June 1st started out crisp, but as the sun came up over the Sparks Street Mall in downtown Ottawa, things started to warm up as people were heading into work and being offered a warm breakfast treat courtesy of local farmers in the area. The pop up Downtown Diner was hosted by the Chicken Farmers, Dairy Farmers and Egg Farmers of Canada and was a welcome treat for all who passed by.
Proof that farmers can have lots of fun!! What a fantastic group, ready to chat with people about what it is that farmers do and why it is so important to support farming. Some of us forget when we shop at our local grocery that everything we eat comes from farming in one way or another and this was an amazing opportunity to be reminded about how amazing farmers can be.
The fantastic chefs for the day cooked and served up quiches, scrambled eggs and breakfast wraps for the morning. A perfect start to the day for so many! Everything that was prepared was given out and breakfast turned to lunch with chicken pizza, an all Canadian frittata and turkey sandwiches. By lunchtime we were warming up nicely but were keeping our eyes out for rain. We had a few sprinkles but not enough to dampen the day.
Lots of Members of Parliament stopped by throughout the day including the Leader of the Conservative party and Leader of the Official Opposition, Andrew Scheer. A quiet lunch together with the farmers was a great way to introduce him to Ottawa.
The day came to a great close, having given away all of the prepared meals and having some fantastic conversations. What an amazing event to be a part of as I cherish the local farmers who work all around us in our community. It is always a great day when you remember to #ThankaFarmer