Renfrew Collingwood Food Security Institute

Washington State Department of Agriculture seeks a Farm-to-School Project Coordinator‏

2010-01-03T21:06:00.000-08:00

Deadline: January 15, 2010

This is a three year, full-time project position. Location is preferred in Seattle. Travel is required with possible overnight stays.

The WSDA Farm-to-School Program is dedicated to fostering relationships between schools and agricultural producers in Washington State. Our goal is to support expanding economic opportunities for farmers while educating students about the connections between food, farming, health, and the environment. The program provides information, inspiration, assistance, and policy solutions for those working to supply healthy Washington-grown food and related education to youth in our State.

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

* Develop and conduct training sessions to educate growers about institutional markets

* Develop and conduct farm-to-school workshops and adapt an online toolkit for school food service professionals.

* Develop resources and hold events to help farmers understand and prepare for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audits.

* Plan, conduct and analyze surveys of farmers and processors to build an inventory of current capacity for post-harvest processing required to meet the school food service market.

* Develop and oversee contracts and supervise volunteers to complete some projects.

QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelors degree and at least two years relevant experience in agricultural or food marketing.

Preferred Skills:

* Food industry experience in marketing, distribution, institutional purchasing, and/or farm business planning.
* Survey research development, analysis and reporting
* Excellent verbal and written communication
* Training and event planning and meeting facilitation
* Ability to independently work on multiple projects within timelines

HOW TO APPLY – DO NOT APPLY THROUGH CAREERS.WA.GOV

Send a letter of interest, an application or resume, and answers to the questions below no later than January 15, 2010 to Linda Pentt, Human Resource Consultant: hr (at) agr.wa.gov OR fax to: 360-902-1821 OR snail mail: P.O. Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560

Questions for Applicants:

1. What is your experience with agricultural or food marketing? What was your specific role and responsibility in that endeavor? If you have experience in institutional purchasing, please describe that here, as well.

2. This job will require collaborative work with a variety of agencies, stakeholder groups, agricultural producers, local school districts and other interested parties. What is your experience working collaboratively with diverse groups and guiding a group to successfully implement a program? What specific roles and responsibilities have you had in this process?

3. Describe any experience you have designing and conducting survey research projects. Please include your specific roles in developing research plans, analyzing data and reporting findings.

4. What other experience do you have that would be beneficial to this position that you have not already expressed in your cover letter or resume?

The Cost of Eating in BC

2009-12-15T19:36:00.000-08:00

(Text modified from Dietitians of Canada)

On December 15, 2009, Dietitians of Canada, BC Region and the Community Nutritionists Council of BC released the report The Cost of Eating in BC 2009: Low-income British Columbians can't afford healthy food. The report was endorsed by 23 organizations.

Dietitians publish this annual report to bring attention to the fact that not all British Columbians have enough money to buy healthy food. While shelter and food costs have risen significantly over the past decade, income assistance rates have remained virtually unchanged and minimum wage, once the highest in the country, has remained at $8.00/hour. For those receiving income assistance or earning minimum wage there simply is not enough money to pay for housing and food, let alone other necessities. Unemployment is up and more people are relying on assistance. There are too many living in poverty in BC and too many lined up at food banks. Dietitians are calling for the provincial government to take some additional action to address poverty in this province. Other provinces are taking action. Quebec and Ontario have anti-poverty legislation, while Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and New Brunswick all have poverty reduction plans. Common to them are significant changes to income assistance and increases to minimum wage.

It is well documented that income is closely tied to health. Low-income Canadians are more likely to report poor health and die earlier than Canadians with higher incomes. They spend less on food and eat fewer servings of vegetables, fruit and milk and are less likely to get the nutrients they need for good health.

To download a copy of this report, please visit Dietitians of Canada.

Thanks to Helen Yeung (Vancouver Coastal Health Community Nutritionist) for sending in this announcement.

War in the Country

2009-12-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

According to Thomas Pawlick, there's a war in the country.

Pawlick is a farmer, author, and journalist who asserts that the family farm is under siege from corporate agriculture, government policy and indifferent urbanites. At stake? The quality of our food and the foundation of life in rural Canada. CBC visited him at his Ontario farm to talk about his new book, The War In The Country: How the Fight to Save Rural Life Will Shape Our Future
To listen to the interview, visit The Current (scrolling down is required).

Meanwhile, The Institute for Sustainable Horticulture/Kwantlen Polytechnic University (in cooperation with the Richmond Fruit Tree Sharing Project, the Richmond Food Security Society, and the City of Richmond) is pleased to announce that the inaugural session of the Richmond Farm School is scheduled to commence this spring. Information on courses, curriculum, practicums, fees, and more is available here.

You may also be interested in Michael Levenston's comparative analysis of urban agriculture in Montreal and Vancouver.

Enjoy!

Your Feedback Needed for the People's Food Policy Project

2009-12-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

WHAT SHOULD A NATIONAL FOOD POLICY LOOK LIKE?

(Deadline extended to Monday December 14th)

The People's Food Policy Project needs your feedback, whether you are a concerned individual or a representative of an organization. They need you and/or your organization to participate in order for the project to reflect the breadth and depth of visions for a just and sustainable food system rooted in the principles of food sovereignty.

"We need your policy ideas, and they can be just that – ideas. At this stage in the project, we are interested in broad ideas (ex: 'We need a federal nutrition program aimed at students,' OR, 'We need to support small-scale farmers as much as large-scale farmers,' and so on). Your ideas are as important as well-developed, evidence-based policy submissions.

How and what to submit:

Submitting your policy ideas is simple. You can use work that you and/or your organization has already completed in the past. We have broadened the submission process to include reports that your organization may have already written for other purposes. You can send the entire report with relevant sections highlighted, or simply send the executive summary and recommendations of the report.

There are two ways you can submit:

1. Through our website/

You need to log in (you create your own username and password) to complete the policy submission template (Note: not all sections need to be completed).

2. By email. Send us a completed policy submission template (available on the website) OR your reports containing policy recommendations to policysubmissions@gmail.com

Further details on this process are available on the website.

Please note that you and your organization's name will not be attached to the draft policy that emerges from this process. We will be seeking official endorsement for the policies at a later time.

