I walk around the neighbourhood and I see all these apple trees that are not being picked. It seems such a shame because so much could be done with these apples. I have already made more apple sauce that I will eat in the next year from neighbours apples but I still want to see the apples and other fruit used.
I am more than happy enough to come to your home with Victorrio Food Mill and all the canning equipment and help preserve your fruit and vegetables. Just drop me a line.
Showing posts with label Food Security Issues and their Ilk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food Security Issues and their Ilk. Show all posts
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Saanich Food Roundtable November 20th 11am
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Sunday, April 29, 2012
SunRype 3.78 litre pure apple juice
Fairway Market has been running a case lot sale and as part of it has been offering a very good deal on the 3.78 litre pure apple juice from SunRype. I was happy to see the size because we go through more than litre of juice a dinner without any problem. The price for the juice is roughly the same per litre, which is nice to see.I had not really paid enough attention till we started to talk about how nice it was to have a larger juice container. It was then that I thought about it, this is a 3.78 litre container, that is a mini-gallon from the US. Why is SunRype using these heavier and smaller containers when I know there is a very cost effective source of 4 litre containers in Canada. Why a US sized container?
SunRype was created in 1946 by the Fruit Growers Association as a way to make use of the apples that could not be sold - juice apples do not need to look good. Like most people in BC, I grew up with the blue label 2 quart juice tins and then in 1979 the 1 litre tetra-pak. Apple juice has meant SunRype to me for as far back as I can remember.
For 50 years it was an Okanagan based grower owned cooperative based out of Kelowna. In 1996 it became a publicly traded company. It is not quite majority owned by Jim Pattison now. The company is still based in Kelowna but is has plants elsewhere now.
In recent years the company expanded across Canada and 2008 has been in the US, I think that was through the acquisition of Washington based companies like Naumes Concentrates in 2011 and Yakama Juice in 2010.
Now back to the juice being in a US container, I looked at the back of the container and you can see in bold letters at the bottom - Product of USA. Seriously? Even SunRype now gets their juice from the US? Even then it is strange they use US container sizes, SunRype does not sell any juice in the US.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Expansion of Urban Farmers in Victoria
In an email from Gave Epstein of the Gorge Tillicum Urban Farmers, I have found there are some other organizations like this in the region.
Urban farming is very much the flavour of the month, it concerns me how much it can be tied up with political agendas. For it to to work well it has embrace the growing of food and not the politics and economics of agriculture.
As those of you that read this blog know, I do try to grow some of my own food. Most people with single family homes have the space that they could be growing some of their own food. I think it is important for most people to feel some personal connection to their food and nothing is more personal than growing it. It is the linking of this to an anti-capitalist or anti-globalist agenda that will cause the movement to falter.
- HUFFS - Hillside Urban Farmers For Sustainability - I can not find any links for them but they will be at Seedy Saturday, as will the other groups as well.
- JUF - Jubilee Urban Farmers
- VWUF - Vic West Urban Farmers - I can not find any links to them either
Urban farming is very much the flavour of the month, it concerns me how much it can be tied up with political agendas. For it to to work well it has embrace the growing of food and not the politics and economics of agriculture.
As those of you that read this blog know, I do try to grow some of my own food. Most people with single family homes have the space that they could be growing some of their own food. I think it is important for most people to feel some personal connection to their food and nothing is more personal than growing it. It is the linking of this to an anti-capitalist or anti-globalist agenda that will cause the movement to falter.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Panel talk on Food Security
This should be an interesting talk, the people involved are certainly broadminded and open to thoughts and ideas. I do find that some parts of the Food Security Movement are close minded and see this is the latest campaign to attack the "System"
A Transition Victoria Food Group Networking Event / Panel Discussion:
This will be an opportunity to network with others in Food Security, to learn about and get involved with Transition Food Group Projects, Upcoming Events and Happening .
The panel discussion theme is: "What steps can we take to be food secure?"
Panelists:
Moderator: Anthony Sanna, VIVA-Raw and Ambrosia Conference and Events Centre.
Admission by donation. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Panel discussion starts at 7:15 p.m. Come early to network. Refreshments will be provided. Limited seating.
To volunteer or offer your assistance in the planning of this event, please contact Food Group Coordinator Linda Chan at 250 380 6383 or lindaschan@shaw.ca
Please feel free to offer suggestions on the types of activities and topics etc that you would like the Food Group to do in the future.
A Transition Victoria Food Group Networking Event / Panel Discussion:
This will be an opportunity to network with others in Food Security, to learn about and get involved with Transition Food Group Projects, Upcoming Events and Happening .
The panel discussion theme is: "What steps can we take to be food secure?"
- What are the actions to increase food security short, medium and long run that we can take?
- How can we connect the groups and organizations actively promoting food security and connect to them?
- What public policies do we need to support greater food security?
Panelists:
- Carolyn Herriot, The Garden Path
- Philippe Lucas, City of Victoria Councillor, and Victoria Downtown Public Market Society (VDPMS)
- Gabe Epstein, Gorge Tillicum Urban Farmers (GTUF)
- Linda Geggie, Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiative Roundtable (CR-Fair)
Moderator: Anthony Sanna, VIVA-Raw and Ambrosia Conference and Events Centre.
Admission by donation. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Panel discussion starts at 7:15 p.m. Come early to network. Refreshments will be provided. Limited seating.
To volunteer or offer your assistance in the planning of this event, please contact Food Group Coordinator Linda Chan at 250 380 6383 or lindaschan@shaw.ca
Please feel free to offer suggestions on the types of activities and topics etc that you would like the Food Group to do in the future.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
I you have excess fruit, I will process if for you.
