Green Views

As seen at the farmers' markets this week

2011-06-27T14:00:00.002-04:00

Local produce has returned to Toronto's farmers markets. Strawberries, rhubarb, radishes, asparagus, spring garlic -- bring it on!
Here's sample from Dufferin Grove and Brick Works markets this week.

Illyan offers a heavenly plate of ChocoSol chocolate with Ted Thorpe's Cabot strawberries.

The Cabot variety of strawberry is an exceptionally large strawberry with good taste but a strange appearance. The very first berries tend to have these weird little blips growing off them. It was developed in Kent, Nova Scotia.

Joel of WellPreserved.ca showing off his prize of spring garlic and rhubarb. Inquiring minds want to know: what are you going to make with these Joel?

The always brilliant chef, Joshna Maharaj has been creating the next generation of local food chefs right under our eyes. here her Gowing Taste Buds kids made the best strawberry muffins and cream I've ever had.

Chocolate, chocolate everywhere!

2011-06-05T14:21:00.000-04:00

It sounded like a dream come true when Lianne Hubbard of the international chocolate company Cacao Barry Callebaut asked me to photograph the two day Canadian Intercollegiate Chocolate Competition. I've never been around so much chocolate--I think I was absorbing it through my skin. Photographing it was a exercise in willpower. Look but don't touch! ( At least not until after I shot it and the judges had their way with it.)

There were 13 incredibly talented and dedicated student chef competitors from 9 college culinary programs across Canada creating 4 different items within the theme "Under the Sea". The first day the competitors created large showpieces--intricate sculptures made entirely of chocolate and at least 1 metre in height. The second day was hand-dipped bonbons, molded bonbons and plated desserts ( my fav).

Day 1: Chocolate show pieces:

Day 2: Bon bons

Day 2: Plated desserts

The Judges

The Chefs

Edible Toronto Spring 2011

2011-03-28T20:59:00.000-04:00

The spring issue of Edible Toronto, my favorite magazine is now out--and I've got the cover photo! This magazine continues to be one of the best and most readable magazines out there. In an age where paper magazines are dwindling, ET has a fervent following of readers who tweet with happiness over each issue, me included.

IGPOTY

2011-03-15T12:48:00.000-04:00

It must be spring--lots of good things seem to be in the air!

In addition to being profiled by Photoshelter (check my previous post), I was recently notified I've been awarded a "Highly Commended" prize in the International Garden Photographers of the Year competition at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, in the UK.

I don't usually enter photo competitions but IGPOTY is one that is, according to their website, "the world's premier competition and exhibition specialising in garden, plant, flower and botanical photography." Sounds good to me.

My photo of a little girl pulling a carrot from the ground and showing it proudly to the camera is one that I knew would be a keeper the instant I took it. All of the elements were there: beautiful kid, honest expression and perfect timing. So glad the judges at IGPOTY saw it too.

FoodShare also recognized the same when they chose it for the cover of their 2011 calendar.

Getting Profiled for Photoshelter

2011-03-15T12:22:00.003-04:00

Photoshelter--my wonderful website home--has just selected me to be among the first 9 photographers to be profiled from their homepage.

Very exciting for me to be selected among so many great photos (over 65,000 photographers call Photoshelter home). It's also a bit of a spur to get me blogging, tweeting and facebooking more, something that Photoshelter has educated me and others about the value of. I've been very tardy with that but I'm starting to wake up with the coming of spring.

See my profile here http://www.photoshelter.com/about/profile/berman

And while I'm at it, a slide show of my recent portraits portfolio:

Portfolio: People - Images by Laura Berman

Only one for 2011

2011-01-12T13:15:00.006-05:00

New year, new look for this blog and only one new resolution for 2011: to add to my blog weekly. Should be easy enough--just have to upload some of my favorite photos and a few words of explanation. Here's wishing myself success!

Winter Shadows

Holly Berries

Waiting for Night of Dread

2010-10-29T12:56:00.006-04:00

Three creatures await the coming of the Night of Dread ( this Saturday at Dufferin Grove Park).

Night of Dread - Images by Laura Berman

Edible Toronto summer cover

2010-06-30T10:39:00.002-04:00

Squirmingly happy to have another Edible Toronto cover!

Seedy Saturday is almost upon us

2010-02-02T00:09:00.003-05:00

More info: www.foodshare.net and www.tcgn.ca

Happy Holidays

2009-12-24T21:46:00.001-05:00

Poppies

2009-06-16T13:25:00.003-04:00

Poppies - Images by Laura Berman

Seedy Saturday

2009-03-05T13:59:00.005-05:00

Seedy Saturday is the unofficial start to spring here in Toronto. This year it will be held at a new location, the Wychwood Green Barns, right after the Saturday morning farmers' market.