Should you require any clarification or information about the project and submission process, please do not hesitate to contact me at peoplesfoodpolicy@gmail.com or (514) 342-5291.

Thanking you in advance for your important contribution to this process,

Amanda Sheedy
Coordinator
People’s Food Policy Project"

Caramel apple cookies!

2009-12-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

Volunteers Jessica, Crecien, and Louise at the Food Security table at the first annual Renfrew Collingwood Winter Craft Sale.

Thanks to the wonderful volunteers and vendors who made our first winter craft sale a success! Thanks especially to Andrea, Barry, Crecien, Dave, Jessica, Louise, Mary, Maya, Najia, and Olivia, who helped make cookies and cider, prepared and dried apples, cut and tied herbs and flowers, and promoted food security activities to customers.

By popular request, here are our cookie recipes:

Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cup flour
2 3/4 cup old fashioned oats not quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
12 oz caramel baking bits
2 cups grated apple

Method
1. In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs. Beat until combined.

2. Measure oatmeal into a food processor, and pulse until ground finely. In a medium-sized bowl, stir the oatmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda until combined. Set aside.

3. Grate the apple.

4. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined. Stir in the caramel bits and apples.

5. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Roll the cookie dough into golf ball-sized balls. Bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F, for 10-12 minutes. The sheet should be placed on the upper middle rack. Cool on the pan for 4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

(Adapted from this recipe.)

Apricot-Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients
8 ounces softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin, grated or pureed
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and pumpkin.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, salt, apricots, and flour. Stir into pumpkin mixture.

4. Drop cookies by the heaping teaspoonful on to cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly browned around edges.
Remove from oven and place on cooling racks.

(Adapted from this recipe.)

Renfrew Collingwood Winter Craft Fair

2009-12-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

Collingwood Neighbourhood House and the Renfrew Collingwood Multicultural Artists' Network bring you their first annual winter craft fair!

The Fair will feature the works of 20 neighbourhood artisans, as well as hot drinks, live music, and snacks. Volunteers from The Renfrew Collingwood Food Security Institute will be there, fundraising with cookbooks, fresh organic herbs, home-grown dried flowers, cookies, and hot apple cider.

There is no admission fee. Please join us!

Where: Collingwood Neighbourhood House, 5288 Joyce St. (604.435.0323)
When: Saturday December 5: 11am-4pm

Terra Madre Day Celebration

2009-11-24T17:07:00.001-08:00

Local chefs are matched with local food at Slow Food Vancouver's first annual Terra Madre Day. Learn about food biodiversity, local cheeses, and cheer at the Red Fife wheat bake-off.

Thursday December 10
Italian Cultural Centre
3075 Slocan Street
6-9pm

Co-sponsored by Farm Folk/City Folk and the Italian Cultural Centre.
Admission by donation. Proceeds to Adopt-A-Farmer.
RSVP.

Kale Sensory Panel.

An FNH425 (Food Science Laboratory III) Kale Research Group is seeking sensory panelists for a taste assessment of a variety of steamed kale grown on the UBC Farm. Taste tests will be conducted in room 140 of the FNH Building on Monday November 30

Time slots:

Session 1: 2.00 – 2.15 pm
Session 2: 2.25 – 2.40 pm
Session 3: 2.50 – 3.05 pm
Session 4: 3.15 – 3.30 pm
Session 5: 3.40 – 3.55 pm
Session 6: 4.05 – 4.20 pm
Session 7: 4.30 – 4.45 pm

If interested, please email with your name and preferred session. Snacks and candies will be given.

Hunger Count

2009-11-19T15:43:00.000-08:00

Initiated in 1989, HungerCount is the only national survey of emergency food programs in Canada. The information the survey provides is invaluable, forming the basis of many Food Banks Canada activities throughout the year. Among many benefits, HungerCount allows Food Banks Canada to operate the National Food Sharing System on a "fair share" basis, present accurate, timely information to government, donors and media, and represent members' key concerns at a variety of public forums.

Food Banks Canada's "Hunger Count" report on food bank usage was released Nov 16th. This clearly written and well-referenced report and recommendations can be found here. You may be particularly interested in the British Columbia statistic on page 20.

Job Posting: Growing Chefs for Children's Urban Agriculture

2009-11-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

Position: Executive Director
Organization: Growing Chefs: Chefs for Children's Urban Agriculture
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

A Vancouver-based non-profit seeks a new Executive Director.

We seek an individual who:
* can work and communicate well with a variety of people
* has an interest in and/or knowledge of food security,
urban agriculture and sustainability
* has an interest in children's education
* is a creative thinker who wants to take our organization
to the next level

The ideal candidate will have:
* experience working with volunteers in the non-profit sector
* fundraising experience
* excellent administrative, organizational, and computer skills
* strong communications skills
* long-term strategic thinking and planning skills

The Executive Director will work variable hours, with an average of 20 hours per week, primarily from home. Core program work takes place from January to April and tapers off to July. Ongoing work continues through the year. Flexibility is essential.

We offer a competitive hourly wage, relative to candidate's experience.

ABOUT US

Growing Chefs! Chefs for Children's Urban Agriculture delivers a program with two main goals:

* To support and encourage the development and growth of children's urban agriculture.
* To provide an avenue for chefs and growers to engage in the community and to support food sustainability.

Most importantly, we wish to inspire children with the idea that they can grow their own food, even in the city.

Our program sends teams of volunteer chefs into elementary schools, where they teach kids to grow and cook their own food.

Check out http://www.growingchefs.ca for more information.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested applicants can send a resume including references to admin@growingchefs.ca Please title your email GCJob. Unfortunately we cannot respond to email inquiries at this time.

Applications can be mailed to:
Growing Chefs! Chefs for Children's Urban Agriculture
2119 Guelph Street
Vancouver BC V5T 3N7

Applications by mail or email only, please. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only selected candidates will be contacted.

UBC Farm: Sowing Seeds Practicum

2009-11-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

Type: eight-month practicum/internship; course fee
Organization: Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at the UBC Farm
Location: University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC

Established in 2008, this part-time (600 hour), eight month practicum offers instruction and daily work experience in small-scale sustainable farming. In a balanced, hands-on learning approach, students work alongside staff in the
greenhouse, gardens, fields, and orchard. Students attend complementary lectures, demonstrations, and farm visits, and participate in a variety of practical and reflective educational activities. Direct marketing activities are also a key part of the experience. The practicum has been designed as a beginning point for aspiring growers, educators and agricultural professionals.

