (dessert)

Cooking dates for 2008 are:

• June 9th 2008
• July 14th 2008
• August 11th 2008

Spaces limited to 6 families

Local bike shop owner André Riopel has a contest going on right now until May 31. Just send an e-mail every time you ride and tell the organizers where you rode, and your name will be put into a draw.

Every Friday, there’s a draw for a free bike tune-up and other prizes. 

Here are the most recent winners.

I used to cycle to work, but now I work from home – can’t get more energy efficient than that. Maybe I should ride around the block in order to qualify.

Earlier I posted a congratulatory message for the Ontario government’s proposed legislation to ban lawn pesticides. Well recently I read two updates that make me cringe. One came from the Ontario Environment Network via Don McGorman, a member of Clean North and active participant in the Rocks and Trees citizens group. The other is a letter to the editor from Al Simard, the president of Saving The Region of Ontario North Group (STRONG).

New law may overturn more stringent municipal bylaws

Section 7.1 (5) of the Bill states:

“A municipal by-law is inoperative if it addresses the use, sale, offer for sale or transfer of a pesticide that may be used for a cosmetic purpose.” 

According to the alert, this express preemption of local by-laws is not necessary. Municipal by-laws can co-exist with provincial measure so long as there are no direct conflicts, and there is clear law defining what constitutes such a conflict. It’s important to have a local by-law on the books even if there is a similar ban because the city is in a much better position to be conducting enforcement and education about the by-law.  

Gaping loophole for pesticide use?

The alert goes on to state that all kinds of exemptions can be made:

Furthermore, Bill 64′s open-ended exemption for “other prescribed uses” of pesticides is a gaping loophole and should be closed. As the Bill is written now, the Minister could, for example, add exemptions such as weed infestations and the like.  It is therefore crucial that any exemptions be narrow and very specifically defined and that overall policy decisions be determined by the elected legislature and not delegated to the provincial bureaucracy. Bill 64 as drafted fails to meet these criteria. 

Al Simard of STRONG also points out that the forestry industry will still be able to use chemical pesticides, chemicals that end up in the air, water, fish, and wildlife making their way into the food chain. So those of us in the North will continue to be exposed. In contrast, Quebec forests have been chemical free since 2001.

Make your voice heard

The Government is open to comments on Bill 64 until May 22, 2008. (see consultations for a background). Add your voice to ensuring local bylaws can be maintained and that loopholes are closed. You might also want to contact your local MPP, that being David Orazietti here in the Sault, and the Ministry of the Environment.

For more information

To learn more, read prominent lawyer Samuel Trosow’s entire article about the current weaknesses of Bill 64.

Lee Ann Chevrette, the queen of local consumption and organizer of the Algoma Food Network sent me information about a local beef operation having a grand opening this Saturday:

Penokean Hills Farms invites you to join them for their Official Launch on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at the Algoma Co-op AG Centre in Echo Bay from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with speeches and ribbon cutting at noon. 

There will be Penokean Hills’ beef on a bun available, and coupons for 10% off of a 25 lb Variety or Standard box of beef (only one box per coupon, valid only from May 3 to May 10, 2008, and valid only on at pick-up locations – no delivery). The event is in conjunction with a community event called “Echo Bay is 4 Sale,” – where the community holds numerous yards sales on that day. 

Please come out and support your local farmers.

I don’t eat beef myself, but if I did, I’d be giving them a call. If anyone gets information on how to purchase and pickup their product, let me know and I’ll post it here. 

Contact information for Penokean Farms:

971-MEAT (6328)
penokeanhillsfarms AT gmail DOT com
http://www.penokeanhillsfarms.com 

Frank posted this on the Rocks and Trees mailing list today. 

If anyone knows who may be interested in fresh farm eggs please let me know. My mother has a farm at St. Joe’s Island and wants to sell some of her eggs – she says her hens are laying like crazy and needs to get rid of some. I have to admit the eggs taste much better than the ones I’ve bought from the store. For the most part the eggs are organic aside from the feed she uses which is not organic. Anyway if anyone is interested – the cost is $3.00 per dozen – you can call me at 256-8331 or send me an email (frankmc12345@yahoo.com)

Sign me up Frank for some of those overachieving hens’ eggs.

Photo used with permission

Some news worth cheering about. Back in February, some of us made the effort to comment online on the Ontario government’s proposal to ban lawn and garden pesticides. Apparently that strong public support had an influence. Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen told the Toronto Star that, “90 per cent of the people that responded to it [the proposed ban] responded in a favourable way”.

The Government of Ontario introduced legislation today (Earth Day) to ban lawn and garden pesticides, province-wide.  This bill begins the process that will prohibit the use and sale of hundreds of toxic pesticides throughout the province.

Our voice does indeed count.

What a great Earth Day gift for the people of Ontario.