I was thrilled to hear that France Moore Lappé is coming to Ottawa, to give a talk about “The World We Want: Visionary Ideas for a Small Planet.”

Lappé is author of the groundbreaking Diet for a Small Planet (1971)—a book which had a big influence on how I think about food—and 16 other books on food, politics and the environment. She’ll be here to talk about her latest, titled EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think, to Create the World We Want (2011).

EcoMind is about the “myths” we tell ourselves about the environment, the economy and humanity that stop us from changing things for the better. For example, says Lappé, when we tell ourselves that environmental problems stem from rampant economic “growth,” we see the solution as limiting growth. But Lappé says that growth is essential—for the plants and animals around us and for ourselves—and that we can redefine growth as not about amassing (or wasting) more but about enhancing our well-being.

According to Lappé, our beliefs that we’ve become disconnected from nature, for example, or that our “consumer society” is to blame, are “thought traps” that make us feel powerless to stop seemingly insurmountable problems like climate change or food “scarcity.” EcoMind says the way forward lies in reframing the problems in order to open up new possibilities for action that are in line with nature.

If you have the chance, head to “The World We Want.” It’s on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts, 310 St. Patrick St. at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.). Tickets are $10 in advance (available at USC Canada or Octopus Books) or $15 at the door.

Some additional links to check out:

Frances Moore Lappé’s bio: http://smallplanet.org/about/frances/bio

Article by Frances Moore Lappé in the Ottawa Citizen about the “myth” of food scarcity: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Food+scarcity+dangerous+myth/6033424/story.html?shr=f

Video of Frances Moore Lappé talking about EcoMind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs9RFkkxqDY

After a relatively quiet start to 2012, Ottawa is seeing quite a few environment-related events on its horizon. Coming up next: winter biking, organic farming and sustainable seafood.

Ottawa Winter Bike Parade, Sunday January 22

Citizens for Safe Cycling invites everyone to Ottawa’s first Winter Bike Parade. The parade will go from Laurier and Percy to Ottawa City Hall along the Laurier Avenue bike lane, with free apple cider at the end of the route. In the words of the organizers, the aim is “To show that Ottawa bikes in winter! And that it can be fun!”

All the Dirt: Reflections on Successful, Cooperative Organic Farming, Monday, January 23

Just Food and USC Canada present a reading and discussion with Robin Tunnicliffe, farmer and one of the authors of All the Dirt. The book tells of Tunnicliffe’s experience as a small-scale farmer and local food distributor. 7 p.m., Ottawa Public Library Main Branch Auditorium; free admission (book available for purchase).

Café Scientifique on Sustainable Seafood, Friday, January 27

The Canadian Museum of Nature is hosting a Café Scientifique, Dessert and Documentary Night on “Is eating seafood ethical and sustainable?” Resource people are Dr. Melissa Marschke, Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa’s School of International Development and Global Studies, and Joshua Bishop, Owner/Worker at The Whalesbone Oysterhouse and Sustainable Retail Oyster and Fish Store. The evening includes a screening of The End of the Line, a documentary on ocean overfishing. 6:30-10:30 p.m., $25 ($20 members, students, volunteers); reservations needed.

Stay tuned for more upcoming events (and let us know of any).

Want to know more about the pros and cons of raising chickens in the city, or have an opinion about it? Or interested in a thought-provoking evening out? The Canadian Agriculture Museum is holding a Café Scientifique on Raising Chickens in the City: Human Right or Health Risk? It’s at the Fox and Feather Pub, 283 Elgin St. on Tuesday, November 29 2011 at 6 p.m.

Current municipal by-laws don’t permit chicken-raising in urban Ottawa, but some people think changing the by-laws could be a sustainable way to support local food. Others have concerns about adverse effects like health risks or noise. The Canadian Agriculture Museum says the Café will “explore all perspectives” as well as being an opportunity for “drinks, discussion and debate.”

The Ottawa organization Just Food is made up of a hardworking group of people who’ve been gathering some innovative ideas about how to make Ottawa’s food system healthier, more sustainable and accessible to everyone.

Many of us are trying to eat food that’s more nutritious, more local or grown more sustainably. And many Ottawa families can’t afford healthy food, according to the City of Ottawa. The Ottawa Food Bank helps address the gap, serving about 43,000 people a month. But it’s not a long-term solution.