Students come from all backgrounds and are expected to be passionate about pursuing a career in sustainable agriculture. A certificate of completion will be issued to
students who fulfill the practicum requirements. Further, we support our graduates to make connections within the BC agricultural community, and to seek out mentors to learn with following Sowing Seeds. Please note, Sowing Seeds 2010 is a non-credit course and therefore participants are not eligible for student loans. However, in 2010 we are offering a fee discount for UBC students who register, and successfully
earn credits, for a directed studies based on their Sowing Seeds Practicum.

Course Logistics:

Course dates : March 13 - Nov 6, 2010

Course hours : Vary throughout the growing season from 7 to 21 hours/week. See our Program Overview for details.

Course fee : $3,000

**(UBC Students who register, and successfully earn credits, for a directed studies course based upon their Sowing Seeds Practicum are eligible for a $400 refund)**

Capacity : 10 students

Applications: Application information is available on our website. Application deadline: December 1, 2009.

For more information, please:

* Visit our Website and download our Program Overview
* View photos from the 2008 practicum
* Watch a short video about the practicum in 2008 (scroll down: "A Unique Urban Agriculture Course at UBC Farm")
* Read about the practicum on our blog

http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/apprenticeship.php

Contact Information:

If you can't find the info you need on our website, please
contact Elaine Spearing.

Intercultural Community Gardens - Job Opportunity

2009-11-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

Project Coordinator, Downtown Peninsula Intercultural Gardens Project YMCA Connections, YMCA of Greater Vancouver
Based in Vancouver Full-time Contract Position ending May, 2011
Salary: $45,000 per year with benefits

Situation:
The Downtown Peninsula Intercultural Community Gardens Project is a strategy to use the transformation of public space to develop capacity at a community level to be more welcoming, inclusive and engaged. This multi-organizational initiative is designed to enhance the sense of belonging by immigrants, including refugees, within the community and to develop a sense of interconnectedness between all of the diverse groups that make up the Downtown Peninsula through the following goals:
*
* *
To better understand the needs of new immigrants residing in the area and endeavouring to meet those needs effectively and efficiently through cooperative efforts.

To build intercultural competence throughout the Downtown Peninsula community.
To create physical and intellectual spaces that promote intercultural and intergenerational dialogue.

Nature and Scope of Position:
This is a full-time contract position to May, 2011, based out of the YMCA Connections office with off-site duties. The Project Coordinator (PC) works with a Steering Committee and technical staff to plan and implement this project. She/he reports to the Manager of YMCA Connections. The PC will be capable of working independently and in a team context, and be able to work flexible hours (some evenings and weekends). This is an exciting project with tremendous potential - the PC will be bring competence as well as motivation and enthusiasm to this project.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
* Coordinating the overall project, in consultation with the Steering Committee and other staff
* Community outreach within a very diverse community
* Locating appropriate garden sites and assisting with negotiating agreements for the sites
* Recruiting culturally diverse gardeners within the Downtown Peninsula
* Developing and organizing training for prospective gardeners on diversity and community gardening
* Working with gardeners to develop systems, including governance, that ensure the survival and continuity of the gardens
* Based on community feedback, to developing ancillary programming (e.g. community kitchen)
* To complete required administrative work
* To evaluate and report on the program

Qualifications: The person in this position must have:
* A minimum of 3 years of community based work in a diverse, urban context
* Superb organization, planning, communications and marketing skills
* Significant intercultural and/or immigrant service experience
* Excellent facilitation and group dynamics skills
* A post-secondary degree in a relevant discipline
* Good computer skills
* A valid BC driver's license

Desirable skills or qualities:
* Experience with, and understanding of community gardens and organic gardening
* Thorough knowledge of the Downtown Peninsula, geographically and socio-demographically
* Knowledge of the non-profit and immigrant service sector in Vancouver
* Previous program or project development experience, including partnership development
* Knowledge of other languages relevant to the Downtown Peninsula
* Previous experience working with translators and interpreters

If you are interested in this position, please send a resume and a cover letter which clearly and succinctly explains why you are qualified by Friday, November 20. Email submissions are preferred. Please send the letter and resume in the same attached file to:

Manager, YMCA Connections
YMCA Community Services and International Development
Email: linda.rubuliak@vanymca.orgProject Coordinator, Downtown Peninsula Intercultural Gardens Project YMCA Connections, YMCA of Greater Vancouver Based in Vancouver Full-time Contract Position ending May, 2011
Salary: $45,000 per year with benefits

The Real Dirt on Farmer John - Film and Discussion

2009-11-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

Please join us for The Real Dirt on Farmer John by Taggart Siegel

An epic tale of a maverick Midwestern farmer. An outcast in his community, Farmer John bravely stands amidst a failing economy, vicious rumors, and violence. By melding the traditions of family farming with the power of art and free expression, this powerful story of transformation and renewal heralds a resurrection of farming in America. The film is a haunting odyssey, capturing what it means to be different in rural America.

Thursday November 12, 7pm
5288 Joyce St., Vancouver BC
FREE

* * *

The Renfrew Collingwood Garden Club/Workshop Series meets every second Thursday of the month from 7-8:45. It’s a place for gardeners to meet other gardeners--for workshops, film nights, talking circles, healthy snacks, and building community through food-growing. You are welcome to bring a potluck snack and a friend; we bring the tea and coffee.

Nourishing stories

2009-11-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

Click below to watch a ten-minute documentary about the Farmers' Market Nutrition Coupon Program, featuring several of our program participants. We had an amazing time this year, and hope to host the program again in 2010!

Although the 2009 coupon program has drawn to a close, community kitchens will continue throughout the winter and spring.

Space is limited so please contact us to register in advance. Participation is free, but registration priority is for people who live or work in the Renfrew Collingwood Neighbourhood. We also need to know if you have child-minding needs.