I can fill jars in 125, 250, 500 and 1000 ml sizes. I have regular and wide mouth jars
What will I charge you? Nothing if you provide the jars. What I ask is that I get to keep half of the fruit. If you want me to provide the jars, I will ask $1 per jar no matter the size.
You will notice that there are two things I did not list - pickles or juice. I have never gotten into making pickles and I do not have the right equipment to easily juice fruit.
- I can make jams and jellies
- I can do dried fruits and fruit leather
- I can also do apple sauce and fruit purees
- I can can tomatoes or make tomato sauce
- I have a Victorio foodmill that is amazing a seperating fruit from skin and seeds.
- I have a apple peeler/corer/slicer that quickly makes apples into rings
- I have a pressure canner
I can fill jars in 125, 250, 500 and 1000 ml sizes. I have regular and wide mouth jars
What will I charge you? Nothing if you provide the jars. What I ask is that I get to keep half of the fruit. If you want me to provide the jars, I will ask $1 per jar no matter the size.
You will notice that there are two things I did not list - pickles or juice. I have never gotten into making pickles and I do not have the right equipment to easily juice fruit.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
The minefield of 'ethical' food decisions
We have many choices we can make when it comes to buying our food
and there are more.
All of them represent choices, but they also represent marketing. None of these labels would be needed if there was no premium in the market for it.
Some of the labels are actual certifications. The process of certification does not make the food any better, it simple is a short hand way for the public to have faith in what they are buying. The process to become certified organic means you have to keep a set of records of what you have done to the crops and the land. It also means an inspection by the certification agency and fee that has to be paid to them.
The need for certification comes about because we are disconnected from where our food comes from. If buy from people I know, such as my beans from Bob and beef from Phil, there is no need for the certification needed because I know who they are and how they grow their crops. Having lived in a small rural town, I can tell you that you learn with more detail than you want to know what people are doing to grow their crops.
For certification to work, we have to trust the certification process. Here is where I run into a problem, I have a reasonably good idea about differing organic certifications and how low most of them are globally and how very lax the inspection standards are for most certifying bodies. Other then unprocessed organic produce certified in BC, I take all the others with a grain of salt. I will not pay a premium for the others.
The vary names and labels have become ways for people to not have to worry about the ethics of their decision making when buying food. People feel good by certified organic processed food. At the end of the day, a potato chip is not a healthy food choice whether it is organic or not. I know that my enjoyment of chips has caused my weight gain, if they were organic it would not have made me any lighter.
I do buy local when there is good local produce available for a reasonable price. I am not paying $3 a pound for wilted local carrots. Is it crucial to my decision making no? Will I go out of my way to buy it? To some extent. I will go to Glanford Greenhouses or by Vantrieght produce at Root Cellar, but I tend not to go to the local farmer's markets. The quality and price of the produce at the farmer's markets in the CRD tends to not meet my criteria.
The best I can do is to have an idea where my food comes from and do my best to avoid buying processed foods. I also attempt to process foods myself. I do this in part to understand what goes into making peanut butter or ground beef. I also do it so that I control what is going into it. I also do it so that the boys understand what it takes to put a meal on the table.
There are many people that buy various upscale 'ethical' brands and feel good about it, but in my mind it is an abdication of being aware of your food and a way to feel superior to others out there.
- Organic
- Fair Trade
- Local
- Small Scale Producer
- Dolphin Friendly
- Sustainable Seafood
- Food Security
- Co-operative
- Low carbon footprint
and there are more.
All of them represent choices, but they also represent marketing. None of these labels would be needed if there was no premium in the market for it.
Some of the labels are actual certifications. The process of certification does not make the food any better, it simple is a short hand way for the public to have faith in what they are buying. The process to become certified organic means you have to keep a set of records of what you have done to the crops and the land. It also means an inspection by the certification agency and fee that has to be paid to them.
The need for certification comes about because we are disconnected from where our food comes from. If buy from people I know, such as my beans from Bob and beef from Phil, there is no need for the certification needed because I know who they are and how they grow their crops. Having lived in a small rural town, I can tell you that you learn with more detail than you want to know what people are doing to grow their crops.
For certification to work, we have to trust the certification process. Here is where I run into a problem, I have a reasonably good idea about differing organic certifications and how low most of them are globally and how very lax the inspection standards are for most certifying bodies. Other then unprocessed organic produce certified in BC, I take all the others with a grain of salt. I will not pay a premium for the others.
The vary names and labels have become ways for people to not have to worry about the ethics of their decision making when buying food. People feel good by certified organic processed food. At the end of the day, a potato chip is not a healthy food choice whether it is organic or not. I know that my enjoyment of chips has caused my weight gain, if they were organic it would not have made me any lighter.
I do buy local when there is good local produce available for a reasonable price. I am not paying $3 a pound for wilted local carrots. Is it crucial to my decision making no? Will I go out of my way to buy it? To some extent. I will go to Glanford Greenhouses or by Vantrieght produce at Root Cellar, but I tend not to go to the local farmer's markets. The quality and price of the produce at the farmer's markets in the CRD tends to not meet my criteria.
The best I can do is to have an idea where my food comes from and do my best to avoid buying processed foods. I also attempt to process foods myself. I do this in part to understand what goes into making peanut butter or ground beef. I also do it so that I control what is going into it. I also do it so that the boys understand what it takes to put a meal on the table.
