Pierre Lemieux,
député/ Member of Parliament
Glengarry-Prescott-Russell
For immediate release Monday, June 14, 2010

Pierre Lemieux Launches his “Support our Farmers: Buy Local !” Campaign at the Vankleek Hill Farmers Market
VANKLEEK HILL, ON – On Saturday, June 12th, MP, Pierre Lemieux launched his “Support our Farmers: Buy Local !” campaign in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell at the Vankleek Hill Farmers Market. His campaign is aimed at supporting the local farming community and economy. At the event, Mr. Lemieux stated, “I work very closely with the farmers of our region, and it is important that we do all that we can to support them and the world-class produce they grow. In addition, I have just returned from travelling across Canada with the Agriculture Committee, and during those travels I had excellent discussions with farmers on what would help. It is very apparent that having Canadians buy local is very important to farmers not just in GPR, but across the nation.”Other speakers at the event included Deborah McChesney from the Maxville Farmers market, Mathieu Blanchard from the Cumberland Farmers Market, and Sabrina Martinez from the Eastern Ontario Local Food Co-op.

During the event Mr. Lemieux provided concrete examples of what area residents can do to support local farmers. These included supporting the numerous farmers markets throughout the riding. As well as paying special attention to the labeling on products – looking for the “Made in Canada” label regular package goods, the Blue Cow label on dairy products, and the Foodland Ontario label on produce and meat items. Mr. Lemieux stated, “It’s all about the small changes that we can each make in our grocery shopping habits. Collectively, we can make a big difference through one simple action - buying local, buying Canadian.” He also encouraged people, “If you do not see Canadian produce in the grocery store you frequent, you should mention to the manager that you want to buy local and buy Canadian.”

As part of his “Support our Farmers: Buy Local!” campaign, Mr. Lemieux’s strategy includes:
• Advertising in Local Papers to highlight the importance of buying locally grown, Canadian farm goods;
• Releasing information that:
  • → Describes the importance of supporting our farmers and local producers and such venues as our farmer markets,
  • → Details how to identify the ‘buying local’ trademarks such as the Blue Cow;
  • → Describes how to look for ‘Product of Canada’ labelling, and;
  • → Highlights upcoming local produce and farmer activities.
• Sending out flyers to households encouraging people to buy local;
• Adding a Buy Local link to his website (www.pierrelemieux.ca) that will connect people with upcoming events.

With this campaign, Mr. Lemieux stated goal is to highlight four primary benefits from buying locally grown dairy, meat, and produce. These are:

  • 1.) The Benefit to the Local and Canadian Economy. Buying locally produced food keeps money circulating in our local communities.
  • 2.) The Benefit from Improved Taste and Freshness. Locally grown food is fresh and fresh food always tastes great! Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other countries.
  • 3.) The Benefit to Our Environment. A lot of food in Canada travels 1,500 miles before it reaches our grocery stores. Buying Local reduces carbon dioxide emissions and burns less fuel.
  • 4.) The Benefit of Knowing Where our Food Comes From. When we Buy Local, we have the opportunity to get to know who is growing your food and become connected to your food source.

“Local food, Canadian food is about the future,” concluded Mr. Lemieux. “By supporting our local farmers today, we can help ensure that there will be farms in our community tomorrow, and that future generations will have access to nourishing, flavourful, and abundant food.”