Last Wednesday evening of the month: 5-8pm
Middle Sunday of the month: 11-2:30

Next up: Sunday November 15 11-2:30. Traditional vegetarian recipes from India. Our volunteer kitchen leader will be Renfrew Collingwood resident and part-time Neighbourhood House staff member Kiran Virma.

The art and science of home canning

2009-11-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

Canning workshop with delicious home-grown grapes.

Canning!

Home canning is both an art and a science. There is lots of potential for innovative flavour combinations and your own personal touch--but there's also potential for food spoilage and contamination.

Don't be intimidated by the risks--preventative measures are built on simple common sense. Specific new knowledge (such as recommended processing times for jars and types of food) is easily accessible in library books or on internet sites.

Beware! Anyone with any level of expertise can claim to be an internet expert. If in doubt, check out your good old local library for materials guaranteed to be rigorously reviewed. Be aware that our knowledge of food safe practices has improved dramatically in the last 25 years or so. Some traditional family recipes (including methods and processing times) are now known to be unsafe.

To be on the safe side, canning recipes from before 1990 should not be used, especially if they do not include instructions for processing. For example, some recipes call for the "open kettle method." In this method, food is prepared, placed in a jar, and stored. The jars aren't heat-processed at all. This method presents a serious food safety hazard.

At the library, choose materials published in the mid 1990s or later. One excellent (though not very colourful) resource is the 1994 USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. This version contains important updates from earlier editions.

Until about 50 years ago, home canning techniques were common household skills. Today we are witnessing the rising popularity of local food, and a growing awareness that the preservatives in commercially-processed food are harmful to our health. A renewed interest in home canning is part of this movement.

Following up on an earlier post on home canning in a historical context (click the image above to flip back), here are some highlights of our canning season, and some words about safe canning practices.

Barry and Jessica filling jars with grape jelly.

Jars: Regular and wide-mouth Mason-type, threaded, home-canning jars with self-sealing lids are the best choice. These jars and lids are inexpensive and can be found at most hardware and grocery stores. With careful use and handling, the jars may be reused many times. They only require new lids each time.

When jars and lids are used properly, jar seals and vacuums are excellent and jar breakage is rare. Some jar brands you might find at the store include Bernardin, Kerr, and Ball.

Any jar labeled "Mason" will be compatible with the Mason standard metal screw band and lids. These include certain jam and pasta sauce jars. We have had good experiences using Classico pasta jars, but be aware that the Classico company does not recommend using the jars for home canning.

Make sure to inspect jars carefully before use, as seemingly insignificant scratches or chips weaken the integrity of the glass. This can make jars more prone to breaking during heat processing, which can be messy and dangerous.

Prior to use, jars should be washed in hot soapy water and rinsed. Boil for 10 minutes to kill bacteria, and leave jars in the hot water until you fill them up. This prevents cracking that is sometimes caused from pouring hot food into cold jars.

Program participants setting out to pick wild blackberries in Renfrew Ravine.

Rings and lids: It is best to use reusable metal screw bands with one time use lids (pictured here). Don't reuse old lids as they will not form a proper seal and the risk of contamination is high.

When canning, wash lids in hot soapy water, and rinse well. Place lids in HOT, not boiling water, for 5 minutes before using. This helps to melt the wax inside the lids and will form a better seal when heat processing. When sealing jars, try not to touch the underside of the lid to reduce potential bacteria transfer. The rings can be reused and are really only to hold the lids down during heat processing.

Most two-piece lids will seal with a "pop" sound while they’re cooling, as the lid gets sucked down by the vacuum created by the contents cooling and contracting inside the jar. After cooling jars for 12 to 24 hours, remove the screw bands and test seals.

You can press the middle of the lid with a finger or thumb. If the lid springs up when you release your finger, the lid is unsealed. Or try tapping the lid with the bottom of a teaspoon. A clear ringing sound means a good seal. If it makes a dull sound, the lid is not sealed.

Some traditional methods call for sealing jars using paraffin wax. Although paraffin sealing wax is available in the canning section of the grocery store, this method is no longer recommended.

Blackberries reducing. If possible, use stainless steel or glass pots for this process. An aluminum pot like this one may affect flavour.

Pectin: Pectin is a natural product made from fruit. If you feel ambitious, you can even make your own from lemon seeds, apple peels, and cracked plum pits (don't try this with peach pits or apple seeds! They contain harmful substances). Pectin helps your jam or jelly to set. You can make preserves without pectin, but need to add LOTS more sugar and/or cook fruit for longer and/or freeze your preserves. I personally don't think it's worth the trouble, from a nutritional or storage perspective.

There are a lot of amazing-sounding recipes available in books and on the internet. Remember that each pectin brand and product is slightly different and will call for specific quantities of fruit, and a specific order of operations. Most pectin packages come with free recipes inside the box--use these recipes as your basic guide, and modify according to your other recipe ideas. Otherwise you might be disappointed by preserves that are too watery or too stiff.

On a related note, even in the midst of a bumper crop, it's inadvisable to double or triple a recipe. If you've got a glut of fruit, it's better to do two smaller batches than one giant batch, even if you plan to double every ingredient precisely. Bigger batches require longer cooking times, which can result in runny or watery preserves.

Najia crushes a bowl of donated home-grown grapes to make jelly. As a group of local seniors advised us, a good jelly can't be hurried. If you're going to make preserves, make sure you have lots of time. We all tend to take shortcuts when we're in a hurry, and these shortcuts can result in less-than-desirable products.

Is this a frostbitten apple? We have no idea.

Fruit! What kind of fruits can be canned? The answer is...almost any kind of fruit or vegetable can be safely canned--but not all can be safely canned at home.

To avoid disappointing results, avoid under- and overripe fruit. Recipes are designed for perfectly ripe fruit and you might end up with overly stiff or overly watery results. I once combined 50% under ripe and 50% overripe plums and got pretty good results, but hey, maybe I was lucky.

As a general rule, fruits (such as strawberries, plums, and blackberries) have a high acid content and should be cooked, jarred, sealed, and processed in a boiling water bath. Vegetables (such as corn and beans) are low in acid content and therefore have a greater tendency to spoil. They should be processed in a pressure canner, where the higher heat and pressure will kill bacteria more easily. Pressure canning is a whole other topic with specific sets of safety recommendations.

