Just as I was mulling over whether or not I would be attending this year’s Feast of Fields an interesting situation arose. It seems that The Read Apron has withdrawn from the event, which sees local farmers paired with local chefs to create unique, local and organic dishes. Their reason for withdrawing? The new title sponsor of the event this year is Loblaws. For some more background on the event visit the event website and for more information on The Red Apron’s decision to no longer participate see this great article by Ottawa Magazine.
Basically it boils down to an event that promotes local food culture being sponsored by what some feel is the reason that this culture is endangered. Where have we heard this before? Oh right… everywhere. McDonald’s sponsored the Olympics. In fact they had the athletes going around saying how often they ate at McDonald’s and how much they loved Coke. While everyone is entitled to their favorite guilty pleasure every now and then – I find it hard to believe that the best athletes in the world have a diet that revolves around McFood.
This is a topic that speaks right to the heart of me – as a food lover and a marketing major. I’m torn – I know that events need sponsorship to break even, and personally I don’t want to make up the difference in funds with increased ticket prices. On the other hand I hate wading through marketing mumbo-jumbo to get to the truth of the what, where and how of my food. I hate when fast food restaurants market to children, but I love when local events have enough money to continue putting on such great affairs for our community.
The fact is that sponsorship of this kind is everywhere… and sadly I have to admit when I went to the Feast of Fields website to look into buying tickets I didn’t even blink at the Loblaws logo that is right on the main page. I didn’t notice – in fact… I kind of expected something like that to be there. Is that wrong? Maybe. Should the event have looked into grants or government funding before approaching the superstore?? Perhaps… hey, maybe they did.
In the end it appears that yet another event has sold it’s soul to corporate food marketers – but have some sympathy… great events don’t come cheap. And those that cost money in the end, don’t come back year after year. I’m still deciding if I will be attending, but my decision will have nothing to do who sponsors the event.
What do you think? Is this a necessary evil that we are just going to have to live with, or is there a different way to do business?
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August 26, 2010 at 10:22 am
One of Ottawa's Real Foodies
Ottawa Magazine also posted an article yesterday that Piggy Market is pulling out of Feast of Fields as well. http://www.ottawamagazine.com/restaurants/city-bites/2010/08/25/exclusive-feast-of-fields-chooses-loblaws-and-loses-the-piggy-market/
My dilemma is: do I go anyway. There are great farms paired with great chefs at this event. And I would hate to see them not have the chance to showcase their good stuff if there is a mass exodus of participants or if ticket sales are harmed. Can we learn from this experience mid-stream and still keep the train on the tracks?
It is likely time for COG to step in and show some leadership on this before it all starts to crumble. Isn’t that worse than having Galen Weston at the festival with his big banner?
August 26, 2010 at 11:40 am
simplyfreshottawa
I feel the same – love the event… love the idea of it, the actual food, everything! I don’t want to hurt it in anyway. I just hope next year they look for a different source of funding. I heard that they only got $5000 from Loblaws – not worth the controversy!
Maybe next year they can look to Home Depot or a garden supply store that will help invest in community gardens as their marketing angle.
August 26, 2010 at 11:41 am
marienique
Having been involved in the events’ world for many years, I am aware of the need for organizers to find funding where they are able, in order to survive.
Too often grants are elusive and often come in in lower amounts than the request. And our government seems to look to arts & culture first, when seeking areas in which frugal cutting-back can be done. What’s left but the well-padded coffers of the big corporations, looking to shave off some taxable revenue.
I guess I am naïve enough to believe (hope?) that some of those same corporations are also looking to give back to their community. In our day-to-day, we dance the same dance, as we acknowledge a necessary give and take… a weighing of our own impact on our world – economical, environmental, etc. We do our best when we know we need to use the car for a weekend outing, and try to balance things out by taking public transit during the week; some of us justify the purchase of a bottle of water, in those rare, rare cases when we truly see the need.
Yes, I cringe at the McWalbuck’s takeover of much of our events. I still find myself stubbornly referring to ‘The Palladium’ sometimes, and shake my head when I think of the DuMaurier Centre in Toronto, even though its programming has done so much good for world music awareness there. There are countless other examples of corporate marketing through sponsorship, and the dilemma remains the same.