Just Food has spent the last couple of years talking with Ottawa residents and food experts of different backgrounds about ways to bring about “Food for All.” In June they announced a Food Action Plan for Ottawa. The Plan consists of proposals on a range of issues. Ideas include improving access to land for community gardens, encouraging public institutions to “buy local,” bringing healthy food to schools, corner stores and transportation hubs, strengthening Ottawa’s local food-processing and distribution infrastructure, and enhancing income supports for people who need them. (These and more proposals are on Just Food’s website.)

The proposals “aren’t set in stone,” says Just Food, and they’re hoping that people will comment, and participate in “Kitchen Table Talks” coming up January through March next year.

Just Food is currently looking for people to help run the Kitchen Table Talks, and is offering training sessions for prospective animators. Three training sessions are scheduled so far, on November 21 at the Sandy Hill Community Centre, November 29 at the Centretown Community Health Centre, or December 5 at the Nepean, Rideau, Osgoode Community Resource Centre. You can check out the Just Food website for details and how to register.

Stay tuned for announcements about the Kitchen Table Talks themselves, and do check out the Food Action Plan proposals online.

The people at Apartment613 have lots of good ideas, but this time they’ve outdone themselves. They’re making November “Support Local” month in Ottawa. And they’re talking not just local food but also local musicians, artists, restaurants and businesses.

They’ve set up a series of events throughout the month—a list too long to replicate here but do check out their website. Some examples:

• The Ottawa Craft Crawl – a series of craft shows (various dates and locations) that include natural, hand-made and local crafts, starting with Urban Craft at the GCTC on Nov. 5;
• Homemade, all-natural ice cream by Pascale and watercolour art by Doug Wilkinson at Octopus Books, Nov. 10;
• Ef Magazine’s Swapalooza Clothing Swap at Bowich – Best Organic Sandwich, Nov. 18;
• Beer and ‘Za at Kichesippi Brewery with The Flatbread Pizza Company, Nov. 19;
• Postcards from Ottawa at Raw Sugar Café – write to your friends and family telling them how great Ottawa is, Nov. 26.

You can also let Apartment613 know if you have ideas for other events (email editors [at] apt613 [dot] ca with “Support Local” in the subject line).

It’s food, glorious food in Ottawa for the next couple of weeks. It’s harvest season, and October 16 is World Food Day, resulting in some appetizing as well as thought-provoking events locally.

World Food Day Forum

USC Canada is hosting a World Food Day Forum called From Field to Fork: Building a Better Food System. It’s on Thursday, October 13 and features a great line-up of speakers: journalist, activist and Locavore author Sarah Elton, chef and 42 Fine Foods owner Susan Jessup, and organic farmer and National Farmers’ Union leader Colleen Ross. 7 p.m. at St. Paul University Amphitheatre, 223 Main St.; free admission.

At 6 p.m., before the Forum starts, there’ll be a Marketplace where people can try local cheeses and fair trade beverages, check out Octopus Books’ display, and meet representatives of Just Food and Canadian Organic Growers. You can also register for a Seed-Saving Workshop taking place from 5-6 p.m. with organic farmer Daniel Brisebois from Le Ferme Coopérative Tourne-sol. For information contact jlaforge@usc-canada.org.

Food for Thought

Oxfam Canada is calling October 15-22 GROW Week – a week to celebrate food and encourage food justice and equitable access to food. On Thursday, October 13, Oxfam will host Food for Thought, a discussion about food and the international food system. Speakers include Lucy Sharratt, coordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, and Courtney-Anne Craft from Oxfam Canada. It’s at the University of Ottawa, 7-9 p.m. at Café Alternatif (Simard Building basement). Contact oxfamuottawa@gmail.com for information.

Book Launch

Author and food system expert Pat Kerans will launch his book A Pessimist’s Hope: Food and the Ecological Crisis on Tuesday, October 18, 7-8:30 p.m. at the Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch. Kerans’ book sheds light on our unsustainable food system and how we might improve it.

Reel Food Film Festival

The Reel Food Film Festival is back. On Thursday, October 20, see Our Daily Bread, a film about Europe’s industrial agriculture, by Nikolaus Geyrhalter (Austria, 2006). (The organizers advise viewer discretion as some scenes are difficult to watch.) Then on Thursday, October 27, see Fresh: The Movie, by ana Sofia joanes (USA, 2009), a film about some of the people who are re-inventing the American food system, moving away from unhealthy and unsustainable food production toward healthier, sustainable alternatives.