Some fruits have a low acid content--notably figs and Asian pears. You can still make preserves with low acid fruits but you'll want to add lemon juice, heat process as usual, and store the jars in the fridge.

*Note: Pumpkin and squash should not be canned at home. It's not a good idea! Even a pressure cooker won't necessarily kill all the bacteria. The risk of contamination is too high. On the bright side, you can definitely freeze pumpkin pulp for winter pies and pudding galore.

Unsure of the acid content in your fruit of choice? It's best to consult a reliable guide before proceeding.

The tasting committee: at the end of the workshop, participants snacked on fresh blackberry and fig jam with peanut butter and whole wheat toast.

You can improve efficiency and safety of home canning by setting up clean and organized work stations. This is especially helpful when you've got a large group participating.

Unlabeled jar of food poisoning mystery. I found this at the back of my cupboard and it's apparent from the cloudiness and discolouration that it isn't safe to eat. Interestingly, it smelled (suprisingly) fine once opened, which just goes to show you appearances can be deceiving. Make sure to label your preserves jars with dates and contents to avoid lethal mysteries like this one.

"Don't touch the inside of the lid!"

Barry, master of the paring knife.

Dave, slicing apples. Disposable gloves are part of good food safe practices, however, many people feel a sense of false security while wearing gloves. They are only effective against contamination if changed regularly, which many people forget to do. Frequent, proper hand washing throughout food preparation is more effective than improper use of disposable gloves.

The fruit used in our canning workshops is locally-grown and often organic. It is donated by local residents through the Grow-a-Row Share-a-Row program, or donated via the Vancouver Fruit Tree Project. Blackberries are picked by volunteers in one or more excursions to the beautiful Renfrew Ravine.

This coming week, Vancouver Fruit Tree Project will be hosting a celebration of their amazing work. Please see the invitation here.

Other canning resources.

Fresh Choice Kitchens is the Community Kitchen program of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. Earlier this year, they hosted an inspiring group of local leaders in a "train-the-trainer" workshop on safe canning practices. Tara Moreau of SPEC (Society Promoting Environmental Conservation) reflected on this experience on the SPEC blog. You can read her thoughts here.

The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning: here.

The National Centre for Food Preservation: here.

Pick Your Own.Org (slightly disorganized but full of recipes and helpful advice): here.

Buggy about bugs?

2009-11-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

Skewered silkworm pupae, a popular street snack in Beijing.

Edible Insects.

"There are so many good and tasty reasons to eat insects that the 20-per-cent minority of Earthlings who don’t practice entomophagy – insect eating – should listen up.

Ants, termites, locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, caterpillars and moths are among some 2000 species of insects enjoyed as snacks and seasonal delicacies by most people in the world, especially those to the South and East who remain closely connected to their aboriginal and folk food heritages."

Read the rest of Wayne Roberts' fascinating foray into the world of edible insects--nutritionally dense, low in cholesterol, and shunned as food by about 20% of the world's population.

"Food safety authorities may be the fly in the ointment, since they’re the ones who insisted on working the bugs out of Western food preparation. They rate insect “infestation” a greater danger than antibiotic “infestation” in cooped-up fish, chicken and cows, or pesticide “infestation” in fruits and veggies. But even our food police permit some bugs to get into our soup. The US Food and Drug Administration allows, for example, up to 75 pieces of insects in 55 millilitres of hot chocolate and up to 60 aphids in a portion of frozen broccoli."

Hmmm.....

Creating a Pollinator's Paradise

2009-10-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

Parasitic mites cluster around a female mason bee cocoon.

According to the Canadian Wildlife Federation, approximately one-third of all human food is prepared from plants which depend on animal pollination. Of all animal pollinators, bees do the large majority of the work.

Most Canadians are familiar with honeybees and bumblebees, but in fact, there are about 800 types of bees in Canada alone. Some live in large colonies, others are solitary or live in small groups. Some build hives in high places, others dig small burrows underground, or nest in hollow twigs.

In recent years, scientists have noticed a marked decline in bee populations. Many farmers in Canada even rent travelling beehives to help pollinate their crops because there aren't enough wild bees around to guarantee a good harvest. There are many theories about why bees are slowly vanishing--some theories include climate change stress, increased pesticide use, widespread monocrop food growing practices (less pollen diversity leads to undernourished and unhealthy bees), and fragmentation and degradation of natural habitats.

Declining bee populations will have a major impact on garden plants, wilderness areas, and food crops. To address these issues, and to raise awareness of the importance of bees to our food and ecosystems, Environmental Youth Alliance has partnered with around 150 volunteer "bee stewards" in the Vancouver area. These volunteers are helping to create bee-friendly habitats in our urban environment. Through the Pollinator's Paradise project, voluteers can take simple steps to support a healthy bee population in the city, such as "beescaping" and monitoring bee activity.

The focus of the Pollinator's Paradise project is the blue orchard mason bee. They are non-aggressive (they don't sting), native to the area, multiply easily, and are extremely effective pollinators (they love apple, cherry, and pear trees). Mason bee stewards throughout the city care for bee "houses," "high rises," or massive "superlodges." They plant flowers and trees preferred by bees ("beescaping"), and reporting on bee activities each month.

At the Food Security Institute, we host two small mason bee houses on the Rooftop Garden, and one "highrise" at the Collingwood Community Garden. On the Rooftop Garden, volunteers planted a border of edible and bee friendly flowers. These included: borage, coneflower, three types of sunflower, marigolds, lavender, calendula, and nasturtiums. These flowers, along with the many flowering fruit and vegetable plants, attracted several different types of bees throughout the spring and summer. Planting flowers in a variety of shapes and colours helps invite an assortment of pollinators as well. We noticed bumblebees preferred borage flowers:

Borage

Many tiny bees flocked to these carrot flowers. Perhaps their small size gives them better access to pollen in the tiny flowerheads:

Flowering carrots

For more information, or to volunteer as a bee steward, please visit The Pollinator's Paradise website.

Here are some other photo highlights of our bee activities.

Two types of bee on an onion flower.

Allium flowers were surprisingly popular with the bees.

Bees can't see the colour red, so yellow, blue, and purple flowers are good beescaping choices.

Catnip flowers. We also noticed that honeybees crowded around the spicy purple oregano flowers.

