Why did the rooster cross the road? Because he was determined to sample delicious edibles at this year's Feast of Fields event.
The annual September festival is not only a gourmet's paradise but also a fundraiser for Farm Folk/City Folk (FFCF), a BC non-profit society that has promoted local and sustainable food systems for 14 years.

Cocky Mr. Rooster is also a model. Launched for 2009 in collaboration with photographer Brian Harris, Farm Folk/City Folk is selling an annual calendar, the proceeds of which help support their work.

Why buy local food, which FFCF encourages through its connection-building programs? Besides supporting regional economy, locally grown food is more nutritious since it's allowed to ripen longer versus picked too early to accommodate transportation.

The further food is shipped, the greater the impact on nature. Thus, purchasing from down the street versus from a farmer halfway around the world also cuts back on environmental effects, ­including greenhouse gas emissions.

"Eating locally builds community and allows people to know how and where their food is grown," notes the FFCF website. "Increasing the amount of local farming also increases our level of food security and the capacity to feed ourselves."

"Our cultural, personal and spiritual identity is bound up with the food we plant, harvest, grow, kill or purchase, cook, eat, digest and eliminate," says calendar photographer Brian Harris. "This deeply meaningful pageant began to present itself to me as I photographed life and work on five community farms."

Available through www.ffcf.bc.ca, the calendar also contains 12 recipes and is a visual tribute to food as it moves from farm to plate.

Want to search for other articles that may interest you?

Readers of this article also enjoyed...