Monthly Roundtables
CR-FAIR continues to hold its Monthly Roundtables as a way for groups and individuals from around the region get to know each other, share about their work, as well as find ways to coordinate and connect efforts.
 Over the spring, roundtables were held in Saanich, with Mayor Frank Leonard present to receive his Local Food Security Hero Award. We also learned about Saanich’s work on developing an Agriculture Workplan as well as work on community gardens for seniors and healthy vending policies in recreation centers. The next roundtable was a region wide roundtable, held at the Community Social Planning Council and an interesting opportunity arose when we connected about children’s summer farm camps, community kitchens and the Moss Street Market. We learned that many families who attended community kitchens would be interested in opportunities for their children to experience where their food comes from first hand. "Mr. Organic" Dave Friend was attending the meeting to let us know about his summer camps for kids, and we also heard that the Moss Street Market was offering its information table to community groups again this year. Through our discussion, we identified the opportunity to gain sponsorships for kids from the community kitchen group for the on-farm summer camp program through seeking donations at the Moss Street Market. Now that is connecting the dots!
There won't be any Roundtables through the summer. Stay tuned for the fall:
Monday 20 September, 11am-1pm - Community Social Planning Council - theme 'Embarassment of Riches' - a Roundtable on Resource Directories;
October - Saltspring Island; November - Colwood.
Details prior to the event.
Emergency Food Provision - Increasing Food Flow
CR-FAIR continues to work with a broad range of emergency food service agencies in the region who deliver a wide range of food access programs in Victoria. These groups have been meeting to ensure opportunities to work in a more coordinated way to organize food donations, volunteers as well as share transportation and storage.
Over the past year, researcher Teron Moore worked with CR-FAIR to better understand the capacities and the needs of the agencies and how greater cooperation could increase the food flow. As a result of this research, a project has been launched to look at the best methods for interagency collaboration and the potential for developing a "virtual organizing hub." CR-FAIR will be leading the groups through the development of this resource with support from the United Way. For more info on this exciting initiative, contact Janelle at Janelle.Hatch@viha.ca.
Access to Farmland and Farm Viability Working Group
The Our Farmlands Our Foodlands Our Future Findings Report is available on the CR-FAIR website. It outlines the broad range of strategies to ensure that farmland is accessible for farming and that farming is viable today and into the future. Currently we are working on developing a series of workshops and exploring a partnership with the Planning Institute of BC to deliver workshops to municipal planning staff, and elected representatives.
Food Matters Forum and Regional Food Security Heroes
Our yearly Food Matters Forum was held in the spring this year at the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, the topic for our keynote was "New Media" and exploring how we can use it to reach our audiences as well as better connect and coordinate our work. It was a great opportunity to hear about food issues and solutions being explored in the region. Videographer Chris Bowers generously produced short videos for any delegate who wished. These videos have been popping up on YouTube, websites, newsletters and emails. Follow these links to view the videos. Video link one and video link two.
This years Food Security Champions are:
Emergency Food Provision
Nominees: Salt Spring Island Community Centre
Recipient: Bill Harding, Salvation Army, Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre
As well as providing important food distribution to their clients, the Salvation Army is demonstrating leadership and collaboration as emergency food service agencies explore opportunities to share volunteers, donated food transportation and refrigeration and storage space.
Urban Agriculture
Nominees: Westshore Learn for Life, Patti Parkhouse
Recipient: Geoff Johnson
Geoff has changed the face of urban agriculture through his work as an educator, activist, mentor, innovator and community partner. Geoff’s home in Victoria is a prime example of urban homesteading. Decade-old apple and plum trees provide shade in his backyard, while newly planted blueberry bushes will provide summer sweets for years to come. The abundance of resources in the urban centre allows Geoff to run a small-scale permaculture services business without owning a vehicle. "The challenge is not to escape the city," says Geoff, "the challenge is to make the city livable and sustainable."
Neighbourhood Based Food Work
Nominees: Westshore Learn for life, Boys and Girls Club, Metchosin Farm, David Mincey, Downtown Market, Jen McMullen
Recipient: Tracy Cullen, Victoria Community Kitchens
The Victoria Community Kitchens Network formed and began meeting in 2009 with recognition that there were groups, organizations and individuals in Greater Victoria interested in working together to enable more community kitchens to start up. The Network is chaired by Tracy Cullen, Community Nutritionist with the Vancouver Island Health Authority whose strong leadership and facilitation skills encourage participation by over 20 interested community agencies. The organizations and individuals involved in the network have shown a great commitment to community kitchens as a way to build food skills, enhance community food security and build capacity among those that may be isolated within the community.