In late fall, mason bee houses should be opened up, cocoons collected, and trays cleaned. We discovered that leafcutter bees had also moved in! They live in similar places as mason bees, and line their homes with bits of leaf as you can see.

Mason bees are named after their ability to build out of clay and dirt. Here you can see bee-built mud plugs. The small black specks are bee feces.

Here's a somewhat unusual sight. A female mason bee generally prefers long, narrow holes to make cocoons. Here she's built mud chambers, and you can see three cocoons. Wasps have also moved in--you can see the yellow wasp larvae. These wasps are a beneficial type and can be left undisturbed.

Volunteers Jessica and Dave gently scrape bee cocoons into a cool water bath. We need to wash away any parasitic mites in several changes of water before storing the cocoons in a cool, safe place for the winter. Ideal places include unheated garages or a refrigerator.

In early spring we'll put the clean trays back in the houses, and put the cocoons out to hatch!

Health Canada and Bill C-6: Eliminating Cultural Wisdom & Free Choice in the Name of Consumer Safety

2009-10-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Drying herbs in your kitchen may soon be a crime. Under Bill C-6, the right to eat and to treat our bodies as we choose would be no more, as Health Canada will get more control in deciding which products are safe for the public. Having recently passed its second (out of three) readings in the Senate, Bill C-6 is the latest in a string of similar bills proposed by Health Canada to “help keep Canadian families safe from dangerous consumer products.”

But Bill C-6 is as much about consumer safety as drug companies are about actually healing people. Because natural ingredients are generally time-tested and have been used over generations precisely because they work, most haven’t undergone “rigorous scientific testing”. This bill aims do away with anything that hasn’t been approved in clinical trials, meaning vitamins and minerals, herbal remedies, and traditional medicines such as traditional Chinese medicines. Meanwhile, mass immunizations will be allowed to become mandatory, such as the flu shot, a drug which has been “proven safe” and contains antifreeze, the brain toxins mercury and aluminum, and formaldehyde which is used to preserve dead bodies.

As if that weren’t enough, Bill C-6 gives Health Canada inspectors the right to search for and seize unapproved products on people’s property without a warrant, which is otherwise required by the regular police force. Also under Bill C-6, a person is considered guilty until proven innocent –the opposite from normal court procedures. If natural health product companies don’t have the capacity to prove the safety of a “natural health product” through the scientific method, it will be a wonder for a regular person to do so.

Why is there hardly any coverage of this bill in the news? The intention is for it to be passed quietly without public awareness, and the next thing we know the supplements aisle has shrunk by 80 percent, a health inspector tramples onto our property in search of illegalibles, and a flu-shot needle is stabbed into our arm without our consent.

It boils down to that Bill C-6 violates Canadians' rights and freedoms, eradicating free choice and thousands of years of traditional cultural wisdom, and giving the industrial food and drug companies total domination of the marketplace. For those who would like to maintain their current level of independence in choosing what to consume, send an email to info@parl.gc.ca, call 1-866-599-4999, and/or write to:

The Senate of Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario,
K1A 0A4
(no postage required).

For a list of Senator’s email addresses, click here.

The Philosophy of Pig

2009-10-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

Pig! A colourful handmade paper lantern featured at the Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival.

Today CBC Radio's The Current aired an insightful documentary about saving heritage breeds of livestock that (like heirloom or heritage fruits and vegetables) were developed over many centuries. Many of these breeds have been abandoned for ones that are leaner, fatter, or faster to raise. Now they are in danger of extinction.

The documentary features a farming family whose pigs roam outside and get plenty of playtime and exercise. The pigs are free of hormones, steroids, antibiotics, growth stimulants or chemicals.

To learn more about the lives of small-scale Canadian farmers, or why it's important to save heritage livestock from extinction, you can listen to the 30 minute program here.

The Politics of Sugar: Feeding the Parasites

2009-10-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Sugar isn’t just bad for your teeth, the most influential substance in history after gold, and one of the most popular and delicious food ingredients. It’s also the favourite food of the parasites that live inside the human body. While researching sugar for a food security project, I found this fact the most intriguing, because it paints a disturbing picture for anyone who cares about food security and sovereignty.

Sugar in its most basic form -cane juice- isn’t harmful in and of itself. It’s when it’s processed into crystallized powdery stuff that it starts throwing off the human biology and becomes implicated in everything from inflammation, hypoglycemia, yeast overgrowth, a weakened immune system, hyperactivity, ADD, enlargement of the liver and kidneys, and mental and emotional disorders . There’s also corn syrup and other variations of highly refined sugars that the body doesn’t know how to process, so they become toxins floating around in the blood and ideal for parasites to feast on.

The largest supplier of sugary foods world-wide is the US, and the sugar industry lobbies to keep prices 2-3 times higher than the global market rate. A few people enrich themselves by producing a product that has no nutrients and is either the main ingredient or an additive in most supermarket or prepared foods. The stuff is so addictive that rats suffering from sugar withdrawal show many of the same behaviours as rats addicted to heroin and cocaine. With the average person consuming almost a cup of sugar each day, the grip sugar has on us as a society is near complete.

A person riddled with parasites may become irritable, tired, anxious, have constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating, skin rashes, allergies, joint pain, sleep disturbances, low calcium or iron levels, immune dysfunction, and grind their teeth. When we go to the doctor, he or she will usually tell us to put cortisone on the skin, take arthritis medication, or that we have irritable bowel syndrome and should just eat regular meals. They’ll never tell us we have parasites unless we’ve recently visited a tropical country.

It’s in the interest of those in power to keep people addicted and downtrodden with the consequences of excessive sugar consumption, making boatloads of money and ensuring that we don’t think for ourselves. Therefore, it’s a good idea to cut back on the amount of sweets one eats, as well as check the ingredients of common foods for sugar or glucose/fructose and buy those with less chemically altered sugars like cane juice, agave nectar or honey. Because instead of feeding ourselves when we eat candy, soda, cookies, chocolate and pasta sauce with added sugar, we’re in all likelihood really feeding the sugar company daddies and our little intestinal “friends”.

