Erin O'Reilly and Kate Klenavic of DISH Catering with organic farmer Stuart Collins. (Etienne Ranger, special to the OBJ)

When you can't get the time of day from the big grocery chains, it's time to become a marketing professional, says one farmer

Although this is one of the busiest times of year for organic farmers in the Ottawa region with fall harvest at hand, many are taking the time to team up with the top chefs in Ottawa for Feast of Fields 2007 at Vincent Massey Park this weekend.

Not only will it be a fun contest to see who can create the best dish judged by the audience, it is also a way for small organic farmers to make a crucial link to their markets in a business dominated by huge factory farms, mostly from south of the border.

The 27 farmers participating in the event come from all over the eastern Ontario and western Quebec. The region seems to be a hotbed for organic farmers, with around 40 organic farms listed in the 2007 Ottawa Regional Organic Food Directory put out by the Canadian Organic Growers (COG) Ottawa Chapter.

"Feast of Fields 2007 is about profiling local organic food production and making connections," said Janet Mrenica, a member of the COG. "Today, consumers are asking questions about the origins of their food. Today, there is new breed of chef who is focused on local organic produce as the mainstay of their menu."

Stuart Collins of Bryson Farms near Shawville, Que. said his farm, run with partner Terry Stewart, is one of the biggest. The over 140-acre farm has been in the Stewart family for generations and grows over 2,000 varieties of heirloom vegetables. Heirloom vegetables are non-hybrid and open pollinated – meaning they produce seeds that will produce new plants just like the original – and many varieties have been around for more than 100 years.

Mr. Collins said the main problem small organic farmers face in today's market is how to bring their produce to customers.

"Breaking into the main grocery store chains is almost impossible. We are the largest certified organic farm here ... and even we don't know how," Mr. Collins said, adding that organic produce sold in places like Loblaws doesn't typically come from Canada, but is shipped from places like California and the Caribbean. According to the COG, on average, 85 cents out of every dollar spent by consumers on produce today in conventional supermarkets is related to transportation, processors and marketers.

"Supermarkets need a large volume of standardized products and ideally they want it all-year round. Because of our climate, all-year round is out and large volume is only possible if farmers get together in groups. This happens a bit with organic farmers in southwestern Ontario but is very limited," said Lloyd Strachan, an agricultural economist and subsistence farmer who is helping to organize the farmers for Feast of Fields.

Another problem is that grocery stores want consistency in their product, something that doesn't happen often in the organic world, he said.

"It's a question of consumer education here. When I was in Europe I went shopping for apples and they looked very ordinary. They weren't shiny, waxed or polished, and I said to myself, put those on a Canadian shelf and no one would touch them," Mr. Strachan said.

Mr. Collins said he moves a lot of produce through direct selling to restaurants, but a lot of small farmers don't know how to make that connection. "It's a lot of hard work. They are so busy with their farming they don't think about marketing, but they need to." Mr. Collins is planning on speaking at a Canadian Organics Growers Eco Conference in February to teach farmers how to get their produce out to the public.

What helps make Bryson Farms so successful is its heavy reliance on Internet sales. "A lot of chefs want to buy locally-grown organic food, but they don't know what's available," Mr. Collins said.

That's why Bryson Farms has an updated list of what's for sale, and all orders are done through its website. Last week, heirloom tomatoes, purple, white and red carrots, heirloom Italian zucchini and a whole host of other items were available for order.

To make it even more convenient, Bryson Farms makes two trips to Ottawa weekly and offers delivery to central Ottawa at no extra charge.

Bringing produce into the urban environment is key to connecting with consumers, according to Feast of Fields co-ordinator Eagranie Yuh. "With the demographics around places like the Parkdale Market, they want to know how the food is grown, they want to have a relationship with the farmers. It doesn't have to be complicated or political," she said.

Other venues around town include the Organic Farmers Market, held every Saturday near Bank and Heron, and the Ottawa Farmer's Market, located at Lansdowne Park every Sunday from May to October.

Bryson Farms has a booth at the Parkdale Market. Its prices are more expensive due to the additional manual labour involved, but Mr. Collins said his customers don't seem to mind.

"You have to remember we have 42 people on our farm because we don't use pesticides, so we weed the fields ourselves," he said. "People are more interested in having a relationship with the farmer, learning where the food came from and how to cook it. And farmers need to make sure that they are producing what people want as well. For instance, I will never have trouble selling my purple carrots."

For more information about Feast of Fields 2007, visit cog.ca/ottawa/feast_of_fields

TEAMS AT FEAST OF FIELDS 2007

Alpenblick Farm with Ballygiblin's Pub

Aubin Farm with The Branch Restaurant

Bramada Farms with Westboro Market

Dobson's Grass Fed Beef with ARC the Hotel

Bunching Onions CSA with Delta Ottawa Hotel & Suites

Champignons Le Coprin with Wellington Gastro Pub

Covenant Farm with Infusion Bistro

Dunbrae Farms with Domus Café

Elm Tree with The Urban Element

Fairweather Farms with The Green Door

Ferme Juniper Farm with Les Fougeres

Ferme Notre Heritage and Eternal Seed with Juniper Wine Bar and Restaurant

Greta's Organic Gardens with Benny's Bistro

HaeDae Farms with Serendipity

Kellgreen Organic Farm with Fairmont Chateau Laurier

Love Those Weeds Organic Farm with Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro

Bryson Farms with Thyme & Again

Natural Lamb with Hungry Planet

The Pickle Patch with DISH Catering

Ray and Gerrie's Herbs & Berries with Ironworks Pub

Saffire Farms with Holistic Cooking Academy

Sweet Meadow Farm with Benitz Bistro

Teamwork CSA with The Urban Pear

Waratah Downs with The Table Vegetarian Restaurant

Glebe Organic Vegetable Garden (GO-VEG) with Alex Clarke (Growing up Organic)