About Hamilton Eat Local

Our blog: www.hamiltoneatlocal.blogspot.com

Contact us: kburson.eatlocal@environmenthamilton.org

Hamilton Eat Local was formed in 2005 by Environment Hamilton and other community partners to support programs that encourage Hamiltonians to buy food grown by local farmers and harvest food from urban gardens and other settings that would otherwise go to waste. Hamilton Eat Local aims to increase the consumption of local food in Hamilton through two major initiatives: The Hamilton Eat Local Farm Map & Directory and the Hamilton Fruit Tree Project.

The Hamilton Eat Local Farm Map & Directory, first launched in 2007, forms the cornerstone of our local food campaign. The map features over 60 locations where consumers can purchase locally grown food directly from those who produced it. The 2009 Hamilton Eat Local Farm Map & Directory, featuring yet more local food sources than previous years, was launched in May. Most of the 40,000 copies will be distributed at highly trafficked community institutions such as Bennet's Apple Orchard, Carluke Orchards, Ottawa Street Farmers' Market; Hamilton Public Libraries; Tourism Hamilton kiosks; all participating local farms and many other locations throughout the city. Check out our blog for the latest locations for picking up your copy of the map.  Quantities are limited.

For more information on how you can obtain your copy of our The 2009 Hamilton Eat local Farm Map & Directory, contact our project manager, Karen Burson at kburson.eatlocal@environmenthamilton.org or call the Environment Hamilton office at 905.549.0900 to speak with one of us, or to leave a message if we are unavailable at that time.

Visit our Online Local Food Directory to find your favourite foods grown close to home by a local farmer.

For more information on food and agriculture related events, musings on local food related issues, recipes, farm and food features and other information about Hamilton Eat Local, visit our blog at: www.hamiltoneatlocal.blogspot.com

The Hamilton Fruit Tree Project organizes volunteers to harvest fruit from trees in Hamilton that would otherwise go to waste. Fruit tree owners contact us if they have trees that are available for picking. Volunteers then pick the fruit and divide it between the tree owner, local food banks and social service providers. Volunteers also enjoy the 'fruits of their labour' and get to take some of the fruit home. This year the Hamilton Fruit Tree Project will include fruit preserving workshops and tree maintenance activities. Please contact us if you'd like to volunteer or know of a tree that needs to be picked!

We are currently on hiatus until June 2010.  If interested in harvesting and volunteering then, please contact Juby Lee, Project Co-ordinator at: jlee.eatlocal@environmenthamilton.org

Check out Hamilton Fruit Tree Project's blog at: hamiltonfruittreeproject.blogspot.com

The 2009 Hamilton Fruit Tree Project has been made possible through the generous support of the Environment Hamilton and POET grant and Healthy Living Hamilton.

Eat Local and the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation

The work of Hamilton Eat Local would not be possible without the generous support of the Friends of the Greenbelt   Foundation.

The Foundation has provided core funding for 2009 - 2010 Hamilton Eat Local activities.

For more information about the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and Ontario's Greenbelt, visit www.greenbelt.ca.