There are many people that buy various upscale 'ethical' brands and feel good about it, but in my mind it is an abdication of being aware of your food and a way to feel superior to others out there.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Just another small scale farm
I came across Green Girl Gardens when I was doing some reading about the current Peninsula Coop election process. One of the "girls", Jeanette Sheehy, is running for a position on the board.
View Larger Map
They are one of the many new set of young small scale farmers/gardeners that have come of the food security movement and trying their hand at raising food. I wish them well and will try out some of their produce if I get a chance, but I suspect they will not last more than a couple of years.
Farming is hard work and produces low returns. From the late 60s to the early 80s there was a strong back the land movement in BC and in general most of those nouveau farmers did not last. As one of them told me once "Yeah, I tried growing wheat by hand and doing all the harvesting with a sickle and then threshing it, but in the end my life is simpler not doing that." The people in their 20s to early 30s coming out of the food security movement are unlikely to last long.
You can buy their produce at their road side stall at 1133 Mount Newton Cross Road, the Sidney Summer Market, Moss Street Market and the Centennial Square Market. Having sold at a farmer's market in the past, the volume of production they need to sustain being at three markets is fairly large. I have no idea how much land they are working and what their scale of production is.
View Larger Map
They are one of the many new set of young small scale farmers/gardeners that have come of the food security movement and trying their hand at raising food. I wish them well and will try out some of their produce if I get a chance, but I suspect they will not last more than a couple of years.
Farming is hard work and produces low returns. From the late 60s to the early 80s there was a strong back the land movement in BC and in general most of those nouveau farmers did not last. As one of them told me once "Yeah, I tried growing wheat by hand and doing all the harvesting with a sickle and then threshing it, but in the end my life is simpler not doing that." The people in their 20s to early 30s coming out of the food security movement are unlikely to last long.
You can buy their produce at their road side stall at 1133 Mount Newton Cross Road, the Sidney Summer Market, Moss Street Market and the Centennial Square Market. Having sold at a farmer's market in the past, the volume of production they need to sustain being at three markets is fairly large. I have no idea how much land they are working and what their scale of production is.
Friday, April 15, 2011
This came over my email today from Gabe with the Gorge Tillicum Urban Farmers. I like the idea and should do something more along these lines myself. Growing my own food and giving some of it away is just good for everyone.
Gabe raises some good programs I should be doing more to help with.
Gabe raises some good programs I should be doing more to help with.
Hello everyone,
Spurred on by, amongst other things, Margot and Rainey’s success with Haultain Commons (see the video at at bottom of the page) – and Rhona McAdam’s thoughts about planting strawberries in front of her house for people to pick while waiting for a bus – I’ve been thinking lately about growing food for people other than ourselves.
In a nutshell, this email is an invitation to all of us to consider growing some / a bit more food this season (and in the future) for use by others in the wider community.
Here are a few ways I’ve thought of that we might do this (and, if you have other ideas, please share them with the rest of us):
- Grow to Give: Donate some food from our back (front, side) yards to an organization such as Saanich Neighbourhood Place, Victoria Native Friendship Centre, or The Mustard Seed food bank
- Plant a Row - Grow a Row: Work with the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre as part of their Grow A Row program (http://www.compost.bc.ca/newsandevents/PARAR%20Website%20Blurb%20and%20FAQs%20Revised%202010.pdf).
- CUSP – Community Use Street-side Production: Grow some food along the curb, or on the boulevard, in front of our homes, with an invitation to passersby to help themselves to ripe produce. This is, incidentally, another way to promote discussion about local food and food security with people passing by our homes.
- Participate in the LifeCycles Fruit Tree Project
- Work with Victoria Transition Food Group on their Capital Nut Project
To be clear, what I’m suggesting above is not (at this point, anyway) an organized GTUF activity – it’s just a seed that’s being planted. That being said, if you want to talk with me about sharing the bounty, I’d be happy to do so by email (belle.leon1@gmail.com) or by phone at 250-382-1328).
- We might also decide to emulate the Haultain Commons model and grow food for public consumption in collaboration with our close neighbours.
May this be a good season for growing and sharing, Gabe
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
CR FAIR meeting in Sooke yesterday
I finally made it out to a CR FAIR (Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable) meeting yesterday. This was held in Sooke at the new community allotment gardens in Sun River Estates. The plots are on land provided by the developer to Sooke for community use.
The host group was Sooke CHI, they are also the sponsors of the community gardens. The allotment gardens are beautiful and worth a short detour down Phillips road if you are in the area. They have an amazing shelter build by a local marine welding company from the scrap material from the old winery on Quadra street. Even in a neighbourhood where it would seem everyone should have access to a garden to grow things, they have managed to find takers for all of the plots.
One thing I was surprised about was that apparently there is a covenant in Sun River Estates that does not allow for people to plant food gardens. That sounds simply crazy to me, could it really be true you are not allowed to grow food there?
It was interesting to hear the interests of the people that made it to the meeting, but it was light on people active in agriculture, very light. The whole process is an important one, but there is still a cultural divide between traditional farmers and the food security community. Farmers have traditionally been blue collar and red neck, the food security community is left of centre and suspicious of free enterprise. The way the people dress, the lives they lead and the language they speak do not make it easy for there to be an alliance.
The one big aspect of agriculture that the food security community does not really understand is the scale of what is needed to feed the public. It is fine to work on a small scale but it is only a tiny niche in the food system. There is a reason why the prairies have huge grain farms, we need need the volumes to provide food for the people. Large scale agriculture has also found major innovations that means we produce a lot more food on less land, in fact we have no danger of running out of food globally.