FREE Food Security Events in the City

2009-10-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

For directions and information on more events, visit the main Sustenance site.
Bring an item for the FOOD BANK box and come on down!
SUSTENANCE: Feasting on Art & Culture festival
October 1-16 in Vancouver

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9th at 6:30pm
EATING LOCALLY IN WINTER: MAKING THE BOUNTY LAST
FarmFolk/CityFolk will be discussing eating locally in the winter and handing out copies of their recently updated booklet, Eating Local in the Winter: Making the Bounty Last.
www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9TH at 7:00pm
PRESERVE THE HARVEST BY FERMENTATION - DEMONSTRATION
Join Radha Yoga & Eatery Chef Andrea Potter for a demonstration on fermenting Vegetables, an ancient culinary tradition. Unlike canning and using vinegar, pickling vegetables by fermenting them produces gut-friendly probiotic bacteria and enzymes. In this demonstration, you will discover how easy making homemade sauerkraut and brined pickles can be!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10th from 11am to 5pm
FAMILY DAY & PUMPKIN PIE CONTEST
Bring the whole family for lots of interactive fun! Starting with Growing Chefs interactive seed collages and more, our Pumpkin Pie Contest with Celebrity Judges Gourmet Warehouse owner Caren McSherry and Pastry Chef Merri Schwartz (Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rdŠ First prize is 2 tickets to the 2010 Feast of Fields, valued at $190), followed by a reading from Alfalfabet and bean necklace making (for boys and girls!), then an interesting presentation (and delicious tastings) with Hardbite Chips owner Sepp Amsler, and almost last, but not least, join holistic nutritionist and founder of Seeds of Plenty, Tricia Sedgwick for a fun-filled workshop presentation about her creation of "The World in a Garden", a multicultural project with Jewish Family Service Agency. Enjoy an interactive learning session about the various ways different cultures celebrate the harvest season during a preview of their upcoming Multicultural Harvest Festival on October 18th. AND we will end the day with the breaking of a traditional Mexican star piñata!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH AT 3:00PM
YOUR DAILY BREAD: CONVENTIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE GRAIN CHAINS IN CANADA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA - WITH TERRA BREADS
Presented by Chris Hergemeiser who is leading FarmFolk/CityFolk's Grain Chain project and the new Urban Grains CSA. This year, an Agassiz garmer grew several types of wheat. 200 shares were sold at $90 each and they sold out within 3 weeks. The grain was just harvested and distributed last month. Chris will have his pedal powered mill and will be demonstrating how to mill wheat into flour via pedal power...and Terra Breads has baked some goodies with this locally grown wheat - just for this presentation.
http://www.urbangrains.ca
http://www.theflourpeddler.com
http://www.terrabreads.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH AT 5:00pm
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT FOOD, IT'S ABOUT JUST FOOD.
Join Chris Bodnar from Glen Valley Organic Farm (previously owned by Mayor Gregor Robertson) for a fun and informative workshop for individuals interested in social justice aspects of food. Much media attention to the local food movement has focused on food as a luxury item. But growing a local food system means more that fine dining; it must encompass access to food for people across socio-economic classes as well as fair wages for those growing the food.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH FROM 6:30PM TO 9:30PM
COOKING WORKSHOP WITH CHEF DARREN CLAY
Think global but COOK local is the theme for this class as we celebrate World Food Day. OK - This one is not free, but it's a great Cooking Class. For more information, visit http://www.roundhouse.ca and click on Classes & Workshops (browse by Date/Time Category: Culinary)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH AT 6:30pm
G.M. OGRE (STORYTELLING)
To all the adults out there, when is the last time anyone read YOU a fairy tale? Join author Erin Nichols for a reading of this adult fairy tale about greed and the importance of seeds where the Get More Ogre gets more than he expects.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH AT 8pm
TABLELAND, A FILM BY CRAIGN NOBLE
Join filmmaker Craig Noble for a screening of Tableland, a culinary expedition in search of the people, place and taste of North American small-scale, sustainable food production. From the Orchards of the interior of BC, the Napa Highlands, rural Quebec and everywhere in between, Tableland showcases the successful production of tasty, local, and seasonal food from field to plate. Suggested donation: $10
www.p1-productions.com

THURSDAY OCTOBER 15TH AT 7:00pm
OCEAN WISE & C RESTAURANT
Join Oceanwise's Mike McDermid and C Restaurant Executive Chef Robert Clark to learn about the world's marine life that is quickly being depleted. An estimated 90% of all large, predatory fish are already gone from the world's oceans. A recent scientific study predicted a world-wide fisheries collapse by 2048. The only solution is to turn back from the brink, and to begin consuming seafood in a sustainable manner. Chef Robert Clark will also be serving some sustainable seafood noche.
http://www.vanaqua.org/oceanwise
http://www.crestaurant.com

THURSDAY OCTOBER 15TH AT 8:00pm
SETTING THE TABLE FOR STORYTELLING
Join Jason McRobbie from Imagination Think (Jason is also the former editor of the BC Restaurant News) and Tomato Fresh Food Café owner Christian Gaudreault will for an interactive discussion about the changing nature of food writing focusing on editorial vision, new technologies and fundamental purpose. In a forum that has recently exploded with the rise of blogs and citizen-critique, professional food writing is defining its future beyond the fray - utilizing industry knowledge and relations combined with multi-medium messaging - to provide readers with a more interactive and meaningful taste of the good life. Tomato Fresh Food Café will be serving some regional tasty bites!
http://www.imaginationthink.com
http://www.tomatofreshfoodcafe.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16th at 8pm
CLOSING CELEBRATION "WORLD FOOD DAY"
Join us for our Closing Celebration on World Food Day with Theatre on Earth's Pressure Cooker Cabaret, The Carnival Band, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Pizza and BEER!
www.thecarnivalband.com
Suggested donation: $10

Village Vancouver and Fork in the Road Events
(by donation)

Workshops on Tuesday, October 13th and Wednesday, October 14th with Robin Wheeler, on a variety of topics related to gardening, urban agriculture, food security, community, and sustainability -including one in partnership with WERA, the West End Residents Association.

Robin also kicks off VV's Cultivating Food, Cultivating Neighbourhoods series (in collaboration with Langara College Continuing Studies) on the 13th with a talk on Community Based Food Security.

