Warmer weather seems to bring our attention back to the beauty of eating locally. As our city crawls out of hibernation after a harsh winter, we begin to turn our thoughts to the growing season that is now underway. One of my favourite things about summer in Saskatoon is the veggies! Local produce seems easier to come by, as we see a surge in the number of vendors at the Farmers' Market, and the variety of locally grown vegetables available for purchase expands.

The warm weather, of course, also brings the opportunity to get your hands dirty and make DIY summer vegetables happen. Its almost June, so it's time to get rolling on the gardening plans for those of us who wish to tackle it ourselves. I noticed people working away at the Saskatoon Food Bank's Garden Patch the other day, which served as a little reminder for me to head to Early's Farm & Garden Centre this weekend to pick up the necessarily supplies and seeds.

One positive thing about our climate is that as Saskatonians, we are motivated to squeeze out every last drop of precious summer, and we enjoy it that much more. I know I enjoy the fresh, locally grown produce so much more this time of year, partly because of the camaraderie that happens surrounding it. Food is often the centre of community, it has been since the earliest civilizations, and I'm so excited for the many upcoming opportunities for our city to come together in celebration of eating this summer!

An event in support of Slow Food Saskatoon, a local community organization promoting local, sustainably-raise food, is happening on May 31st in Saskatoon. 

Join the conversation about good, clean and fair food during this convivial evening that celebrates the fine things in life: fine home-cooked local fare accompanied by readings that reflect on urban life within nature, courtesy of the U of S MFA in Writing Graduate Students. Vegan-friendly, gluten-free friendly, and kid-friendly too! Cash bar, raffle for Made-In-Sask art, edibles, and books. 

Tickets are still available! Get yours here. 

Eat Local YXE :)