Local, Organic and Vegetarian Food
Objective: To engage and educate the teenaged-adult community about:
1) the environmental advantages of consuming locally grown, organic and vegetarian foods; 2) the amount of water required to produce different
foods for human consumption; 3) bridging the disconnect between Canadian farmers and consumers.
Abstract: Since local, organic and vegetarian food does not require as much water to produce as non-local, non-organic produce and meat, you can make a significant difference in your personal water consumption simply by shifting your lifestyle and consuming a more vegetarian (or vegan) diet. By sharing your experience with family and friends and educating others, you can reduce your impact on Earth and its natural resources.
PROJECT #1: Examining commonly eaten foods and their water footprint
Number of Participants: 20 (max)
Total Hours of Planning Time: 5 hours (max)
Total Hours for Participants: 30 minutes
Appropriate Age of Participants: 13 to adult
Materials:
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Internet/Phone (for research and correspondence)
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Mode of transportation (to visit the local, organic farmer and a nearby body of water)
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Camera
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Table
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Labels
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Display board (for photographs of body of water and examples of vegetarian/vegan recipes)
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Samples of vegetarian foods (cooked yourself or store-bought), divided into small portions
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List of local, organic farmers and foods they produce/raise
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Vegetarian/vegan recipe books
Action Plan:
1. Visit a local, organic farmer (find one using resources listed below) and discuss how much water it takes them to produce and raise their crops and livestock
2. Research non-organic food production and compare results with responses from organic farmer
3. Research a local body of water and the amount of water (in litres) it contains. Then visit the body of water and take photographs. (If this is not possible, use a local swimming pool or water tower instead)
4. Contact a middle or secondary school, an after-school club, or your own school principal, and request to lead a 30 minute workshop on water consumption and food production
5. Set up a table at the event space
6. Having purchased selected foods from the local farmer, place organic and vegetarian food items on one side of the table, with labels indicating the amount of water needed to produce each item. (If this is not possible, use photographs of local food instead)
7. Place the non-organic and non-vegetarian foods on the other side of the table, also with labels indicating the amount of water needed to produce each item. (Can use photos instead)
8. Display the photographs taken at the body of water (or swimming pool / water tower) to illustrate the amount of water that would be needed to produce each of the foods, as compared to the size of the body of water
9. Educate participants about the positive impacts of becoming a vegetarian/vegan and eating local, organic foods. Share a sample of your vegetarian/vegan meal
10. Have participants make list of their favourite ingredients, then use the list to locate which local, organic farmers offer these items
11. Distribute vegan/vegetarian recipe books and have participants find a recipe that their favourite ingredients are used in
12. Encourage them to cook a vegetarian or vegan meal at some point in the next week
13. Share your experience by uploading your project report onto the online Project Database
Resources listed below
PROJECT #2: Cooking a vegetarian or vegan meal with family and friends for entire week
Number of Participants: all family members
Total Hours of Planning Time: 5 hours (max) to find meals, create a meal plan, and obtain food
Total Hours for Participants: However long it takes to cook and savor a scrumptious vegetarian meal!
Appropriate Age of Participants: All ages 
Materials:
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Vegetarian recipes and nutritional guidelines
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Stove
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Cooking utensils
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Appropriate ingredients (use local, organic foods)
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Music to dance to while cooking up a storm!
Action Plan:
1. One Sunday evening, create a meal plan with family or friends (Tip: try selecting recipes that require ingredients that are in season)
2. Make sure for each meal, all ingredients are clearly stated then assign a shopping list to each person
3. Use the resources listed below to locate an organic farm close to home that offers what’s needed for your recipe
4. Some supermarkets such as Loblaw offers organic sections (some of which are locally produced)
5. Once ingredients are obtained, let the cooking begin! Prepare as much as possible the night before (eg. washing and chopping), and prepare the rest the evening of your meal
6. Share your experience by uploading your project report onto the online Project Database
Resources to get you started:
Project Blue fact sheet on Food Production and Water
Canadian Organic Growers website – to locate an organic farm near you
Roots & Shoots tips on eating local and organic in your city
Vegetarian/vegan recipe books:
Fresh at Home, by Ruth Brown
The Jumbo Vegetarian Cookbook, by Judi Gillies
Online sources for vegetarian recipes - www.vegweb.com or www.vegkitchen.com
Nutritional guidelines: Becoming Vegetarian / Becoming Vegan, by Davis and Melina
Ecoholic, by Adria Vasil
The Jane Goodall Institute is not responsible for the content of external websites.
More information about local and organic food (Vasil):
Organic Foods:
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No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used
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Special attention is paid to soil’s nutrients
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No sewage sludge can be spread on crops
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No irridation occurs (use of gamma rays, X-rays, electron beams used to slow the sprouting, ripening, and moulding process of products in order for them to last longer on grocery shelves)
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No fumigation with synthetic preserving agents
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Free of GMOs (genes from one organism inserted into another, eg. tomatoes often have GMOs to improve hardiness, pesticide resistance, and drought resistance)
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More employment opportunities as organic farming is more labour-intensive (eg. hand-weeding)
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No pesticide-laden runoff enters nearby waterways
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Higher in Vitamin C containing 30% more antioxidants
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Meat and eggs are drug-free
Local Foods:
Organic foods are great but transporting them from kilometers away increases the levels of fossil fuels in Planet Earth’s atmosphere. For example, many organic foods originate in California, US including produce by Earthbound Farm. However, if living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this Californian produce will have traveled 5,000 kilometers, emitting undesirable amounts of fossil fuels. By supporting local organic farmers, you’re supporting potentially threatened local farmland and green spaces. In addition, vitamin content diminishes in produce with transportation (from the day they were picked).
Contact:
For more information about this project, contact roots_shoots@janegoodall.ca