Farming Community Contribution
Nominees: Sharon Rempel, Robin Tunnicliffe, Boys and Girls Club, Metchosin Farm, Pat Reichert
Recipient: Tom Henry
Business Community Contribution
Nominees: Royal Bay Bakery, Breadstuffs Bakery, Tugwell Creek, Frank d’Ambrosio, Ottavios, Danella Parks, Vancity
Recipient: Kristen and Bruce Jordan, Sea Cider
Education and Awareness
Nominees: Westshore Learn for Life, Victoria Community Kitchens, Janet Pivnik, UVic, Don Genova
Recipient: Compost Education Centre
The Compost Ed Centre has succeeded in making worms and compost highly desirable! They have turned on countless families and young people to the beauty and power of micro-organisms, and squiggly worms.
Literary and Media
Nominees: Don Genova, Carolyn Herriot, Helen Chestnut, John Threlfell, Brian Minter, Tom Henry
Recipient: EAT Magazine, Gary Hynes
Government Initiative
Nominees: Jarrod Gunn-McQuillan, Lana Popham, Alice Finnall, Philippe Lucas,
Recipient: Mayor Frank Leonard
The implementation in 2008 of a Farm Tax Assessment with split classifications threatened the viability of many small scale producers in this region. Frank Leonard was co-chair of the Farm Assessment Review Panel that was established in response to the new rules. Two recommendations from the review were accepted by the province last December- the end to split classifications and an income threshold of $3,500 for all food producers to access the lower tax rate.
Special Recognition
Nominees: Linda Geggie; Bob Thompson, Janelle Hatch
Recipient: David Mincey, Pat Reichert
Owner and chef of Camille’s Westcoast Dining, David has brought strong leadership to the Island Chefs’ Collaborative. Always on the lookout for solutions and opportunities, David started the Downtown Market in Bastion Square, making the task of selling produce easy for farmers. Leftovers from the market? No problem – David processed them into fabulous preserves. David has an eye for detail, but also looks beyond his own backyard – he has been a major supporter of the Madrona Farms fundraising drive. David Mincey is a food security champion!
Pat Reichert – Pat Reichert is a longstanding member of CR-FAIR, she has contributed an enormous amount of energy and wisdom to our work and was integral to the development of the Food Security Indicators. Pat also does stellar work on Salt Spring Island recently working to complete the Salt Spring Agriculture Plan and also a study on local capacity for producing livestock. Pat always reminds us that the gulf islands are part of the region, and works as an advocate on their behalf.
Enhanced regulations support local meat sales
Media Release from Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport - Local Meat Sales
Victoria – Amendments to the Province's Meat Inspection Regulation (MIR) will create two new categories of licences to better serve British Columbia's remote and rural communities.
"These new licences will support local producers and processors around the province and will allow us to continue protecting the health and food safety of all British Columbians," said Minister of Healthy Living and Sport Ida Chong. "These licences will initially be made available to livestock producers in Bella Coola, the Powell River Regional District and Haida Gwaii – the communities that participated in the consultation and actually helped develop this concept." Read more.
Help make Victoria the Nut Capital of Canada!
Submitted by Tamara Schwartzentruber
Transition Victoria's working group on Food is excited to announce our first major action project: in keeping with our local character, we're setting out to make Victoria the Nut Capital of Canada. Our vision is to plant various varieties of nut trees around the Capital Region, on both public and private land, as a legacy project for current and future generations and as a model for other communities in our bioregion. Click here for more details.
New discussion paper released - Healthy Eating and Food Security: Promising Strategies for BC
The discussion paper outlines best and promising practices that can inform community action in the areas of food security and healthy eating in BC. What is clear in the literature is that meaningful progress requires the engagement of stakeholders from different sectors, working together at many levels and employing a variety of strategies – advocacy, policy, legislation, communications, program development – to create environments to support more British Columbians to be food secure and to make healthy food choices.