I will be attending the Feast of Fields. Like you, my decision remains independent of how I feel about such sponsorship situations. I will remain aware and keep seeking to be informed on the best ways I can support the arts in my community. And I will live in this world as best I can.
August 26, 2010 at 1:24 pm
simplyfreshottawa
Here here – it’s a rock and a hard place kind of choice but the event itself is a good one.
August 26, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Don (@foodieprints)
This is one blog post I did not want to write.
Loblaws’ sponsoring Feast of Fields has evoked some powerful emotions from local producers, vendors, chefs, and restaurateurs.
Many retailers and producers who staunchly support organic, local, or a combination of the two feel participating in an event sponsored by Loblaws betrays their food philosophies.
Loblaws hasn’t really shown any interest in changing their supply chains to truly support local farmers, let alone local and organic ones. Ever wander down the organic aisle at a Loblaws or Superstore? The herbs aren’t even from Canada.
Loblaws is very interested in amending its image as it has been struggling to remain profitable. It has even re-arranged its produce sections to resemble more farmer’s market displays.
Yes Loblaws should be taken to task for having no substance behind its marketing efforts. The question is, does the confrontation need to take place at Feast of Fields…
COG has been transparent in informing people Loblaws is sponsoring. It, however, has not been clear about Loblaws supplying produce. It has not been clear about whether or not Loblaws will be using the event to gauge Ottawa’s interest in local organic produce. It has not explained Loblaws’ intentions.
August 26, 2010 at 1:27 pm
simplyfreshottawa
That is exactly it – I hate this kind of marketing… but is the time to take a stance on it at Feast of Fields? Are we doing a dis-service to those who are still participating and volunteering by not attending?
Hopefully all this talk will be enough to get the event organizers to choose their sponsors a little more wisely next year.
August 26, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Dave Neil
As owner of The Piggy Market, I still strongly urge everyone to go and support the farmers and chefs who do opt to continue. Feast of Fields has always been a wonderful event, and wouldn’t exist at all without the people who come out and buy tickets every year.
August 26, 2010 at 3:57 pm
simplyfreshottawa
Dave’s right – there are lots of good people doing good work here that we should continue to support. I hope the controversy that has been stirred up is enough to make the organizers of the event look for funding else where next year… however if we don’t support the event they wont have that chance.
August 26, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Colleen
Farmer here! Since learning of the Loblaw’s sponsorship I have been having a moral battle about our longstanding support and involvement with Feast of Fields. Way to go Dave for pulling out and standing on your principles! I am so proud of you.
We are a family based certified organic farm- we employ a few locals and work very hard 7 days/week in order to bring fresh, nutrient dense, tasty, safe, diverse food to Ottawa every week- to restaurants, a couple of independent stores, CSA and farmers markets (Landsdown and Main St). We will never likely sell our food to Loblaws because we simply can not jump through the hoops that they insist upon- we need specific expensive non-biodegradable packaging, we need to put a sticker on every one of our tomatoes, melons, cucumbers etc etc…we would have to get a bar code…I would bet that NO farmer that participates at F of F can or will do any of the necessary things to get onto Loblaw’s shelves- oh and then we will have to compete in price with the cheaper imports. No can do!!
Loblaw’s is green washing “local”. I thought that we were trying to build a FOOD SYSTEM- this requires local farmers that can earn a viable living- which in most cases means cutting out the middle man- like Galen Weston.
I am sure Galen is a very nice man but he has no intention of buying produce off of any one of the farmers attending the F of F. What he wants is all of the people that buy at farmers markets, CSA’s or independent grocery stores to buy from him! That is how his world goes round.
As a member of La Via Campesina and the National Farmers Union I am struggling with my participation in an event that is sponsored by a corporate conglomerate that is actually making it more difficult for farmers like me, and my farmer friends to make a viable living. When food needs a passport you should not eat it. We all need to make more of an effort to eat locally and seasonally- stores owned by Weston sells anything anytime- local = get it here in 24 hours by plane.
F of F is really about the chefs and restaurants anyway. I have gone for about 8 years and as other farmers have noted, there is not much interest in the farmers or the farms, just in the food. People dine and dash.
August 26, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Karen
My question is: what happens to the farmers who were paired with Red Apron and The Piggy Market? Do they still get to participate? I can understand taking a stand but I agree, is the time and place really at the Feast of Fields?
August 27, 2010 at 10:07 am
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