Ottawa: from farm to table in 5 minutes
Oct 15, 2009
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We are very removed from our food sources. Few of us have visited a farm. We almost believe that apples really do come from those perfectly contoured plastic packages, and that uniform slabs of steak in a store's meat section is just the way meat develops. But imagine if you had a farm in the middle of your city that could clue you in to the daily operations of farms and ranches. There is such a place in the middle of Ottawa and its one million residents.
The Canadian government created the Central Experimental Farm as a research center for its agriculture department. As a young country in the 19th century, much of the western provinces were hardly settled, so the Farm was a focus for researching agricultural trends, from poultry to tobacco to bees. Varieties of plants that could survive Canada's rugged terrain evolved here and then made their way around the country. Nowadays the Farm is a research center for cereal grains and seed oil production. Once on the outskirt's of Canada's capital, the 400 hectare facility is now surrounded by the growing city.
The farm is breathtaking. On Wednesday I walked from Ottawa's West End down Holland Avenue; within a 10 minute walk, large suburban homes gave way to endless swaths of harvested corn. The only towers I could see were grain silos. I entered the Agriculture Museum, which is largely deserted during the week, but on weekends it's bustling with families attending programs from animal care to cooking demonstrations.
PETA probably would not approve, but you can walk down aisles showing different farm animal breeds . . . horses peacefully munch on straw as you check out the various buildings that comprise the museum.
With our cities surrounded by suburbs and exurbs, driving to the country is such a task we can't be bothered. . . but the Canadian government's decision to preserve the Central Experimental Farm gives locals a break from the rat race and reminder of where their meals begin.
So in your town, where is the best place to go for understanding where your food comes from? 