Explore Local: Consumers

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Regional cuisine advocates the usage of quality locally grown ingredients, in union with the culture, geography, and history of Alberta. The "Dine Alberta: Savour the Regional Flavour" is a stimulating way to showcase local agriculture products, family owned farms, and value added processing. Alberta's best chefs, at restaurants, bistros, catered food events, B&B's and meal preparation establishments, are using Alberta's best home grown foods to create unforgettable meals all year round. Visit the Dine Alberta website for more information.

Where to find local food:

Dine Alberta restaurants: For information on Alberta restaurants participating in the Dine Alberta program, visit the on-line interactive map.

Farmers' Markets: For a map of all Approved Farmers’ Markets in Alberta along with contact information, dates and times of operation, visit the Sunnygirl.ca map. Approved farmers' markets adhere to minimum standards set out by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Approved farmers' markets display the Sunnygirl logo. In addition to approved farmers' markets, there are many public markets in Alberta. Check local listings for details.

Fresh from the Farm: The Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association produces an annual guide listing u-pick and farm gate sales operators, their phone numbers, directions to their farms and what they sell. This guide is also available as an on-line interactive map.

Greenhouse Growers: For a map of greenhouse growers involved in retail sales, click here.

Agricultural Processing Industry Directory: This directory provides a comprehensive database of agricultural processing companies and industry organizations in Alberta.

Having trouble figuring out what is in season and when it may be available?

Information within the Seasonal Availability Chart will give you a good idea of when to look for Alberta-grown or raised ingredients. For further details on monthly availability of vegetables, check out the Vegetable Chart.
Seasonal Fresh Food Guide (pdf 203KB)
Monthly Vegetable Availability Chart

Learn about the anthropology of food in Alberta. In 2008, the Alberta Tourism Culinary Alliance commissioned a study to find out about the roots of food in Alberta.

If you would like to receive regular updates from the Explore Local team or sign up for our quarterly e-newsletter, please contact us at explorelocal@gov.ab.ca.

For more information about the content of this document, contact Eileen Kotowich.
This information published to the web on May 4, 2011.
Last Reviewed/Revised on December 23, 2011.