British Columbia is home to many innovative initiatives aimed at building food security and promoting healthy eating. Some are highlighted in the paper. A collaborative and integrated approach engaging stakeholders across many sectors using a variety of strategies is critical to continuing to move forward and create environments supportive of healthy eating and food security. Click here to read the discussion paper. Top
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Regional Food Policy Working Group
CR-FAIR members and a wide range of citizens are working to ensure that our local governments are doing what they can to promote access to healthy diets for all residents as well as strengthening our capacity to grow and distribute food in the region. Please find here a snapshot of some of the recent news pertaining to planning and policy in the capital region.
Regional Food Policy Working Group Established!
On April 13, 2010, a group of proposed members came together to discuss the establishment of a Regional Food Policy Working Group, its role, and what it might do. The purpose of the Working Group is to bring together cross sectoral expertise to: support local and regional governments and authorities in their role to plan and implement policy and programs related to the regional food and agriculture system.
The group is supported by CR-FAIR and involve the participation of a wide range of experts in the area food security, food sustainability, food production, health, law and research. This group was established and has since held its second meeting June 9, 2010.
Members of the Food Policy Working Group:
Bob Maxwell, Peninsula Agriculture Commission, Farmer
David Coney, CR-FAIR, policy analyst
Rob Kline, Regional Agrologist, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
Lee Fuge, CR-FAIR Chair, and Food Roots Distribution
Diane Andiel, District of Saanich Community Services
Kristina Bouris, City of Victoria Planner
Alice Finall, Mayor North SaTBA, Senior Planner CRD
Deb Curran, Environmental Law Centre
Linda Geggie, CR-FAIR, Office of Community Based Research, University of Victoria
Dr. Aleck Ostry, Michael Smith Chair, University of Victoria
Kaitlin Kazmierowski, Planner Islands Trust
Pat Reichert, Island Natural Growers, CR-FAIR
Christina Peacock, Community Social Planning Council
Paula Hesje, CR-FAIR
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Tidbits from Municipalities…
City of Victoria - The city of Victoria is in the next phase of its consultation around its Official Community Plan, facilitated by CR-FAIR and Transition Town Victoria many groups met to specifically provide feedback on the topic area of food sustainability. In the next month the City will be providing a report back about what they heard on these topics. To find out more information about this process and the reporting back please see their website. www.shapeyourfuturevictoria.ca
The garden outside City Hall will be planted again this year with the help of the Diggers at LifeCycles.
Saanich -
Saanich planners are busy with some key pieces of policy and work around food. This includes the work of planner Janet Evans on looking at revisions to the Animal Control Bylaw in regards to Urban Chickens. The Gorge Tillicum Urban Farmers and CR-FAIR provided input into these revisions that will go forward to staff and Council in the near future for approval. Sustainability Coordinator Mark Boysen is working on a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, which includes a section on Agriculture and Food. He has asked for input from the Peninsula Agriculture Commission and CR-FAIR has been invited to attend a planning session to provide input in June. In addition Saanich has begun to discuss the creation of an Agriculture Workplan and we should hear more about this over the next quarter.
Central Saanich -
Central Saanich is in the process of developing an Agriculture Area Plan. Read more...
North Saanich -
Over the past year the District of North Saanich's Agriculture Advisory Commission has been guiding the development of an Agriculture Plan to establish a guiding vision for local agriculture and provide a series of strategies that will ensure the long-term viability of the District's significant and valued agricultural activities. The Plan describes current food and agricultural issues, explores opportunities, and recommends strategic approaches that support local agriculture and ensure its future. A summary and full draft plan can be seen on their website.
Also happening this year is the North Saanich Farmers Market Open from June 5, 2010 to October 30, 2010, Sat 9:30am to 12:30pm, located at St. John's United Church gardens - 10990 West Saanich Rd. (opposite Deep Cove school).
CRD -
The Capital Region is currently in the process of shifting its Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) into a Regional Sustainability Strategy RSS). Although the RGS did look at protecting agriculture land, there is interest expressed in broadening this strategy to include planning objectives and frameworks related to food and agriculture in a more substantial way. The CRD is working with CR-FAIR Food Policy Working Group on developing a process for this endeavor. Congratulations to the CRD for taking this important piece of work on!
