More February Food Events in Ottawa

Here are a few more upcoming initiatives that are all about food.

The Mayfair Theatre presents The Fruit Hunters (Canada 2012) a film by Yung Chang about “the little-known sub-culture of people who scour the world in search of rare, endangered and exotic fruit.” It runs Friday, Feb. 8 through Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 (check the website for showtimes).

Growing Food in a Hungry World: A Farmer’s Perspective is a discussion about farming trends, particularly the pressure on farmers to increase production although the demand for organic, local foods is increasing. The speaker, Paul Slomp, runs Grazing Days, a local grass-fed beef operation, and has worked on food issues locally and globally. The event takes place at Octopus Book’s Centretown location (251 Bank St., 2^nd floor) on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 from 12 noon to 1 p.m.

Always wanted to try your hand at farming, or interested in finding out more about what it takes to set up a farm? Check out Just Food’s new Start-Up Farm Program. It offers access to land, shared equipment, and training—no experience necessary! Applications for 2013 are due by Friday, Feb, 22 at noon. For more information, see Just Food’s website, or attend an information session on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013, 7-8:30 p.m. at the Just Food Farm, 2389 Pepin Court. If that sounds like too much of a commitment, check out Just Food’s farm internships.

If you happen to have a maple tree in your yard, you might be interested in Fulton’s Backyard Sugar Makers’ Workshop on Sunday, Feb. 17 and Monday, Feb. 18, 2013 from 12:30-2 p.m. They’ll teach you how to tap your tree for sap that you can turn into maple syrup. $20 per family which includes a take-home kit for tapping. It’s at Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugarbush; call ahead for information.

If you’re interested in gardening and want to get together with other people with a love of growing food, consider attending The Forming of an Edible Gardens Ottawa Group: Meeting 1, organized by the Ottawa Gardener. It takes place at the Ottawa Public Library’s Hazeldean Branch, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The Canadian Organic Growers-OSO Chapter’s Growing Up Organic Project is hosting a Growing Healthy Communities Forum on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, 5-8:30 p.m. at Heritage Academy, 207 Bayswater Ave. The focus this year will be on healthy, local and sustainable food in schools, covering school gardens, breakfast and snack programs, school composting, connecting schools to farms, and more. Suggested donation $10.