More on the economics of food later in another post.
Most of our discussion was about the allotment gardens, the need for the them and the way they were created. We also discussed the status of funding from VIHA for food issues and that it looks like the money is not going to be around this year.
I am going to try and go to more of the meetings, I think I would offer a perspective at the meetings that is missing.
The host group was Sooke CHI, they are also the sponsors of the community gardens. The allotment gardens are beautiful and worth a short detour down Phillips road if you are in the area. They have an amazing shelter build by a local marine welding company from the scrap material from the old winery on Quadra street. Even in a neighbourhood where it would seem everyone should have access to a garden to grow things, they have managed to find takers for all of the plots.
One thing I was surprised about was that apparently there is a covenant in Sun River Estates that does not allow for people to plant food gardens. That sounds simply crazy to me, could it really be true you are not allowed to grow food there?
It was interesting to hear the interests of the people that made it to the meeting, but it was light on people active in agriculture, very light. The whole process is an important one, but there is still a cultural divide between traditional farmers and the food security community. Farmers have traditionally been blue collar and red neck, the food security community is left of centre and suspicious of free enterprise. The way the people dress, the lives they lead and the language they speak do not make it easy for there to be an alliance.
The one big aspect of agriculture that the food security community does not really understand is the scale of what is needed to feed the public. It is fine to work on a small scale but it is only a tiny niche in the food system. There is a reason why the prairies have huge grain farms, we need need the volumes to provide food for the people. Large scale agriculture has also found major innovations that means we produce a lot more food on less land, in fact we have no danger of running out of food globally.
More on the economics of food later in another post.
Most of our discussion was about the allotment gardens, the need for the them and the way they were created. We also discussed the status of funding from VIHA for food issues and that it looks like the money is not going to be around this year.
I am going to try and go to more of the meetings, I think I would offer a perspective at the meetings that is missing.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The next CR-FAIR food security roundtable will be held in Sooke – June 21
via email
Hosted by Sooke Food CHI at the Sunriver Community Allotment Gardens
Meeting details:
When: Monday, June 21, 11:00am to 1:00pm
Where: Sunriver Community Allotment Gardens - 2380 Phillips Road, Sooke - map
Please RSVP by June 16th for the Roundtable to marykatharine@communitycouncil.ca.
Directions: Cross Sooke River bridge...turn right at first traffic light, at the Sooke Museum, travel up Philips Rd, past an arena, past the Sooke River Flats Camp Ground, over another small bridge, past main entrance to Sun River Estates, and we are next big field, well signed. SUNRIVER community allotment gardens. come into parking lot.
Car Pool: Car pools are recommended. There will be one leaving from the Community Social Planning Council office at 3948 Quadra Street between 9:30 and 10am (time TBD). Room for 4 passengers. Please call Mary Katharine at 250-383-6166 ext 100 to reserve a seat.
Lunch: A light lunch will be provided by our hosts, Sooke Food CHI. Please be sure to RSVP so our hosts know how many people to prepare for.
More about our hosts: http://www.discoversooke.com/blog/2010/05/28/video-a-community-in-bloom-sooke-allotment-gardens/
Food security roundtable meetings are an informal forum for networking and exchange of information on issues and projects related to food security and sustainable food systems, and usually last 1 to 1.5 hours.
We look forward to seeing you on the 21st. If your group is interested in hosting an upcoming food security roundtable meeting, please contact Mary Katharine at marykatharine@communitycouncil.ca or 250-383-6166 ext 100.
Check out this and other food-related events on the new CR-FAIR regional food events calendar.
.
Mary Katharine Ross, ext. 100
Communications Coordinator
Community Social Planning Council
Research - Insights - Solutions
2-3948 Quadra Street | Victoria, BC V8X 1J6
Tel: (250) 383-6166 Fax: (250) 479-9411
email: marykatharine@communitycouncil.ca
www.communitycouncil.ca | www.qolchallenge.ca
Hosted by Sooke Food CHI at the Sunriver Community Allotment Gardens
Meeting details:
When: Monday, June 21, 11:00am to 1:00pm
Where: Sunriver Community Allotment Gardens - 2380 Phillips Road, Sooke - map
Please RSVP by June 16th for the Roundtable to marykatharine@communitycouncil.ca.
Directions: Cross Sooke River bridge...turn right at first traffic light, at the Sooke Museum, travel up Philips Rd, past an arena, past the Sooke River Flats Camp Ground, over another small bridge, past main entrance to Sun River Estates, and we are next big field, well signed. SUNRIVER community allotment gardens. come into parking lot.
Car Pool: Car pools are recommended. There will be one leaving from the Community Social Planning Council office at 3948 Quadra Street between 9:30 and 10am (time TBD). Room for 4 passengers. Please call Mary Katharine at 250-383-6166 ext 100 to reserve a seat.
Lunch: A light lunch will be provided by our hosts, Sooke Food CHI. Please be sure to RSVP so our hosts know how many people to prepare for.
More about our hosts: http://www.discoversooke.com/blog/2010/05/28/video-a-community-in-bloom-sooke-allotment-gardens/
Food security roundtable meetings are an informal forum for networking and exchange of information on issues and projects related to food security and sustainable food systems, and usually last 1 to 1.5 hours.
We look forward to seeing you on the 21st. If your group is interested in hosting an upcoming food security roundtable meeting, please contact Mary Katharine at marykatharine@communitycouncil.ca or 250-383-6166 ext 100.
Check out this and other food-related events on the new CR-FAIR regional food events calendar.