Here's a slide show of photos from an incredibly successful Seedy Saturday 2009--a record crowd. ( Have patience and wait for it to load.)

Every day is a good food day

2008-12-09T12:03:00.008-05:00

Sheryl Kirby of TasteTO writes:
As the solstice approaches and the days darken, it may seem as if the season of peaches and berries and tomatoes is far off. But Dufferin Grove Farmers Market runs throughout the year, and what better way to count the days and weeks and months until peak harvest season than with a gorgeous Dufferin Grove Market calendar.

Featuring the photos of Laura Berman and others, along with a behind the scenes tour of some of the market farms, the calendar includes delicious recipes from the talented vendors and market cooks.

2009 calendars are only $15 each, plus $5 postage and handling for mail orders, including tax.

Calendars are available at the Dufferin Park rinkhouse café, at markets on Thursdays December 11th and 18th and Tuesday the 23rd (special holiday schedule!), and by mail order. Quantities are limited.

To place mail orders, write to market@dufferinpark.ca.

FarmStart Feast

2008-11-03T10:51:00.004-05:00

Take a look at a slide show from FarmStart's McVean Incubator farm's delicious fundraiser feast on October 5, 2008:

My new portfolio

2008-10-24T02:09:00.007-04:00

Here's an amazing way to see and share with others my newest portfolio.

New farmers, new markets

2008-07-08T17:51:00.004-04:00

There's lots of new farmers markets opening in Toronto this year (for a list head over to www.tfmn.ca). And some, like Sorauren Park Farmers Market even have some new farmers, thanks to an innovative program called Farm Start which helps new farmers get started.

Here's views of Beet Street's Hakurei turnips and Cherry Belle radishes, The Cutting Veg's garlic scapes and purple onions, as well as South Etobicoke Organics' very beautiful French Breakfast radishes. These are all grown by first year farmers, though the beauty of their produce shows that they clearly have some previous growing experience.

Mmmmm, strawberries!

2008-07-08T17:35:00.005-04:00

There's nothing like strawberries to herald the local food season's in full swing. Here's some of Ted Thorpe's luscious offerings plus flowers from my favorite flower seller, Shane of Underground Organics (more from Shane's farm later) at Toronto's Dufferin Grove organic farmers' market.

If you are looking for a farmers' market near you the Toronto Farmers' Market Network has a great resource. And if you want to venture further from home, Edible Toronto lists more markets in the Golden Horseshoe

It won't be long now...(wishin' and hopin')

2008-03-22T11:41:00.006-04:00

Seedy Saturday, the clock change and the vernal equinox are my markers that life will return and that it's only a matter of moments until that first whisper of green will soon be heard, albeit very quietly, on my morning walks. For me, there's nothing as exciting as that very first peak or green, the swelling bud, a bird on it's way north...it can't come soon enough!

But the meantime:

Seedy Saturday (Toronto) 2008

2008-03-10T11:23:00.009-04:00

While I wait for my favorite farmers to start growing their own, I'm looking for any sign that spring will return to Toronto (kind of hard when the snow is piled up to record levels here). But at least there's Seedy Saturday--my unofficial sign that spring has returned. Come back soon to see some pix.

Edible Toronto

2007-10-22T23:23:00.003-04:00

My cover shot for the premiere issue of Edible Toronto.
Read the magazine here: www.edibletoronto.com/pages/articles.htm

Autumn 2007 at the farmers' markets

2007-10-09T01:25:00.006-04:00

Catching up from a few weeks of shooting the harvest:

Welcome to Fresh and Local

2007-07-29T13:06:00.002-04:00

I haunt several farmers' markets on a weekly basis, always with camera in hand. I shop too, but mostly I take photos of the incredible, infinite variety on offer at my markets. I first fell in love with photographing food (mostly fruit and vegetables) while working at FoodShare Toronto but it really became a passion (obsession?) when I discovered the Dufferin Grove organic farmers' market 4 years ago. It's been the place to go in Toronto if you want organic local food and want to get on a first name basis with the people who grow it.

The current local food boom now means that there are many, many more farmers markets in Toronto--pretty much one each day of the week. There aren't enough farmers to go around though, so chances are, I'll see some of the same farmers at Trinity-Bellwoods, Riverdale, the Brickworks, or Withrow as I'll see at Dufferin Grove. But Dufferin Grove remains my favorite, and I think it is also the favorite of the farmers.

So this blog will be primarily a photo blog, featuring what I've seen during the week at Dufferin Grove and other markets. The first photos that I post may be from a few weeks (or even months) ago--I have some catching up to do in my photo processing. And occasionally I'll write about something of relevance to food and agriculture but since I'm a photographer first and writer second, it's mostly going to be photos.

Enjoy--and buy local!