Banff Mountain Film Festival at Al Whittle

What is a Producer-Consumer Food Market?

In late November the Chronicle Herald ran a story about the creation of a new local co-operative grocery store.  Two weeks ago while on a run up the Acadia trails, I had a chance encounter with the president and CEO of Scotian Gold Co-operative Ltd., David Cudmore.  As a follow-up to that conversation, Karen Corey, the director of Marketing & Business Development at Scotian Gold, provided further information.

JN: David mentioned that the New Minas Coop was: too big, not attracting young people and not retail focused (it was basically a wholesaler for Coop Atlantic). Older generations understand the benefits of Coop’s but, without the interest new faces, they aren’t sustainable.

KC: Our business model – a consumer/producer partnership is very different than the Kent Coop model other than it will be a co-operative business with the opportunity for people to become owners.  You will not have to be a member to shop or supply the food market.  Our goal is to create a food market that delivers “an experience” for all generations, but with particular focus on the younger generation.  We hope to achieve this by creating a family friendly environment with play area for children, interactive workshops and cooking classes for those interested in learning more about their food and where it comes from.

JN: David also mentioned that a Coop in Port Williams will work because it’ll be a smaller store (1/4th the size), there’s no other grocery in town while still being very accessible within the Windsor – Kentville corridor and it will have a strong focus on local, fresh and NS food. Producers will be encouraged to be active within the store and there will also be a butchery.

KC: Correct, our focus will be fresh and local whenever we can be – so fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, fresh fish and meats and cheeses, all sourced local first.  We realize we will not be able to source local 52 weeks of the year so there will be times of the year that produce will be sourced outside our local market and our plan is to carry items like bananas and oranges that cannot be sourced locally any time of the year.  At the same time, we understand the convenience element of stocking grocery items as well which again will be sourced locally first.  We will look to our owners/partners for direction and input on the items we stock.

- Compiled by, Jeremy Novak

Tripalady New Year’s Eve Dance

It was near dusk when I spied the elf clambering down my drainspout, looking tired and a little hot (“It’s like the tropics around here!” he exclaimed).  Naturally, I invited him in for a cold glass of nog.

“So, what are you doing in Wolfville?” I asked.

“Roof checks,” he replied, waving a can of fluorescent spray paint.  “We don’t just wing it on the night, you know.  Lots of work.  Still, it’ll soon be over, and then we can kick back.  Blitzen and I are going out dancing New Year’s.  TripALady’s playing the Old O Barn here …”

“Really?  You know about them?”

“Come on.  Santa?  Naughty?  Nice? We know everything.”

“Oh.”  I paused, momentarily disturbed.  “Yeah.  Right.”

“ It should be a good time.  I love those twin fiddles.  There you are, bopping along to Human League – we all dig that stuff, everyone in the shop had Walkman’s, back in the day – and then … Whoosh! The reels kick in.  Or they hit some harmonies.”  His already-bright eyes glittered.  “It’s a blast.”

“That does sound like fun,” said I.

“And it’s good for the soul to dance on New Year’s.  The hustling’s all done ” – he rattled the spray can – “and dancing makes you joyful to be alive!  You go out with people you love, and celebrate future and past.  It’s an act of hope.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.  Besides,” he added with a sudden leer, “I heard Lee Aaron was at their Hallowe’en Dance.  Well, anyway, happy New Year to ye.”

“Merry Yule to you!”

And to you all.

TripALady plays the Old Orchard Inn Heritage Barn in Greenwich on Saturday, December 31.  Doors open at 9 pm, with music carrying on past midnight.  Tickets are $15 advance, $20 at the door, available from Box of Delights in Wolfville or from Aspinall Pottery at the Wolfville Farmers’ Market.  697-2271 for more info.  This is a licensed event!

Caleb Miles: Strange Weather

Album Review by Laura MacDonald 

Caleb Miles plays with his hat low and his fire high. It is a sensory experience to hear him perform the song ‘Silver Spoon,’ a dark blues in the murder ballad vein, about a servant girl hanged for allegedly stealing a piece of prized cutlery. Picking it on his shiny National Reso-phonic steel guitar, he and the song seem to exude wet storyteller smoke and ancient outlaw wisdom. This song along with eleven others make up his new album Strange Weather, and are a stunning arsenal of dark, lyrical, playful, wickedly good songs, set to be performed live at his CD release concert on December 17th.

Caleb wrote every song, sings and plays every single instrument on the album, and even recorded and mastered it himself. Far from sounding indulgent or cut-and-pasty, the songs instead achieve the radiant cohesiveness and robust energy of a live band. Caleb Miles is a masterful musician and songwriter, with his songs huddling conspiratorially around a rich subject area of Jericho and the jack of diamonds, black moons and gin, honey and jive. His lyrics are clear and classic while at the same time cerebral and poetic.

The album seems to cover every vintage sound of 60s and 70s music, from psychedelic rock and dreamy jazz, to feel-great pop and folky roots numbers. It sounds like The Beatles dressed in leather, Tom Petty on peyote, Led Zeppelin in the good ole days. Caleb proves himself to be a twelve-trick stallion who runs the gamut of musical styles and moods, covering with tasteful wit the themes of death, lust, and the apocalypse.

The music rocks hard with tracks like ‘Long Way Down,’ gets funky with ‘Story Never Told,’ is haunting and primal on ‘Oh Sadie,’ is achingly catchy, and orchestral at times; it descends into madness with ‘Ace of Spades’ and ‘Voices in Your Head,’ and rises sweetly at the end with the arrestingly gorgeous ‘Laughing Water.’ His songs creep up on you in the best way, and have a way of filling out a room, dripping green rhythms into every nook and cupboard.

In order to perform the album, a band of surrogate Calebs will join the real McCoy for his CD release concert: Ryan and Scott Hupman, Bob Federer, and Mike Carroll. To hear Caleb Miles’s songs, you’d swear he’s sold his soul to the Devil, or at least made some deal with the Prince of Darkness at the crossroads of Albuquerque and Portland. But see him live, and it’s obvious the soul is still present. Maybe he just sacrificed some voodoo juice to a passing desert oracle, or is channelling some mountain moon prophet. Either way, the show is sure to be one of the best of the year.

The CD release concert is Saturday, December 17th, 8pm at the Al Whittle Theatre. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at The Rolled Oat Café, or online at www.calebmiles.net. CDs will be on sale at the concert for a special price of $10.