A down-to-earth politician talks food, family, community

This holiday season, enjoy B.C.’s abundance.

By Steve Thomson,
Minister of Agriculture and Lands.

I always feel very fortunate to live in a spectacular place like British Columbia. The sheer geographic diversity of our province translates into a wide variety of agricultural products, such as fresh produce, tasty seafood, poultry and meat, artisan cheeses and world-class wines.

This holiday season, I want to remind people that our agricultural sector can provide just about everything for holiday entertaining. Local nurseries can provide a fragrant pine for the living room, local producers can provide the turkey (Get your orders in now!), local artisans can provide a wreath for your door, and local processors make hundreds of products, including delicious jams and hot sauces for gift baskets or stocking stuffers. Let your imagination go and keep your eye out for unique items that are made right here in our beautiful province.

Buying local often means you get to meet the hard-working and dedicated people who produced your holiday purchase. The people who make up our agriculture sector deserve a big thank-you from all of us. B.C. producers are leaders in environmental stewardship, and take pride in making B.C. products. They are business people who constantly adapt to a changing marketplace, and produce value-added foods and goods that reflect a spirit of innovation.

Ninety-eight per cent of farms in B.C. are family-run. Growing up in a farm family myself, I know exactly how important it is to make a connection between producer and customer, rural and urban, particularly for our children and grandchildren.

We all know that the holidays are about family and community. Each year we promise ourselves that we’ll make it more about togetherness and less about buying, but buying local is a purchase we can feel good about. It’s an investment in the community, the local economy and the health of our families. No matter how you celebrate the most wonderful time of year, you’ll be eating, so make sure you enjoy the abundance our province offers. Look around for the Best of B.C. – I promise you won’t have to look far, because the best things are often close to home.

Happy holidays and best wishes for the New Year.

Victoria
December 7, 2009