On October 16th, Michael Stadtländer and The Canadian Chef’s Congress, will be presenting Foodstock; an outdoor, pay what you can public celebration of Ontario’s bounty in solidarity with the movement to Stop the Mega Quarry. Get your tickets Here.
It will be a day for the history books, a once in a lifetime gathering in support of Ontario farmland featuring food, music, art, and speakers. Over seventy of Canada’s best chefs and local farmers will share the local bounty with thousands of Ontarians to help save the land that feeds us all.
Foodstock will be a day-long event that will take place on 4 of farms that refused to sell to the quarry. While it will be a celebration of local food in Ontario we also hope that it will serve as a display of public interest as it relates to the security of our local food, water and wider environmental resources.
Blog post is meant as a call to arms to both individuals and businesses to get involved and help provide the funding and leadership required to amend current government policy and to refocus our societies values on the things that we can, and should protect.
Michael Stadtländer Letter to Ontario
If you have ever seen the film Avatar, James Cameron’s story about the futuristic destruction of an alien planet’s environment by humans hungry for natural resources, you’ll be surprised to learn that such an exploitation has been proposed right in my backyard!
Highland Companies, funded by US hedge-fund Baupost Group, has purchased approximately 8,000 acres of prime farmland on either side of highway 124. They intend to dig a 2,300 acre limestone quarry, the 2nd largest in North America, that will extend 200 feet below the water table.
The proposed mega quarry threatens not only the watersheds of many rivers and the water supply to over one million Canadians, but also viable, high yield farmland in close proximity to Canada’s most dense population.
On October 16th, the Canadian Chefs' Congress, of which I’m the President, will present Foodstock, a once in a lifetime event where thousands of Canadian citizens will gather on 4 farms that did not sell to Highland Companies to celebrate local food and fresh water, and to voice their objections to this proposal.
I have invited over 70 Canadian chefs (from Nunavut to Nova Scotia to BC) to cook with ingredients from local farms, so that all who attend may taste the bounty of the land threatened by the proposed mega quarry. The day will also include a rich variety of programming with music, art and speakers.
We are constantly faced with environmental challenges and it is our responsibility, as ambassadors of the future, to work to protect our shared resources. We cannot afford to lose this farmland or allow the destruction of our fragile watersheds.
You are receiving this package because I feel we share the same ideals and values. I hope you will consider supporting this event either through financial donation or participation.
Download Foodstock Poster with Map
Download Foodstock Sponsorship Package
Download Foodstock Poster with Map Letter Size 8X11
Map of the Event
We must all do whatever we can to stop this quarry. There are millions of starving people in the world and here we are with a proposal to destroy prime Ontario farmland within easy distribution of Canada's largest city. How has it even reached this stage in the proposed development? It should have been stopped right at the onset.
Posted by: Roger & Sue Short | 09/02/2011 at 02:11 PM
Do you ned any volunteer help with this event?
Posted by: Colin Creasey | 09/17/2011 at 09:00 AM
David, good work getting the word out there on this! Bill and I are trying to get the MSM involved - CBC, CTV, CITY-TV - as well s our friends.
Posted by: Margo Darling | 09/26/2011 at 12:04 PM
David, our paths cross again after all your help and assistance with selling my farmhouse which, unfortunately, we both knew was doomed. It didn't take the Highland Companies long to bulldoze and burn the house, the maples lining the drive, everything. What for? An obvious threat to Jim and Marian across the road, who refuse to sell their farm? Whenever I drive up 124 it burns my butt to see the empty space that used to be my home. See you at Foodstock!
Posted by: Bill Perry | 09/26/2011 at 10:33 PM
Hey Bill, I know. My blood boils every time I drive by. FOODSTOCK is going to be right across from your old place. Make sure you find me. I'm one of the organizers of FOODSTOCK. Ask for me at the main gate :)
Posted by: David Waters | 09/27/2011 at 10:33 AM
Colin Creasey we need all the help we can get.
if you want to volunteer show up on OCT 2 at 12-3pm. location is in the post above.
Posted by: David Waters | 09/27/2011 at 10:34 AM
There was a fantastic turn out.GREAT FOOD lots to choose from!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This should be an ANNUAL EVENT, DONATE PROCEEDS TO FOOD BANKS!
Posted by: Smith Family | 10/16/2011 at 05:18 PM
I agree it should be an annual event! Absolutely amazing but stunning to me that there was not one minute of news coverage on ctv toronto!!
How many people are estimated to have attended?
Posted by: Pam | 10/17/2011 at 09:31 AM
I attended the event yesterday and it was truly fabulous. What a great concept and what a great effort. The food was delicious, the setting magical, the organization incredible.
Congratulations to all of you who put SO MUCH WORK into this.
Thank you.
Posted by: Wanda Fabbian | 10/17/2011 at 10:35 AM
I attended the event last Sunday ... the event was great ... well organized, I am sure it took an incredible effort to put this together but I am very disappointed in the follow up. Where is the media coverage that should have been part of this? Why haven't the organizers posted stats and updates on the related websites? Other than these blogs very little has been posted anywhere that I can find ... but perhaps I am not looking in the right places??
Posted by: Wendy Davidson | 10/20/2011 at 11:10 PM
I must agree with the previous post (by Wendy Davidson). WHERE IS THE FOLLOW-UP?
I have had numerous people ask me to describe the event - how many attended, who spoke to the assembled masses, what was said, etc. I confess to them that I don't know or have those details, and worse, I don't even know where to look for them. Too bad. Lots of fun, but no effective follow-up. Kinda like all this "Occupy" stuff that's going on - a big noise with no focus.
Posted by: George Baumann | 10/29/2011 at 03:29 PM
Thanks to all the chefs for their delicious contributions.
It was a fabulous day despite the weather.
Why was there no news coverage? That was disappointing.
Helen Derry
Posted by: Helen Derry | 10/29/2011 at 09:06 PM
How has it even reached this stage in the proposed development? It should have been stopped right at the onset.
Posted by: Human Resource Recertification | 01/18/2012 at 10:51 AM