.
Mary Katharine Ross, ext. 100
Communications Coordinator
Community Social Planning Council
Research - Insights - Solutions
2-3948 Quadra Street | Victoria, BC V8X 1J6
Tel: (250) 383-6166 Fax: (250) 479-9411
email: marykatharine@communitycouncil.ca
www.communitycouncil.ca | www.qolchallenge.ca
Friday, May 28, 2010
Cheap Apples at the James Bay Market Tomorrow
The BC Tree Fruit Growers are coming to the James Bay Farmer's Market to sell apples for $0.12 a pound. I will be going down to buy some.
So why are they doing this?
The cost of production of apples in BC is lower than the wholesale price they can get for the fruit. This year they have been paid as little as $0.12 a pound for their fruit.
You can read more about it all on the facebook group and see their opinion piece in today's Times Colonist.
This is a big issue for me and has been so for many decades.
I grew up spending a lot time in the summers in the Okanagan. I can remember as a young kid walking with my father through the orchard of Helmut von Hahn near Oliver. My father and Helmut talked about what it took to run an orchard and how he was doing. My father had wanted to be a farmer of some sort and I expect would have loved to have owned an orchard, but my mother had no interest in being a farmer's wife.
In my teens I spent four summers picking fruit in the Okanagan. Two years for Brian Hardmann in Naramata and two years for the Hahns. I asked a lot of questions about the economics of tree fruit growing and was trying to understand how it was possible to make a go of it when the costs seemed to be completely against you.
I remember in 1983 writing in the Hahns guestbook that I would try and solve the problem of why growers can not get a good return on their fruit. 27 years later and I have had a few chances to try and address the issue, but I have yet to see any big over arching answer for tree fruit growers in BC.
Organic production was a solution for some time, but the prices are not much better there any longer. Selling retail to the public through farmer's markets is partial answer, but really only works on a small scale. I really have no idea what the solution is.
If there was a solution, we could produce tonnes of apples on Vancouver Island on all that farm land that is sitting in hay or fallow. The east coast of the island could easily produce as many apples as the Okanagan.
Take some time on Saturday to visit the Okanagan apple growers in James Bay and learn more about the issue.
So why are they doing this?
The cost of production of apples in BC is lower than the wholesale price they can get for the fruit. This year they have been paid as little as $0.12 a pound for their fruit.
You can read more about it all on the facebook group and see their opinion piece in today's Times Colonist.
This is a big issue for me and has been so for many decades.
I grew up spending a lot time in the summers in the Okanagan. I can remember as a young kid walking with my father through the orchard of Helmut von Hahn near Oliver. My father and Helmut talked about what it took to run an orchard and how he was doing. My father had wanted to be a farmer of some sort and I expect would have loved to have owned an orchard, but my mother had no interest in being a farmer's wife.
In my teens I spent four summers picking fruit in the Okanagan. Two years for Brian Hardmann in Naramata and two years for the Hahns. I asked a lot of questions about the economics of tree fruit growing and was trying to understand how it was possible to make a go of it when the costs seemed to be completely against you.
I remember in 1983 writing in the Hahns guestbook that I would try and solve the problem of why growers can not get a good return on their fruit. 27 years later and I have had a few chances to try and address the issue, but I have yet to see any big over arching answer for tree fruit growers in BC.
Organic production was a solution for some time, but the prices are not much better there any longer. Selling retail to the public through farmer's markets is partial answer, but really only works on a small scale. I really have no idea what the solution is.
If there was a solution, we could produce tonnes of apples on Vancouver Island on all that farm land that is sitting in hay or fallow. The east coast of the island could easily produce as many apples as the Okanagan.
Take some time on Saturday to visit the Okanagan apple growers in James Bay and learn more about the issue.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Lana Popham Introduces a Private Motion on Food Security
Lana Popham is the MLA for Saanich South and owner of the Barking Dog Winery. She has introduced a private members bill into the legislature called for debate on FOOD SECURITY AND PRODUCTION PLAN FOR B.C.
I am curious to see where this will go and what might come of it. Lana uses as a reference the 2006 BC's Food Self-Reliance report from the Ministry of Agriculture, which is something I had not seen before and will have to read through.
Food security is a big buzz word at the moment and it is sold as we need to be prepared in the case of disaster or high fuel prices to grow food locally. I am not convinced of either one.
In the case of a disaster there has been no case I know of where a 1st world city has had to go more than a few days without new sources of food being available. Frankly a few days may not have occurred either. The public can manage to go a week with the food in their homes, it is a rare person that does not have pasta, rice, canned tuna or whatever in their kitchen that would last that long.
The idea that fuel prices will go high enough to have an impact on the cost of food large enough is unrealistic to ever happen. Should fossil fuel prices rise high enough, there are other energy sources for transport that can and will step in. We use oil because it is cheap, not because we want to. In any case, the price of food as a portion of our incomes is very low, a price rise will not have a major impact.
I am curious to see where this will go and what might come of it. Lana uses as a reference the 2006 BC's Food Self-Reliance report from the Ministry of Agriculture, which is something I had not seen before and will have to read through.
Food security is a big buzz word at the moment and it is sold as we need to be prepared in the case of disaster or high fuel prices to grow food locally. I am not convinced of either one.
In the case of a disaster there has been no case I know of where a 1st world city has had to go more than a few days without new sources of food being available. Frankly a few days may not have occurred either. The public can manage to go a week with the food in their homes, it is a rare person that does not have pasta, rice, canned tuna or whatever in their kitchen that would last that long.
