Garson farmer running to represent Greens in Nickel Belt

Stuart McCall, owner of McGrow's Farms in Garson, announced Tuesday he's seeking the Green Party nomination in Nickel Belt riding.

A novice to politics, McCall has been active in the local food production scene for many years. He says he's attracted to the Greens because the party's philosophy closely aligns with his own.

“My top issues are promoting local, healthy food production and accessibility, and I'm also of the opinion that we need to rapidly shift to renewable energy in order to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels,” he said Tuesday.

According to a news release accompanying his announcement, McCall sits on the boards of the Eat Local Sudbury Co-operative and the Greater Sudbury Food Policy Council.

In his work with the Sudbury Horticultural society, he has been involved in making the Sudbury Gardening Festival and Seedy Sunday events a success. And he was also heavily involved in the creation of Greater Sudbury's newest community garden in Garson.

"It's time that the public was aware that there are people who want to make a change to save the environment, but also promote local businesses," he said.

He doesn't just talk those issues, McCall said, it's the way he lives. Not only does he own and run an organic farm, it's mostly powered by solar energy. And he employs high school students, giving them a source of income and teaching them about farming.

"I'm one of these guys that shoots from the hip,” McCall said. “If I see it, I'll say it the way it is. I like to walk the talk."

Boosting local food production is not only good for the economy, he says it helps in the battle against climate change. Food imported from other countries has to been transported a long way before it reaches dinner tables in Canada.

"Fresh tomatoes that are produced in Mexico, for instance, in January, have a huge environmental impact simply because of the transportation issues," McCall said.

"I wonder if people really know where they're getting their food from."

"The shelf life of food imported from other countries -- especially far away ones -- the shelf life is considerably reduced, as well. (So) it makes sense, I think, for us to try and develop as many local farms as we can here, and obtain a degree of food sustainability."

He chose the Greens because they are the only ones taking about these issues, he said.

"I look at the other parties, and I really don't see a visionary strategy going forward to make local agriculture more sustainable, food production,” he said.

“We're seeing dramatic changes in climate, more extremes in weather, and it's definitely having an effect on local agriculture."

At his farm, they are focusing on growing food that does well in northern climates with the goal of increasing the amount of local food consumed by Sudburians. Currently, the percentages are “pretty sad,” McCall said.

"Just for egg production alone, 0.2 per cent of all eggs consumed in Sudbury are locally grown,” he said. “And for produce and meat production, we're probably at three or four per cent.

"I'd like to see us at around 10 or 12 per cent. That would be a really big stretch, but if we took measures to develop a food hub here, encourage small farmers to expand and bring new farmers into the system, you could create a really good agro business that would employ lots of people."

Should he win the Green Party nod, he'll be up against incumbent NDP MP Claude Gravelle and Liberal candidate Marc Serré. While winning will be tough – the party currently has two MPs in Leader Elizabeth May and Thunder Bay's Bruce Hyer, who was elected as an NDP candidate – McCall says he has a chance to talk about the issues he believes are important.

"I believe that we all win every time someone is willing to listen to new, smart ideas that will make our community a better place, for our families, our kids and our grandchildren," he said.

"People are becoming more aware of where their food comes from, and they're willing to support local producers and they will pay a little bit of a higher price for organic food. The support is there, the demand is there."

The federal election is slated for Oct. 19.