Any reports on what is happening with our local governments please let me know and we will include them in future newsletters.
lgeggie@telus.net.
Capital region updates
Madrona Farm - will be farming in perpetuity!
Twenty-four months and almost 3,000 donors later, The Land Conservancy is proud to announce Madrona Farm is saved and will remain in agricultural production forever.
Located 10 minutes from downtown Victoria, Madrona Farm provides food to over 3,500 homes in the Greater Victoria area. The 27-acre farm produces a diversity of 105 crops, 12 months a year. Now as an innovative model for sustainable agriculture, David and Nathalie Chambers, the current farmers on the property, will be provided with the first long-term lease to continue farming while providing education and training for apprentices.
Read more...
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Island Farm Fresh - What's in season?
Visit Southern Vancouver Island Direct Farm Marking Association to find up to the minute information on in-season products and where to purchase them.
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Sooke Food CHI update
Here is an overview/update of the past 8 months of work, written by Phoebe (pictured, right.) If you are interested in getting more involved with a project, feel free to get in touch! If you haven't already, we encourage you to stop by the Sunriver Allotment Garden on Phillip's Road. You will be amazed! Read more...
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Meat in Metchosin
Find chicken, pork and lamb at Sea Bluff Farm in Metchosin and at the Metchosin Farmers' Market and Goldstream Station Market. (End of June for the lamb. Check the Island Direct Farm's link above for more info.)
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Island updates
Wild Food Walks
Beginning this July, Cowichan Green Community will be offering a series of Wild Food Walks throughout the Cowichan Valley. Our walking program is designed to engage members of our community in outings with local wild foods experts to identify and appreciate the Valley’s local plant life while enjoying fresh air, gentle exercise and positive companionship. A schedule will be available soon on our website. Stay tuned for a walk on the wild side! Click here for more information.
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Island Wide Food and Farm Networking
Submitted by Linda Geggie
3rd Annual Conference of the Traditional Foods of Vancouver Island First Nations
The conference was a partnership between the University of Victoria, Tsawout First Nation, and the Songhees First Nation. The first day was a full program of presenters and speakers, as well as a series of digital stories. The Digital Harvest Project was a project of the Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Indigenous Food Network, to gather stories of traditional knowledge by youth from their elders and then make Digital Stories (like short video clips). The Digital Stories were a highlight for me, along with the presentations by Xumthoult Nick Claxton, from Tsawout on Traditional Reef Net Fishing, and also Glenn Jim of Tseycum presented on the Providers Project that engages youth in learning about hunting and preparing deer.
We also heard about the work of Dr. Peter Ross, and John Alexis that looked at toxin levels in butter clams, Dungeness crab, salmon and seal, and explored the question of whether these foods are still safe to eat as Coastal food resources. The second day of the conference was a Traditional Foods Fair, pit cook and feast generously hosted by the Tsawout First Nation. The feast of root vegetables and seafood was amazing and my son Adam enjoyed baking bread on sticks by the fire with the other kids.
North Island
On April 21, 2010, I had the pleasure of working with Tanis Dagert of the BC Healthy Living Alliance to facilitate a meeting in Point McNeil, which brought groups and individuals together who are working on food security issues in the Mt. Waddington Health area. This meeting was convened by Sandra Waarne, the Coordinator of the Mt. Waddington Health Network. At the meeting, many of the groups present decided to establish a Food Security Committee for the North Island as a way to network, share information and work together. Part of the day included mapping food resources in the region, and it was a very good experience for me to understand better how the areas of the island are so different and rich in their own unique ways. Very exciting!
Vancouver Island Food Network
June 3, 2010 – Its official! The Vancouver Island Food Network members come together to formally establish the VIFN as a legal entity.
In the morning we were fortunate to participate in the "From Networking to Thinking Like a Network" Strategies for Growing Local Networks featuring: Barbara McMillan, Community Foundations of Canada. This was an excellent session that allowed us to think critically about developing our network and how we are communicating and organizing our efforts, as a network for connectivity, alignment and production.
In the afternoon the network members held a meeting to revisit the network development process then through the Foodlink Annual General Meeting, the Vancouver Island Food Network was officially created through two special resolutions that change Foodlink Nanaimo’s name to Vancouver Island Food Network, and also their society purpose to undertake the new role as a network for Vancouver Island. A new board was elected and they will be taking the reins from the stewardship team (some members will continue to serve as the new board) to move this work forward.
