More than 70 people attended an Open House at the Luxton Fairground on Saturday, February 24, to learn more about a new market proposed for the West Shore communities.
The vision is for a complete community market including local farm produce, quality crafts, community group space, music and other entertainment. The market will follow a "you grow it, you bake it, you make it, you sell it" philosophy.
The concept was greeted with much enthusiasm by growers, crafters and potential customers alike. Following the meeting, the steering committee decided in favour of holding the Market at the Luxton Fairground, adjacent to the Galloping Goose trail. The name of the new market, expected to open in early June, will be the Luxton Station Market, as Luxton was once a stop on the Galloping Goose rail line.
The day and time of the market is to be decided in March. Check out www.luxtonstationmarket.ca for updates.
For more information, contact David Stott (Capital Families Association) at 391-4320 or the market planner, Robert Thompson, at 652-4691 or email info@luxtonstationmarket.ca.
Planning funds for this project have been provided by the Community Food Action Initiative of the Vancouver Island Health Authority.
By Glenda Luymes
A Delta high school is getting a new classroom - one that's four hectares in size. A prominent developer has donated the use of a small parcel of land near South Delta Secondary to the non-profit Earthwise Society for transformation into a demonstration farm.
The use of the land, barns and harvest will be incorporated into classes at the school. "Many children haven't seen where food comes from. We want to get them down here and give them a chance to...pick peas and eat them out of the pod - to learn all about sustainable agriculture," Earthwise executive director Patricia Fleming said.
The non-profit group hopes to teach students about sustainable farming and job options in agriculture. "Getting young people to choose a career in agriculture is a challenge," said Fleming. "Local food is so important to us. We're hoping that by giving high-school students a role here, they will get excited about it."
South Delta Secondary chef-instructor Gerald Worobetz anticipates teaching his culinary-arts students about the path food takes to the table. "It's not only about growing food, but harvesting it, cooking it and eventually eating it," he said. "I see students who don't know how food gets on the table -- like it magically appears at Safeway. I want to change that."
Worobetz said the farm will be used for a number of different classes, from geology and biology to social studies and history. "The scientific links are obvious, but teachers might also find a way to incorporate the farming history of Delta into a class," he said.
Ideally, Worobetz would like to see the school's use of the farm go beyond field trips to include an agriculture course. "We could start an agriculture program, either through a summer class or...an after-school class," he said.
The Century Group, which owns the Southlands property, recently donated the use of about four hectares to the Earthwise Society. Although the Delta school district is not supporting the project financially, Worobetz hopes to incorporate the farm into some of his classes by the fall. The full farm, including a small market, is expected to be up and running by the end of 2008.
Earthwise is also developing an ecological demonstration garden to "help people create sustainable home landscapes" on the site. The garden is scheduled to open at the end of April.
For more information: gluymes@png.canwest.com
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The work of CR-FAIR is supported by Vancity, Roundtable on the Environment Healthy Communities Subcommittee, LifeCycles, Community Council and CR-FAIR Steering Committee members.
Financial support for this project provided by Vancouver Island Health Authority's "Community Food Action Initiative" through ActNow BC - the government of BC's investment in promoting healthy choices through a partnership-based, community-focused approach to improve nutrition, increase physical activity and reduce tobacco use.