Making it Better! FROM LOCAL PRODUCE TO OUR LOCAL SHELVES BY JOEL FOURNIER
W
hen many of us think about supporting our local Albertan food and beverage producers, our minds turn to perusing the local farmers' market to pick out the freshest fruits and vegetables, buying our meat ethically raised from local ranches, and dining at our favourite locally owned restaurants. Another way to support our local culinary
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economy is to support these growers by using locally sourced ingredients to make value-added products. What is a value-added product? It’s one that modifies and enhances its raw ingredients into a completely different, more valuable item. This can include turning fruits and berries into jams and marmalades, making cooking oil
from crops such as canola or sunflower oil, distilling and brewing grains into alcoholic beverages, or smoking and dehydrating meat to make jerky – the list goes on. There is no shortage of local producers across the province creating all sorts of delectable value-added offerings, and many of them source their ingredients