So far we have been able to raise almost $10,000 which will be channeled towards creating and supporting network communication tools as well as fundraising for a gathering. The board will work to plan a network gathering in the coming year.
Thanks to Foodlink Nanaimo for this leap of faith and the vision to see that this network is needed to support our work and moving forward food security and sustainability on Vancouver Island. Thanks also to the BC Food Systems Network, LifeCycles, and the BC Healthy Living Alliance for supporting this from the start! Thanks also go to Vancity, Farm Folk City Folk, and the Office of Community Based Research at UVic for supporting the next steps.
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Island Academic Institutions and Island Food Sustainability
Submitted by Linda Geggie
Currently through the Office of Community Based Research (OCBR) at UVic, a project is moving forward that involves 5 of the Island Campuses, 10 academic partners, and 10 community organizations from across Vancouver Island. The Local Food Production Capacity Project will work to engage 15 students in directed information gathering and knowledge mobilization activities that will support of 5 strategies to build greater resilience in our local food system.
The topic areas are:
• Increasing local production capacity
• Strengthening infrastructure and distribution
• Promoting urban agriculture
• Supporting indigenous food systems
• Institutional purchasing policies
This project will be launched in September of this coming year and run for a year.
For more information contact Maeve Lydon at maeve@uvic.ca.
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Fresh from Cowichan!
June 2010 marks the launch of Cowichan Green Community’s groundbreaking initiative, the Buy Local! Buy Fresh! local food map.
With over 70 food producer listings, this map represents the most comprehensive directory available for local food in the Cowichan Valley to-date.
With the Buy Local! Buy Fresh! map consumers can find produce, meat, seafood and wine, all grown and raised in the Cowichan Valley or caught off its shores.
The Buy Local! Buy Fresh! map is part of a greater food security mapping project undertaken by Cowichan Green Community in Duncan and is attracting the attention of farmers and foodies all over the Valley.
A majority of the farms listed on the map sell directly from their farm gates. Says Evelyn Pereira of Terra Nossa Farm in Mill Bay, "Farmers don’t have a lot of time to spend on marketing. This map is a great tool for guiding new customers directly to my farm stand so I can focus on what I do best – producing great food!"
Interested in having copies of our map to distribute? Want your own copy to find the best the Valley has to offer? Find more information and contact us at http://www.cowichangreencommunity.org/blbf to make sure you get yours soon!
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Gleaning season is upon us
Nanaimo has an abundance of fruit, nuts and vegetables growing in backyards and farmers fields throughout the region. Often gardeners and farmers grow more than they can use or share and the surplus goes to waste. In our current economic climate, hunger and poverty are a serious concern and people line up at local food banks.
The gleaning program was launched in 2003 to help community members access and share surplus produce. Volunteer gleaners pick produce and share some with family, friends and neighbours. A significant amount of produce is donated to local agencies such as the food bank. Read more and learn how to be involved.
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Food Security Articles
Urban Chickens!
CBC: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation show Q, hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, held a debate on Urban Chickens, Food & Article 25 of the United Nations Human Rights Declaration, which was heard across Canada.
Link to blog posting and podcast of the debate.
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Raising Rabbits
We hear a lot about raising Chickens, but what about raising Rabbits? Jacqueline Huddleston, experienced in raising rabbits has created an extensive and informative handout about raising rabbits for meat and manure. Read more...
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Strange politics leave some farmers out in cold
Written by Jack Knox, Victoria Times Colonist
Tom Henry admits he reacted badly this spring when told there was no room for him, a Metchosin farmer, in the Metchosin Farmers' Market.
"I totally disgraced myself, blew my stack, said a lot of bad words," says Henry, who is also an author whose book The Ideal Dog includes an excellent essay on the therapeutic value of losing one's temper.
OK, they managed to work things out. When the weekly Metchosin market opened the other day, there was Henry selling his pork, lamb and chicken. Read more...
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Report: The agricultural carrying capacity of Vancouver Island
For the majority of homo-sapiens existence, the collection and preparation of a sufficient quantity of healthy food has been our most significant activity. Since our adoption of an agricultural food production system some 10,000-16,000 years ago, the amount of time consumed with this task has steadily declined. As yields increased due to specialization and technological innovations, there was a corresponding rise in society’s level of complexity with food production surpluses allowing for time and effort to be dedicated to other interests.. Read more...
