This post is in partnership with Half Your Plate.
If your idea of a good time is being surrounded by thousands of square feet devoted to fruits and vegetables, the 2017 Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) annual exhibit is definitely your jam. The CPMA annual exhibit is an opportunity for growers, producers, distributors, retailers and pretty much everyone connected to the produce industry to unite and share what's new in their world.
We were there with Half Your Plate Canada who has one very simple mandate...fill half of each plate with fruits and veggies. There's no need to remember what constitutes one serving of fruit or how many carrots is a serving of vegetables. Rather, if you fill half your plate with produce, you're doing great!
The theme this year, "We Are Produce" was very fitting as it was all encompassing and perfectly described what we witnessed. Along with 4 FBC Members, we embarked on a 2-day mission to see, hear and of course taste as much as we could.
We recently shared one of the highlights from the show which was Chef Michael Smith talking passionately about the importance of getting back to cooking and embracing the joy that comes from it and not worrying about how pretty it looks in a photo.
Each of the four bloggers who joined us on the exhibit floor shared their experience and thoughts as well...
Sam from My Kitchen Love helps families (like hers) eat great meals together as a family. With three little kiddos, she speaks from experience and offers tips on How to Build a Kid-Friendly Salad that makes life easier and dinner time more enjoyable.
Taylor from The Girl on Bloor was inspired after the show to revisit her site and comb through all her salad and veggie-heavy posts. She shares nine Summer Salad Recipes to enjoy at home, the office, weekend picnic or pretty much anytime the mood strikes to fill half your plate.
Claire from Claire Tansey's Kitchen took a different approach and shares some of the most interesting tidbits from CPMA President Ron Lemaire's talk about innovation happening within the industry like a drone that can pollinate plants!
Lorena from Green Healthy Cooking decided to not only write about her experience at the show, she thought it'd be best to show what Half Your Plate looks like from breakfast to dinner.
After about 30,000 steps in two days, we can report that innovation, creativity and excitement in the produce world is alive and well. Filling half your plate with fresh fruits and veggies has never been easier or more fun!
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This was such an experience! It was wonderful to see a massive shift to get more people eating produce. I loved the kid-friendly products! And so did my kids as I brought them all the way back to Vancouver for them 🙂 Thanks for including my salad here!