The idea that fuel prices will go high enough to have an impact on the cost of food large enough is unrealistic to ever happen. Should fossil fuel prices rise high enough, there are other energy sources for transport that can and will step in. We use oil because it is cheap, not because we want to. In any case, the price of food as a portion of our incomes is very low, a price rise will not have a major impact.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Gardeners look to public land for food production
I find this idea interesting and would love to see more of it happen. The public should be making more use of useless grass areas. In the case of UVic, last time I checked, the lawns in the centre of the campus were in heavy use.
By Keith Vass - Victoria News
Published: April 13, 2010 11:00 AM
More carrots, cabbage and kale could sprout in parks, vacant lots and boulevards in Victoria if a coalition of local groups gets its way.
The Dogwood Initiative is teaming up with Lifecycles and Transition Towns to recruit volunteers interested in creating community gardens in a movement they've dubbed the Reclaim the Commons Robin Hood Gardening Initiative.
"This is about making sure that every parent that lives in this city can afford to feed their kids breakfast before they go to school in the morning," said the Dogwood Initiative's Gordon O'Connor.
Guerilla gardeners have made headlines in recent weeks by digging plots on the University of Victoria campus without permission.
The Dogwood Initiative has been involved in some confrontational protests in the past, from a running battle with the Royal Canadian Mint over stickers on loonies to a recent apology for using live chickens in a protest at Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Ida Chong's office.
But O'Connor said the approach on this project will be co-operative, working with city staff to get official support before any shovels go in the ground.
"Victoria has some very progressive community gardening policies and we intend to take them up on their offer and start planting."
While the City of Victoria isn't the only Capital Region municipality that has policies to foster community gardens on public land – Saanich does as well – O'Connor said the group will start there and approach other municipalities later.
Victoria parks director Kate Friars said the door is open to working with any community group interested in starting and maintaining gardens on any city-owned piece of land.
The city has received a lot of enquiries about planting food on boulevards, and has granted specific permissions to some property owners to plant vegetables on boulevards fronting their homes.
But a policy on boulevard gardens is going to have to wait while the city completes a review of its maintenance program for the roadside strips.
"It's on our workplan, we know we need to get down to getting on with it," said Friars.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
CR-FAIR food security roundtable
I got this in my inbox recently
The next CR-FAIR food security roundtable will be held in Saanich – April 26
at the Learning Centre (Annex Building) next to Saanich Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Avenue
Meeting details:
When: Monday 26 April, 11:00am to 1:00pm
Where: Learning Centre (Annex Building) next to Saanich Municipal Hall
It is a small flat roofed building to the left of the hall if you are in the back parking lot.
Entrance on Vernon Ave. 770 Vernon Avenue.
Please RSVP to mkr@communitycouncil.ca.
Food security roundtable meetings are an informal forum for networking and exchange of information on issues and projects related to food security and sustainable food systems, and usually last 1 to 1.5 hours.
We look forward to seeing you on the 26th. If your group is interested in hosting an upcoming food security roundtable meeting, please contact Mary Katharine at mkr@communitycouncil.ca or 250-383-6166 ext 100.
Check out this and other food-related events on the new CR-FAIR regional food events calendar.
Program for low income people on the Westshore to garden
There is a program out on the Westshore called Gardening Neighbours. The program pairs experienced veggie gardeners with people that want to learn. There was a good article in the Goldstream Gazette about it.
The application deadline has been shifted to April 23rd, it originally was April 12th. More details are available at the Westshore Harvest website.
By Amy Dove - Goldstream News Gazette
Project connects green thumbs with ‘brown thumbs’
Terrie Barnhard’s backyard is a testament to resourceful gardening.
Her compost bins are reconstructed pallets sourced from local hardware stores. Shelves near the work bench came from a wooden crate used to transport a fridge. Inside, this year’s beans and eggplants are sprouting in milk cartons.
“It’s all fun. It’s just live and learn,” Barnhard says. “I’m still in awe of all of it. This is all new.”
None of it would have happened without the guidance from the Gardening Neighbours program, she says. The Langford resident was one of 15 people paired with a garden mentor and walked through the 2009 growing season. The free program, through Capital Families Association, helps people plan, plant and harvest a garden. Supplies from seeds to trowels are included.
A larger grant from The Victoria Foundation has doubled the spaces this year, allowing for 30 individuals or families. The focus is on helping those with limited income or living in subsidized housing and senior’s complexes, says co-ordinator Cindy MacDonald. Experience is not required and gardens can be tailored to fit in backyards or on patios.
“The tricky part is how to grow what and where, and that’s what we offer people,” she says. “There is no better food than your own. It’s good for so many reasons and it’s not that hard.”
The program builds a network of support, with last year’s group starting a newsletter to share tips and news. They were able to draw inspiration from what other people were doing too, Barnhard says.
“When we went to other gardens, you kind of take note of what people use,” she adds. She now has packages of seeds, some of which will be a surprise when they grow, from different people.
“I have never seen red sunflowers,” she says, glancing down at her pots. “Let’s hope I haven’t killed them yet! You don’t see the humor in it until you are actually doing it.”
The program is expanding this year to include a “fee-for- service” program. Gardeners who don’t meet the criteria for Gardening Neighbours, but could use a little help, can receive a personal garden plan, seeds and three mentor visits for $200. Two workshops are also open to the public May 8 and June 26 for $10 each.
