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Bill 216, The Food Literacy for Students Act

Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is doing well and keeping safe😌  With it being Winter, and with everyone spending much of their time in their homes, we want to share a gentle reminder to take a moment for self-care, whatever that looks like for you! Much easier said than done, we know, but so very very important.

Bill 216, The Food Literacy for Students Act!

We’ve talked in the past about the importance of food literacy, a.k.a. food knowledge, experience, and understanding. This also happens to be one of my favourite reasons to love farmers’ markets because they are an incredible place to ask farmers questions and experience food in a way like no other. We try at CGM to increase food literacy as well by (in a usual year) hosting cooking classes and other demonstrations. But we especially love it when youth get involved. Making sure that the next generation knows and truly experiences food is so important for their lives and those of others, and for our food systems.

If this is something you’re interested in as well, we thought you’d like to know that there is currently a Bill in the process of becoming a law that would bring food literacy education to every grade level in Ontario schools! It’s called Bill 216, The Food Literacy for Students Act and you can read more about it here. “The Bill will amend the Ontario Education Act to include experiential food literacy education in the provincial school curriculum. When it comes into effect, students in Grade 1 to 12 will have the opportunity to grow and prepare healthy food and learn about the food system.”

So far, it’s passed first and second readings but whether or not it passes, this is still exciting news for food literacy! Everyone eats and has a connection to food, and everyone deserves to know how wonderful their food is, and what it can do for them and for their communities. Hands-on experience with food in the classroom, in gardens, and in the kitchen, would change the game!

Some schools are lucky enough to offer Food, Nutrition, and Horticulture courses in secondary schools, but these are unfortunately not options for everyone. Would you have wanted to learn more about food during your primary and secondary education? What would you have wanted to learn?

The Indoor Market is OPEN!

The Farmers’ Market is taking a scheduled break as usual right now, but don’t forget that the Indoor Market remains OPEN! Every Monday through Saturday, 8-6!

Here’s who’s open!

Produce:

Havaris Produce

Doris Family Prouce

Butchers, Seafood, Poultry:

Chris’s Country Cuts

Mark’s Fine Meats

Seoul Seafood Shoppe

Cheese, Dips, Sauces:

Smith Cheese

Glenda’s

Organic, Health Food Store:

Homeopathy London

Sacred Earth Vegan Market

Foods of the World:

Cucina Italiana

Hot Oven

Kleiber’s Deli

Mercado Burrito

Mona’s Shawarma & Grill

Rice Box

Seoul Seafood Shoppe

Thai Delight

The New Delhi Deli

The Piping Kettle

Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Frozen Desserts, Baked Goods:

Hasbeans

The Tea Haus

The Little Red Roaster

Chocolate Factory

International Bakery

Services:

Carpe Diem Massage (By appt. only)

Market Lottery

Restaurants:

Olive R Twists (519-204-9184)

Waldo’s on King (519-318-5029)

Tanakaya (519-850-8838)

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