Opening day at the North Bay Farmers' Market is a bustle of activity. Vendors arrive early on Saturday, to meticulously place their goods on display for the shoppers and browsers. The popcorn kernels start popping. The fragrance of early-spring farmers' yields, and the promise of a good harvest to come, wafts through North Bay's downtown core. The energy is palpable, as local musicians tune their instruments, in anticipation of the masses making the trek to Oak Street. And of course, Farmers' Market staple 'Ken the Balloon Dude,' stretches out his wares in preparation for another fruitful season for all.
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This gathering of young and old, urban and rural, expert-green thumb and novice, are not just witnessing a remarkable community undertaking, but are active components in the Farmers' Market's growth, and on a larger scale, North Bay's sustainability. There truly is something for everyone to be found Saturdays and Wednesdays from Victoria Day through Thanksgiving, in downtown North Bay.
For more on the North Bay Farmers' Market: http://northbayfarmersmarket.
Strolling along the booths Saturday morning with my daughter, we came upon delicious baked goods, beautifully hand-made crafts, and most of all, friendly faces. We caught up with school-aged friends of hers, and mine. We walked among the people of our community, laughing, talking without phones in hand, wandering without purpose, excited as to what we might find next.
As we made our way through the gauntlet, and the familiar vendors' names popped out at us from their stalls, I was reminded of a recent conversation with a local business owner who takes community sustainability and the farm-to-plate initiative to a whole new level.
Laura Dubois, who along with her husband, René, are chefs/owner-operators of The White Owl Bistro, located on Lakeshore Drive, on the gorgeous shores of Lake Nipissing. For the purposes of this story only, as they are truly a couple who meet all challenges as a team, the 'Farmer' and 'his Wife' also run Somewood Farms, the family's livestock-raising spread, in Chisolm.
For more on The White Owl Bistro: http://thewhiteowlbistro.ca/
For more on Somewood Farms: https://www.facebook.com/
While René tended to some fence-building at Somewood Farms, and once a late lunch-rush was expertly prepared and served, Laura stepped out of the kitchen to sit down with Baytoday.ca on the White Owl's beautifully-appointed lakeside patio.
Trained chefs who met at Canadore College culinary school, the young couple found their mission once their offspring were born. "After having children, we started to care more about what we were feeding our babies, and what we were feeding ourselves,"
After research, and numerous viewings of the documentary Food, Inc., as well as reading the works of sustainable food advocate, Michael Pollan, their future path in the culinary world seemed to call out to them.
For more on the works of Michael Pollan: http://michaelpollan.com/
In shadowing the ideas that animals should be treated humanely, Somewood Farms "lets a pig be a pig, expressing themselves, and raising an animal in an ethical way."
The duo began looking for farmers who were employing these methods locally. Dalew Farms, from Lavigne, began raising beef, and a blossoming collaboration ensued.
René helped to open the newer incarnation of The White Owl, and the couple bought the restaurant outright in 2008.
Trendy farm-to-plate options have begun to pop up in the restaurant world. "If you do a little bit, it helps. An owner might buy from a corporation, but get, say, their greens locally. That's how we started, too," relayed Laura.
Dubois also added, "I am happy if other restaurants adopt a farm-to-plate mindset, it keeps money in the community, and supports local farmers."
Speaking to the importance of supporting local famers, Laura continued, "North Bay wasn't ready initially. There was an education necessary. The trendiness has helped us, I think it is a lot more accepted now. Let's not let people from far-away places dictate how we are eating."
The benefits of keeping a sort of business loop, akin to homesteading, and just plain neighbourliness, is paramount in our society. "Community involvement, it's been lost somewhat. We've been detached, and I believe we are becoming attached again," expressed Dubois.
Laura tells of an experience with a recent customer who ordered a turkey burger, which is composed of ground meat from a turkey raised at Somewood Farms, then sent to a local abbatoir. The customer, by her own admission, had never tasted such a succulent version of the dish, and another farm-to-plate convert was spawned.
Dubois went on to intone that, "All of our meat is provincially-inspected, strict procedures are followed."
With the opening of the Farmers' Market, the chefs will be regular visitors. "We go to the Farmers' Market to seek out ideas for specials, often dictated by season. We also use the market as a hub to retrieve our orders from vendors who live in outlying areas," explained Laura.
The Farmers' Market, "brings everybody together, at a time when I feel people are looking for that connectivity again. It's a great place to socialize," said Laura.
As an example, a call to Springhill Farms during the week will lead to an order being placed based on asking 'what they have, and what's good.' That simple transaction, will often determine what one will find in a White Owl dish that evening.
Dubois clarified that, "Our menu starts with a main protein (beef, lamb, turkey, chicken, fish), and then we adjust the accompaniments as the seasons progress."
Between employees at The White Owl, farmers, abbatoirs, and deliveries, the couple have connections with many dozens of people, all prospering from each other's ventures, accomplished by keeping business local.
In the future, Somewood Farms could become a commercial enterprise, Laura confides, but warns that it's a ways off: "We have learned as parents, chefs, and owners, not to spread ourselves too thin."
With all of their success, it seems fitting that the husband and wife team have just enough of something delicious on their plates.