For more information or to get an application for Gardening Neighbours, e-mail Capital Families Association WestShore Harvest co-ordintor Jennifer Girard at harvest@capfamilies.org or go to www.westshoreharvest.ca. Applications are due April 12.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Gorge Tillicum Urban Farmers
Our Objective
We seek to promote and maximize food production and community food security in as wide a variety of settings in our community as possible, in as sustainable a manner as possible.
As such, we:
- Share information about food production and food security;
- Encourage and support each other in the practice of producing food; and
- Learn and share skills that promote personal and collective resilience
I can get behind that.
For myself the sharing of knowledge is the most important part. I lived in Lillooet for close to 10 years and that is where I did the majority of my gardening. Coming to the coast means dealing with a completely different climate and completely different pests. My first year here I lost all of tomatoes and carrots.
This summer will be my seventh one here in Victoria, but the first and the one 2007 were both lost causes because I could not really do much gardening. 2006 and 2009 were a lost causes for personal reasons. This means I am really only in my third year of gardening here and I have a lot to learn.
I have stuff in the ground already and I hope to get a lot more done this coming weekend.
The next meeting the the Gorge Tillicum Urban Farmers is on April 18th.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Food Matters Workshop held today
The the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable (CR-FAIR) held their annual Food Mattera Forum at the Victoria Friendship Centre. I attended along with about 100 other people.
It was worth it for me to have gone because of some of the contacts I made there, but in general I am not sure it really accomplished much. I was in the morning session on research. The presenters were interesting enough, but the topics were very unrelated and all over the place. As interesting it is to hear about designing criteria for municipal approval of farm worker housing by Paula Hesje, it was not really germane to anyone there other Ryan Vantrieght.
The two guys from the Lifecycles project I think have done some interesting work, but it was presented sort of haphazardly.
Teron Moore, student at Royal Roads, talked about his research, Improving Food Access Through Collaborative Food Distribution. Not enough time for his presentation and I am not sure he got enough good data to really conclude anything.
Pat Reichert from Saltspring was the most interesting in a tangible way to me because she talked about the trends on Saltspring with respect to agricultural production over the last five years. Meat is down dramatically, but fruit and veg is up
One of the problems with the crowd was the disparate levels of knowledge of food related issues. The weakest area was with the economics of food. It is all wonderful to say "X" should happen, but if it is not economically sustainable, no one will do it. Most of the people there were from the soft left community NGO world. Great people, but often not really in touch with the bigger financial picture.
There were some interesting people there, Dave Friend "Mr Organics", Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May, Green Party of BC leader Jane Sterk, and Gabe Epstein of Gorge Tillicum Urban Farmers. But as with many workshops and conferences, they did not allow for enough time for people mingle and talk.
I can see there is a potential here, but I also know that if I see a potential from the CR-FAIR and it is not happening, it is up to me to take part in the process and help it to be more than it is.
I will be posting about the Vantreight farm, there is some really interesting stuff going on there, and the Tillicum Gorge Urban Farmers in the next few days.
The cost was cheap and it included lunch. If you are interested in food (growing, cooking or eating) it is worth going to meet other people with similar interests.
It was worth it for me to have gone because of some of the contacts I made there, but in general I am not sure it really accomplished much. I was in the morning session on research. The presenters were interesting enough, but the topics were very unrelated and all over the place. As interesting it is to hear about designing criteria for municipal approval of farm worker housing by Paula Hesje, it was not really germane to anyone there other Ryan Vantrieght.
The two guys from the Lifecycles project I think have done some interesting work, but it was presented sort of haphazardly.
Teron Moore, student at Royal Roads, talked about his research, Improving Food Access Through Collaborative Food Distribution. Not enough time for his presentation and I am not sure he got enough good data to really conclude anything.
Pat Reichert from Saltspring was the most interesting in a tangible way to me because she talked about the trends on Saltspring with respect to agricultural production over the last five years. Meat is down dramatically, but fruit and veg is up
One of the problems with the crowd was the disparate levels of knowledge of food related issues. The weakest area was with the economics of food. It is all wonderful to say "X" should happen, but if it is not economically sustainable, no one will do it. Most of the people there were from the soft left community NGO world. Great people, but often not really in touch with the bigger financial picture.
There were some interesting people there, Dave Friend "Mr Organics", Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May, Green Party of BC leader Jane Sterk, and Gabe Epstein of Gorge Tillicum Urban Farmers. But as with many workshops and conferences, they did not allow for enough time for people mingle and talk.
I can see there is a potential here, but I also know that if I see a potential from the CR-FAIR and it is not happening, it is up to me to take part in the process and help it to be more than it is.
I will be posting about the Vantreight farm, there is some really interesting stuff going on there, and the Tillicum Gorge Urban Farmers in the next few days.
The cost was cheap and it included lunch. If you are interested in food (growing, cooking or eating) it is worth going to meet other people with similar interests.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Food Matters Workshop
I will be attending this event, I hope that it will be interesting
Food Matters!
Friday March 26, 2010
9:15 am-2:30 pm
Victoria Native Friendship Centre
231 Regina Avenue (by Tillicum Mall)
CR-FAIR invites you to an annual food and farm networking event and celebration of Regional Food Security Champions
PROGRAM
9:30-11:30 Workshops:
1. Social Media and the Web
Part A: Promotion and Education: Demystifying New Media and its ability to help us reach and engage with our audiences and each other.
Workshop leaders: Katie Shaw, YouthCore, Fiona Devereaux Feasting For Change and Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Indigenous Foods Network, Christopher Bower, Videographer .
