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Happy-Gourmand

Don't steal from farmers

I was going to write about the wonderful abundance of fresh produce in the Okanagan and how to use it.

But I had a conversation that inspired me to change my approach. Besides, I’m sure you have a zucchini loaf recipe already. Bear with me while I give you the background for my message...

I was talking with a worker from a local farm who related an encounter with someone picking fruit from one of their orchards, filling their T-shirt as the worker pulled up to do some work.

“Excuse me, but that fruit isn’t free for the picking,” the worker said.

“Oh, it’s not free?” the person said, while continuing to pick. “No. We have a fruit stand with u-pick trees if you want. You need to stop.”

The person picked a few more pieces and ran to the car. “Thanks so much, you made my vacation!” and drove off. 

I was gobsmacked. That someone could be so disrespectful of something so basic was heartbreaking.

We live on property that borders a local farm and I see how hard the team works to provide all the bounty we enjoy.

It is not an easy living, and it is fraught with many unpredictable elements, most of them related to Mother Nature but now also the character of people. 

Here in the Okanagan we are spoiled with summer bounty, enjoying fresh local fruits and veggies, not to mention the ways they are transformed.

From farm stands and markets to local restaurants and wineries, breweries and cideries, there are plenty of opportunities to partake of it all. 

Just because there is plenty does not mean we can help ourselves. Every morsel of food and drink is cultivated, nurtured, and depended on for someone’s livelihood. The reason we call it a food chain is that many people are involved in getting said food to our tables.

Our communities are a part of that chain.

There are plenty of catch phrases and hash tags being thrown around to encourage people to be a positive part of the community. #supportlocal #loveyourfarmer

These don’t just mean spending money, they mean respecting those businesses and their efforts to succeed, especially in the current crazy times. 

Any small business works hard to succeed against the odds alongside big chain brands and online alternatives. With the limits imposed by a pandemic, it is much harder to make things go around.  

If you want to try the U-pick harvest method for local produce, check in with a farm or fruit stand that offers the service and be sure to ask how to properly pick the fruit. (Improperly picking can damage the trees and reduce the harvest for the following year.)

When you visit local restaurants or wineries, consider that they are trying hard to offer a pleasant experience amidst a whole set of new rules and limitations. Instead of wishing things could be the way they used to be, how about embracing the new version of things?

Remember, they do still want you to buy food and wine.

It is harder for us customers too, in today’s world. You might want things to go back to the old way; I bet workers do, too. We all need to make the best of things. 

If you can’t get into the idea of being empathetic, how about the practicality of having your own good time? This is a lot harder to do if you buck the trend, going against the system.

It is much simpler to go with the flow to get what you want.

I’m not against people who want to protest. The only thing is, protests work better out in the open, not at only one business. 

So please, if you cannot wrap your head around treating people at businesses with respect – which means following the rules they have to follow to make their living – then just stay away.

  • Shop online
  • Go where there are no staff with whom you need to interact.

We will all be happier that way. 

And for those who are making an effort to support local enterprises of all kinds, thank you for your patronage and engagement.

You are helping things come around

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.



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About the Author

Kristin Peturson-Laprise is a customer experience specialist by trade, which means she is someone passionate about people having a good time. 

Her company, Wow Service Mentor, helps businesses enhance their customer experience through hands-on training, service programs, and special event coordination.

Kristin enjoys her own experiences too, and that is what she writes about in this column. She and her husband Martin Laprise (also known as Chef Martin, of The Chef Instead) love to share their passion for food and entertaining.  

Kristin says:

"Wikipedia lists a gourmand as a person who takes great pleasure in food. I have taken the concept of gourmandise, or enjoying something to the fullest, in all parts of my life. I love to grow and cook food, and I loved wine enough to become a Sommelier. I call a meal a success when I can convey that 'sense of place' from where the food has come . . . the French call that terroir, but I just call it the full experience. It might mean tasting the flavours of my own garden, or transporting everyone at the table to a faraway place, reminiscent of travels or dreams we have had."

 

E-mail Kristin at:  [email protected]

Check out her website here:  www.wowservicementor.com

 



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The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet does not warrant the contents.

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