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Locally grown ideas become national policy
- Federal Liberals commit to Canada's First National Food Policy
Submitted by: Beverly Duthie
Federal Liberals have committed to helping Canadians eat healthier, home-grown food through a new national food policy based on healthy eating, safe food, sustainable farm incomes, environmental farmland stewardship and international leadership.
"This national policy has its roots right here in the greater Victoria region," says federal Liberal candidate Renée Hetherington. "It was championed by Liberals in southern Vancouver Island at the 2008 Liberal policy convention and it includes the forward-looking ideas many local farmers and community leaders have long championed here.
"Our region leads the way with a focus on local foods and support for the farming community. We’re surrounded by vineyards, orchards and market gardens – yet we still produce only about five percent of our food locally.
Read more...
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Food Policy and the Green Party
For centuries, family farms were the foundation of our society and economy. Over the last five decades, federal
policies, subsidies and changing technologies have shifted food production from small ecologically-sustainable
family farms to giant agribusinesses. This shift has given multinational corporations control over our
food supply. Meanwhile, farmers increasingly rely on off-farm income to survive. Read more...
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New Report: Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned
As the food and financial crises bring fresh urgency
to concerns over hunger, food access, public health,
labour and economic development – citizens and
governments are beginning to connect these issues
back to the food system as a whole. Councils are
springing up across North America to "connect the
dots" between the growing number of neighbourhood
food initiatives and communities forging policies for
just, healthy food systems. Read more...
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New Report: Lay of the Land: Local Food Initiatives in Canada
As its name implies, The Lay of the Land: Local Food Initiatives in Canada is a scan of local food initiatives in Canada. It charts the geographical distribution and specific types of activities that make up Canada’s local food movement; it aims to help a broad audience better understand the nation’s renewed interest in where food is grown. The Canadian Co-operative Association conducted this research to determine the overall breadth of the local food movement, the number of co-operatives involved in local food, and the umbrella organizations that work to assist these initiatives. Read more...
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New Report: The Grocery Gap: Who Has Access to Healthy Food and Why It Matters
For decades, low-income communities of colour have
suffered as grocery stores and fresh, affordable
food disappeared from their neighbourhoods.
Advocates have long drawn attention to this critical
issue and crafted policy solutions, but access to
healthy food is just now entering the national policy
debate. While the problem is obvious to impacted
communities, good policy must also be based on
solid data about the issue and its consequences. Read more...
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Food insecurity increases risk of weight gain and complications during pregnancy
A recent research study has shown that food insecurity, a person's inability to obtain adequate amounts of food due to resource constraints, can lead to greater weight gain and increased complications during a woman's pregnancy. "Prior studies have shown that women living in food insecure households are more likely to experience health complications," said Craig Gundersen, a University of Illinois associate professor of agricultural and consumer economics and co-author of the study. "An area that hadn't been closely examined is the impact of food insecurity on pregnant women." Read more...
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Produce news from Discovery Organics
Tough times in the produce world: A whopper hurricane season is predicted and the first east pacific storm Agatha already did her damage. Del Monte lost 250,000 cases a week of banana production, with Dole and Chiquita next to announce. There will be major supply problems. 32 organic certifications have been cancelled in Ecuador in last three weeks because of pesticide over-spray for a mosquito outbreak due to El Niño rains last month. Read more...
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Community Announcements and Submissions
MOSS STREET MARKET has an information table available to groups
Bees, organic farming issues, BC Assessment dual taxation on agricultural land....all current issues facing the growing of sustainable organic food for our region. Did you know that our market has a space available for groups to come and inform the public about such issues? Education and discussion is important - so if you have a worthy cause you would like to share please let us know. Read more...
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Creative Volunteer Opportunity from Fieldstone Community Farm
The board of Fieldstone Community Farm has a volunteer opportunity for a creative writer/graphic artist to produce a professional communications piece for the farm. Contact Marria Gauley at marria@fieldstonecommunityfarm.org or 250-385-8587. To find out more about the farm, please visit our website at: www.fieldstonecommunityfarm.org.