Both films take place at the Ottawa Public Library Auditorium, Main Branch, at 6:30 p.m. Free admission ($5 donation appreciated); contact info@usc-canada.org for information.

Harvest Noir

Harvest Noir is billed as “Ottawa’s secret picnic feast and black tie dance party” – kind of a flash mob picnic in which attendees find out the location only just before the event. Guests bring their own picnic, with emphasis on locally-harvested seasonal fresh food; the evening will include a DJ and live dance music. Saturday, October 15 at 4 p.m. Admission $37 plus tax.

World Food Day – [insert your own event here!] – at your convenience

Another option: you can celebrate the UN’s World Food Day your own way, with a local twist. USC Canada suggests hosting your own event. They have tips for organizing things like a potluck supper using local ingredients and movie night, a seed-saving workshop or a local-food challenge. Similarly, Oxfam’s World Food Challenge suggests people share a meal by organizing dinners that use local, fair trade and organic food – they have a number of ideas and resources on their site.

Bon appetit!

“What could the Peace and Environment Resource Centre become?”

It’s a question that Ottawa’s Peace and Environment Resource Centre (PERC) is asking. PERC is inviting anyone with an interest in the environment, peace and social justice to meet on Thursday, September 22 2011 to explore what PERC does – and what it could do. The session will take place from 6:30-9:00 p.m. at St. Giles Presbyterian Church, First Street at Bank.

PERC has been promoting social justice and the environment in Ottawa for years. It’s a volunteer-run, charitable organization that raises awareness, links groups and individuals working on similar issues, offers a resource library, and provides alternative media coverage of social and environmental matters. It publishes a print newspaper, the Peace and Environment News (PEN), 6 times a year – recent issues have covered sustainable energy, food, green business, mining and human rights, and more. The PERC website offers news, highlights from the PEN and links to other resources.

PERC provides a forum for groups and individuals to keep in touch and informed on important issues, thanks to a core of dedicated people who keep it going. Still, PERC’s board, staff and volunteers are thinking ahead. They’re opening up the discussion to get people’s thoughts on what PERC could be. The public meeting is a great opportunity to have some input. (They can always use volunteers year-round, too – see their website for details.)

There’s a cornucopia of events in Ottawa in late August – many to do with food – including several on Sunday, August 14. Let me know if you find a way to make it to all of them!

• The next Ottawa Urban Wild Tour is on Sunday, August 14 from 10 a.m.-12 noon. This one is on Urban Edible Tree Nuts in Centretown (meet at Ottawa City Hall, Lisgar Street entrance).
• Canadian Organic Growers-Ottawa is holding its Ottawa Garden Tour on Sunday, August 14. Activities include a tour at noon of the Organic Flower and Vegetable Garden on the Central Experimental Farm and a 2 p.m. visit to the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. Details on the COG-Ottawa website; contact Lloyd at 613-257-8362 or lw.strachan@bell.net to RSVP.
• Pinhey’s Point hosts Riverfest celebrating the history of the Ottawa River on Sunday, August 14. The event includes heritage demonstrations (sheepshearing or blacksmithing, anyone?), voyageur canoe rides, wagon rides, a canoe ballet, live music, a barbecue and more. Riverfest is 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at 270 Pinhey’s Point Road in Dunrobin. Admission $6 per person ($10 for two or $16 per family); see the City’s website for details.
• Also on Sunday, August 14, the National Capital Vegetarian Association has its first summer BBQ and potluck from 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at Vincent Massey Park. The event will feature vegan food and is free for kids, $1 for NCVA members and $3 for non-members. See their Facebook page for details.
• The Community Gardening Network of Ottawa has a couple of events coming up. On Tuesday, August 23 there’s a Seed Saving Workshop from 6-8 p.m. at the Centretown Community Health Centre, 420 Cooper Street. Greta from Greta’s Organic Seeds will explain how to save seeds from year to year. On Sunday, August 25, the Urban Agriculture Bike Tour starts at 11 a.m. The tour will pass through several of Ottawa’s community gardens; snacks will be provided. Contact cgnintern@justfood.ca or communitygardening@justfood.ca for information or to register.