Part B: Farm and Food Business Promotion and Web Based Management Tools: Workshop leaders will look at how websites, Blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, are helping them reach their audiences and how web based tools such as a portal for e-commerce is enhancing their business.
Workshop leader Susan Tychie: Share Organics, Farmer, TBA.
2. Cooking Together: the Re-invention of Community Kitchens: Together let's explore the current Community Kitchen landscape in Greater Victoria. Community Kitchen leaders and participants will share their experiences and inspire you to start a kitchen in your community.
Workshop leader: Tracy Horner-Cullen, Vancouver Island Health Authority
3. Emerging Local Research on Food and Agriculture Issues: Come and hear about important community based research that is not only informing our work but making change in the process:
· Pat Reichert, Salt Spring Island, Researching local food production quantities and greenhouse gas impacts.
· Peter Papagiannis LifeCycles, Food Organizations and Projects Sustainability Survey
· Teron Moore, Royal Roads, Improving Food Access Through Collaborative Food Distribution
· Paula Hesje, Community Council, Farm Viability, Focus on Issues and Potentials Farm Worker Housing in Central Saanich
12:00-2:30 Celebration Lunch and 2010 Awards
Welcome and Networking — Learn who’s who in the food and farm sector
Keynote address: Dr. Gilbert Wilkes (Holder of the Ralph Klein Chair in Media Studies at Mount Royal University, Calgary and Assistant Professor at Royal Roads) will focus on Demystifying New Media: how media can help us reach and engage our audiences and each other.
Over lunch we will Celebrate our 2010 Food Security Champions with the presentation of our annual awards.
We will wrap up with a game of “Food Jeopardy!” that will test our knowledge of current issues and trends in the Capital Region.
Videographer on site! During the day make a short clip about your project, issue, story, or business to link to your site, download, email and /or distribute to your audience! See Christopher at Registration to sign up for your timeslot!
Registration Details:
$10 will cover your lunch and workshop fees. Lunch will be catered by Kitchens of Distinction and the Victoria Native Friendship Centre. (Victoria Native Friendship Centre members will receive a complimentary registration).
***Please note that there is no parking in the VNFC parking lot and you must find parking on the street nearby. We encourage you to take the bus or carpool!
PLEASE RSVP: info@communitycouncil.ca There is limited seating in the workshops so please make sure to register early.
Questions? Email above or tel. (250) 383-6166
Lunch, travel, or childcare subsidies are available by request.
Food Matters!
Friday March 26, 2010
9:15 am-2:30 pm
Victoria Native Friendship Centre
231 Regina Avenue (by Tillicum Mall)
CR-FAIR invites you to an annual food and farm networking event and celebration of Regional Food Security Champions
PROGRAM
- 9:15-9:30 Registration ($10 includes program and lunch)
- 9:30-11:30 Workshops
- 12:00-2:30 Celebration Lunch and 2010 Awards
9:30-11:30 Workshops:
1. Social Media and the Web
Part A: Promotion and Education: Demystifying New Media and its ability to help us reach and engage with our audiences and each other.
Workshop leaders: Katie Shaw, YouthCore, Fiona Devereaux Feasting For Change and Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Indigenous Foods Network, Christopher Bower, Videographer .
Part B: Farm and Food Business Promotion and Web Based Management Tools: Workshop leaders will look at how websites, Blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, are helping them reach their audiences and how web based tools such as a portal for e-commerce is enhancing their business.
Workshop leader Susan Tychie: Share Organics, Farmer, TBA.
2. Cooking Together: the Re-invention of Community Kitchens: Together let's explore the current Community Kitchen landscape in Greater Victoria. Community Kitchen leaders and participants will share their experiences and inspire you to start a kitchen in your community.
Workshop leader: Tracy Horner-Cullen, Vancouver Island Health Authority
3. Emerging Local Research on Food and Agriculture Issues: Come and hear about important community based research that is not only informing our work but making change in the process:
· Pat Reichert, Salt Spring Island, Researching local food production quantities and greenhouse gas impacts.
· Peter Papagiannis LifeCycles, Food Organizations and Projects Sustainability Survey
· Teron Moore, Royal Roads, Improving Food Access Through Collaborative Food Distribution
· Paula Hesje, Community Council, Farm Viability, Focus on Issues and Potentials Farm Worker Housing in Central Saanich
12:00-2:30 Celebration Lunch and 2010 Awards
Welcome and Networking — Learn who’s who in the food and farm sector
Keynote address: Dr. Gilbert Wilkes (Holder of the Ralph Klein Chair in Media Studies at Mount Royal University, Calgary and Assistant Professor at Royal Roads) will focus on Demystifying New Media: how media can help us reach and engage our audiences and each other.
Over lunch we will Celebrate our 2010 Food Security Champions with the presentation of our annual awards.
We will wrap up with a game of “Food Jeopardy!” that will test our knowledge of current issues and trends in the Capital Region.
Videographer on site! During the day make a short clip about your project, issue, story, or business to link to your site, download, email and /or distribute to your audience! See Christopher at Registration to sign up for your timeslot!
Registration Details:
$10 will cover your lunch and workshop fees. Lunch will be catered by Kitchens of Distinction and the Victoria Native Friendship Centre. (Victoria Native Friendship Centre members will receive a complimentary registration).
***Please note that there is no parking in the VNFC parking lot and you must find parking on the street nearby. We encourage you to take the bus or carpool!
PLEASE RSVP: info@communitycouncil.ca There is limited seating in the workshops so please make sure to register early.
Questions? Email above or tel. (250) 383-6166
Lunch, travel, or childcare subsidies are available by request.
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