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Holland Farm and Al's Landscape Farm Campaign
The partnership of Holland Farm and Al's Landscape is looking to relocate to a reasonably priced property for long term lease in or around the Victoria area. Read more...
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The Zero-Mile Diet
A Year-Round Guide to Growing Organic Food
Take a journey through a year of sustainable backyard food
production with Carolyn Herriot.
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WestShore Harvest welcomes...
WestShore Harvest welcomes new Project Coordinator Kate Naugler. You can reach her at harvest@westshoreharvest.ca.
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New Local Food Guide
Submitted by Cindy Moyer
WestShore Harvest has a new local food guide for the WestShore and Sooke. Check out the Go Local Guide to Good Eats.
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Summer Camps for Kids
Your kids will have so much fun, they'll forget they are learning! Check out Mr. Organics Summer Camps for Kids.
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Now Open - Heritage Farm/Starling Lane Winery
Wine tastings 12:00pm to 5:00pm every Saturday and Sunday - accepting corporate/tourist tastings and tours throughout the summer.
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Online Forum Engages Small Producers
The FARM Community Council (FARM), with the help of the British Columbia Agriculture Council (BCAC), is piloting an online networking site, the BC FARM Knowledge Network. Its purpose is to help BC's small lot and community agriculture sector network, exchange ideas, advertise and market their products. To view: http://forums.bcac.bc.ca/index.php
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Farm and Food Garden Tour
Submitted by Phoebe Dunbar
Sooke Food CHI hosts the first annual Farm and Food Garden Tour Sunday, August 8th from 11sm to 5pm. Tickets available in Sooke at Shoppers Drug Mart, Double D Gardens, Westburn Garden Centre, Sooke Country Market (Saturdays) and in Victoria at the Moss Street Market.
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Call for Workshop Proposals
Weaving Together Food Policy and Community Action: an agenda for change - November 26-28, 2010 The Assembly will begin with a keynote panel on Friday, November 26, focusing on the 'big picture' around food, energy, and climate change, with a panel of speakers from the 'global South' and Canada. The speakers will unveil the international corporate agenda and discuss the responses from small farmers and social movements against land grabs and the degeneration of agriculture into the production of biomass for whatever industrial purpose is currently convenient. This discussion will be placed in the context of the movement for Food Sovereignty. Read more...
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 Regional Food Events Calendar
Click here to see CR-FAIR's calendar of food-related events, courses, workshops, farmers' and pocket markets going on throughout BC's Capital Region. This calendar is accessible from CR-FAIR's webpage, so check back often and be sure to submit your food event information.
CR-FAIR welcomes submissions to the calendar for all food related event, courses, workshop and market information happening in BC's Capital Region. Email info@communitycouncil.ca to submit.
Local Foods Recipes: Simple but Succulent Strawberry Vinaigrette
and Summer Yum Spinach Salad
Strawberries are ready!
Strawberry season is upon us!
Tips for enjoying strawberries year round: We love to have fresh strawberries in the summer but we can make jam, dry them, or freeze them. To freeze strawberries (and blue berries and raspberries) is one of the easiest and most convenient methods to conserve them for winter time. Properly frozen strawberries will maintain most of their taste and nutritional value. There are different ways to freeze strawberries, but I prefer to freeze whole strawberries. First I remove the stems and caps, sort them and wash and drain them (Don’t leave them soaking they get soggy!). Then I put them on a cookie sheet and pop them in the freezer overnight. Then next day I put them into plastic freezer bags with the date on them. (The reason for putting them on the cookie sheet is so they don’t freeze into a block). Then we enjoy smoothies, pies, and fruit and yogurt all year long!
Simple but Succulent Strawberry Vinaigrette
Recipe by Linda Geggie
1 c. fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
1/4 c. red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 t. sugar
1 c. olive oil
(try adding some chopped herbs from your garden as well Tarragon is nice)
Directions:
Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth
Makes 2 cups
Summer Yum Spinach Salad
Recipe by Mary Katharine Ross
Local baby spinach
Fresh picked organic blueberries
Fresh picked organic strawberries
Local fresh goat cheese
(or feta)
Orange sections (optional)
Lightly toss spinach and berries in Simple but Succulent Strawberry Vinaigrette.
Place goat cheese and orange sections on top.
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