This is also a great time to visit Ottawa’s farmers’ markets, as well as local museums, many of which have gardening and other eco-themed events this month.

May brings fresh local produce, gardening and more to Ottawa.
Many farmers’ markets start up again in May. The Ottawa Farmers’ Market runs Sundays at Lansdowne and Fridays in Orleans, while the Main Farmers’ Market happens Saturdays on Main Street. Farmers’ Markets Ontario has a searchable list of member farmers’ markets in other parts of Ottawa and the region.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Ottawa Valley Chapter (CPAWS-OV) is holding its Annual General Meeting on Saturday May 7, 10 am-1 pm, Saint Paul University, 223 Main Street, Auditorium 203, Guigues Hall. Learn about CPAWS-OV’s work and hear botanist and author Diana Beresford-Kroeger speak forests and health. Free admission; open to the public.

Jane’s Walk Ottawa 2011 is Saturday and Sunday, May 7-8. Jane’s Walk, which takes place in cities around the world, celebrates the ideas of Jane Jacobs, an urbanist and activist who promoted a community perspective on the design and organization of cities. In Ottawa, local people will give free neighbourhood walking tours offering insights into each area’s history, planning, design, and civic engagement. Organizers say “Jane’s Walk is about getting close to your city, about getting out and observing, meeting your neighbours, discovering new areas, and learning about the urban landscape, streetscape, buildings, parks, public art and monuments, and the details of daily existence that weave together into the fabric of our urban existence.” For more information see http://www.janeswalkottawa.ca/view/?home.

Transition Ottawa is holding the first of its Ottawa Urban Wild walking tours, called Wild Food in The City, on Sunday May 8, 2:30-4 pm in Heron Park (Heron Road and Clover Street). Explore common, safe non-toxic weeds and plants, where to find them and when, which parts of the plant to harvest, how to prepare them, and how to forage safely and ethically in an urban environment. Free admission. See http://www.urbanwildtours.blogspot.com/.
Also during May, Just Food has Beginner Level Organic Gardening Workshops and a session on How to Start a Community Garden. Check their website for dates. Ecology Ottawa is running a number of events in May related to clean and community energy; check their website for details.

To mark Earth Day – Friday, April 22 – the Kanata Environmental Network (KEN) is challenging people to do without plastics for a week.

Their “Earth Week Plastic Challenge,” in collaboration with Earth Day Ottawa, encourages people to reduce their use of plastics, especially single-use disposable products like plastic bags, coffee cup lids, plastic food packaging and styrofoam.

KEN explains why they’re holding the challenge: “The plastic we do use is eventually thrown out and fills our garbage dumps. Over time the plastic breaks down into microscopic bits that wind their way into the water ways, soils, and food chains.” Plastics that don’t make it into our garbage get into storm water drains, rivers, lakes and oceans where they’re a hazard to ecosystems, wildlife and human health.

Going plastics-free is tough. I have noticed, though, that after my family uses our recycling and green bins, there’s not much left – other than some plastic packaging. Time to reduce that.

KEN suggests checking out the No Plastic Project, a blog by Ottawa residents Melissa MacLean and Colette Stoeber, for tips on reducing plastic consumption and taking action to reduce plastic packaging.

KEN also invites people to check out and contribute stories and suggestions on the Earth Week Plastic Challenge Facebook site.

Also worth a look are Beth Terry’s site at http://myplasticfreelife.com/plasticfreeguide/. Beth Terry is a California resident who decided in 2007 that she’d stop buying any new plastic, and she’s led campaigns to get companies to reduce or recycle their plastic packaging. Vancouverite Taina Uitto blogs about how she’s ending her “sad, blatantly fake, and unwanted relationship with plastic” at http://plasticmanners.wordpress.com/.

More information on the problems with plastics and what we can do about them is available from the Plastic Pollution Coalition. (If you know of other resources please do let us know.)

KEN’s no-plastics initiative corresponds with Earth Day Canada’s 2011 “Give It Up” campaign. Give It Up suggests buying nothing new, cutting out toxic chemicals, eating a meatless diet, or turning off the TV and getting outside. According to Earth Day Canada, choosing healthier alternatives even for a short time can prompt us to think about the impact of our decisions over a lifetime. That’s where it starts.

And just for fun, here’s an inspiring video from Vancouver:

Plastic is Forever.