It’s All Things Food at the 2012 EPIC Sustainable Living Expo : Tiny Bites

It’s All Things Food at the 2012 EPIC Sustainable Living Expo

#1 – EPIC KidZone

This is a model kids’ activity centre for the eco-conscious, food-loving family. Children are invited to plant one of 500 seedlings in raised garden beds. Representatives from Growing Chefs! were on hand to help my toddler plant a snap pea in a biodegradable pot to take home. We also got a packet of sunflower seeds to add to the garden. It’ll help us lure bees to the strawberry and blueberry plants that have just begun to flower.

Don’t forget to enter your name to win one of the 16 raised garden beds that are on display. I had forgotten, and now I’m tempted to return just to be in the ballot.

#2 – Abeego Food Storage

Beeswax is the new cling wrap. No, really.

Abeego is natural, reusable, eco-conscious food storage created with hemp/cotton fabric infused with a blend of beeswax and plant extracts. The fluid-resistant coating keeps food fresh and is easy to clean. Simply hand wash Abeego in COLD, soapy water and enjoy the long life of this breathable, plastic free innovation. Three styles to choose from: Abeego Wrap, Abeego Snack and Abeego Square.

Even Abeego’s cards were made out of the fabric. As I took one to go, I was told that it covers your opened wine bottles in a jiffy. Haven’t seen a business card this food-functional since Meat Cards.

#3 – SpiceWorks’ butter chicken mix

I can’t be bothered to custom-blend Indian spices now that I’m running around after a toddler, but I’ve been reluctant to invest in a mix from a grocery without knowing what it tastes like first. There were other exhibitors peddling butter chicken and its kin. SpiceWorks won the taste test by a green mile.

Happy that the list of ingredients reads like a page from a recipe book, as opposed to a chem lab. Bonus: no MSG and gluten-free.

We are so making this for dinner this weekend.

#4 – 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Program

Whole Foods Market has committed to rating all their chicken, beef, and pork suppliers against the respective standards developed by Global Animal Partnership. It’s like the SeaChoice of livestock: each supplier is rated between Step 1 and Step 5+, with Step 5+ being the most “animal centered”.

Every chicken, beef, and pork product sold at Whole Foods carries a minimum rating of Step 1.

It’s another positive step (heh) towards transparency in our food systems.

#5 – Lunapads

If beeswax is the new cling wrap, then cloth menstrual pads are the new cloth diapers. While Lunapads does not at all fit under the All Things Food theme, I just had to include them in my highlight reel. It was the only EPIC exhibitor I was planning to throw dollars at before I even showed up. Got 2 maxi pads with liner at the show, with $14 worth of enclosed coupons for use at London Drugs ($2 off) or their online store ($5 off when you spend $30+).

I sincerely hope that it’ll be easy to surpass the mental block of what washing these items entails, because I am sick of having single-use plastic against my lady parts!

Visitor Info for EPIC Sustainable Living Expo 2012

Take the time this weekend to check out this great showcase of sustainable products, services, and initiatives. Buy online instead of at the door to save yourselves a few bucks, too.