| June 30, 2010 KELOWNA– All of the fresh food, wine, spirits and microbrews you need for a summer picnic or barbeque are available at British Columbia’s local farms and markets. “I encourage British Columbians to make buying local a priority this summer,” says Kelowna-Mission MLA and Minister of Agriculture and Lands Steve Thomson. “Buying local reduces the distance food travels from farm to fork. It also supports family farms and the future of agriculture in B.C.” “Tourists travel from all over the world to visit our wineries and, as Okanagan residents, we don’t need to travel far outside our own backyards to enjoy the benefits of buying local,” says Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick. “The agri-food industry is a highly important contributor to the local economy and job supporter in the Okanagan. Whether you’re planning a barbeque or a picnic in the park this Canada Day, I encourage everyone to see what your local farmers’ market has to offer,” says Westside-Kelowna MLA Ben Stewart. Farmers in B.C. are able to grow a wide variety of food crops, from grains to vegetables and berries, due to climatic conditions in the province. During summer and into the fall season, harvests from these widely varied local crops are available at markets and grocery stores across the province. There are more than 130 farmers markets in B.C. Together they contribute more than $118 million a year to local economies. B.C. is also home to 175 wineries and more than 700 vineyards that annually produce approximately 15 million litres of wine. The agri-food industry is an important contributor to the provincial economy with more than 225 food commodities produced in B.C., totalling over $22 billion annually in consumer sales and supporting over 305,000 jobs. Sales of B.C. grown food, including grains, vegetables, fruits, livestock and other crops totalled more than $2.3 billion in 2009. B.C. leads the nation in sales of finfish aquaculture, blueberries, sweet cherries, apricots, raspberries and farmed clams. We rank second to Ontario in the production of floriculture, nursery products, green house tomatoes, greenhouse peppers, greenhouse cucumbers, mushrooms, grapes, apples and most soft tree fruits. To find your local farms, visit www.gov.bc.ca/al or http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/ and click on the Market Finder tab to find a farmers’ market in your area. Visit Steve’s website at www.stevethomsonmla.bc.ca -30- |
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