Robin is the founder of The Sustainable Living Arts School and the author of Gardening for the Faint of Heart and Food Security for the Faint of Heart. She lives on the Sunshine Coast, and brings a vast wealth of knowledge and experience with her to each workshop.

Her workshops are always a real treat. You can expect your knowledge to expand and your soul to be delighted...and sometimes for your hands to get dirty.

We hope you'll join us!

Cheers,
Ross Moster
Village Vancouver

Tuesday, Oct 13th
Designing for Long Term Food Storage 9-10:30am

Cedar Cottage (near Victoria Dr., south of Trout Lake/John Hendry Park)
Food storage is missing from our modern habits and building design. We will discuss food preservation (tubers, grains, onions, etc. and how to choose locations for many food types so that appropriate storage areas can be created in apartments and houses. We'll also examine common problems and strategies to reduce waste.

Apartment and Container Gardening 1-2:30 pm
West End (location TBD)
co-sponsored by WERA, the West End Residents Assn. (with thanks to Green Millennium Foundation)

How to get more food from your balcony or patio. Space and weight are big problems for apartment dwellers. We will decide how to choose plants, discuss containers, soils, feeding and watering, succession planting and more in this workshop for small spaces.

Community Based Food Security 7-9 pm
South Cambie (at Langara College, 100 W 49th Ave.)
Individuals and families are scrambling to learn about and implement food security
techniques in their homes. But we have much more power as a group, and working
together as a community our capacity grows exponentially. Come and learn
the techniques of food security basics, plus ideas for sharing that will make you feel even more confident of food-based resilience. By donation. (Reg. #70816, see below.)

Wednesday, Oct 14th
Introduction to Medicine Making 9:15 am-12:15 pm

Potluck lunch follows for folks who would like to share a meal together
Main St./Little Mountain (near Cambie and King Ed)

There are so many plants that are safe, easy to recognize and locate, and effective. We will learn some recognition techniques, and then how to make teas, poultices, tinctures and infused oils. We'll learn about solvents, supplies and storage.

Seed Saving Primer 1:30-3 PM
Hastings Renfrew (near 1st and Nanaimo)

Seed saving is the missing link in food security. In our current political climate of seed patenting and ownership, it is increasingly important that a critical mass of a population have a good understanding of seed saving techniques. This will make it possible to create networks for seed abundance and resilience in many communities. This workshop will provide a deeper understanding of seed saving basics as well as provide time to discuss the implications of forming our relationships soon and well.

Your donation includes a copy of The Five Levels of Seed Saving by Terry Klokeid.

Shapes in Sharing 3:15-4:15 pm
Hastings Renfrew (near 1st and Nanaimo)
Ideas for sharing land, food, space and time with a workshop component. We'll do a study of our own assets and shortfalls and figure out how to equalize these on both a large and small scale.

All workshops are offered on a pay what you can basis. A one hour workshop usually costs around $10 to $15; a 1 1/2 hour workshop around $15 to $20; and a three hour workshop around $40. Our contributions to these workshops make it possible for teachers like Robin to expand and to deepen the scope of the important educational and social change work that they are involved in, particularly in these uncertain times.

Enrolment is limited to 20 people for each workshop. (15 for Apartment workshops.)

To register:
(or to find out more about hosting a future workshop), please contact Ross.

To register for programs in the Cultivating Food, Cultivating Neighbourhoods series,
please phone Langara College @ 604.323.5322. For further information: Leslie Kemp, 604.323.5981/ or www.langara.bc.ca.
*********

Cultivating Food, Cultivating Neighbourhoods series
Registration info above. All by donation, unless noted.

Tues, Oct 13 7-9 pm Community Based Food Security (70816)

Tues, Oct 27 7-9 pm Backyard Chickens 101 7-9 pm (70817)
Learn about the proper care and feeding of small urban flocks of hens. This interactive session will help participants discover the ease of caring for small flocks and allay fears and animosity about backyard hens.

Heather Havens is an agricultural and animal scientist who has worked to change the chicken bylaw in Vancouver. She legally imported her hens to Canada from the US in 2008.

Fri, Nov 13 6:30-9:30 pm Fork in the Road: Cultivating Food and Community in
& Sat, Nov 14 9:30 am-5 pm Local Neighbourhoods (70818)

Join us for an invigorating session using games and exercises to facilitate dialogue and inspire community based action on food issues.

Adam Ward, of Rhizome Theatre, has directed, hosted, and/or acted in more than 120 audience interactive events in the US and conducted Invisible Theatre happenings in the Netherlands, Canada and England.

$50/ $40 if registered by Oct 16

Tues, Nov 17 7-9 pm Neighbourhood Food Networking (70819)
Dialogue and take action on all the ways we can connect and provide support for one another around food and urban agriculture in our neighbourhoods.

Ross Moster, founder of Village Vancouver, is engaged in numerous projects around food, resiliency, and community building. He is a member of the Vancouver Food Policy Council and the Neighbours Organic Weekly Co-op board.

Series continues in 2010.

*********

Village Vancouver's food networking get togethers with Robin Wheeler and others are community based gatherings which help participants connect with others who share interests around food and sustainability on a neighbourhood level. Other presenters
include Spring Gillard (Diary of a Compost Hotline Operator) and Heather Havens (agricultural and animal scientist, Backyard Chickens 101).

These workshops are part of an ongoing VV series designed to help individuals, neighbourhoods, and communties learn how to live well using substantially less fossil fuels. We're a "transition" initiative, and are co-sponsoring Transition in Vancouver: from fossil fuel dependence to resilience at Langara College on December 4-5 from 9 am- 5pm. $195. (70815)

For further information: www.villagevancouver.ca or Welcome to Village Vancouver in Common Ground magazine www.commonground.ca. (June, July, and September)

The West End Residents Association (WERA) www.wera.bc.ca is an inclusive membership driven group seeking to improve and maintain quality of life for West End residents of Vancouver. Through education and advocacy we want to celebrate and encourage greater community voice, responsibility and empowerment. We believe that addressing issues of social equity and environmental sustainability will benefit everyone in the community. Among the issues that WERA addresses are transportation, community gardens, housing, pedestrian safety, and parks and recreation.

Fall at the Food Security Institute

2009-10-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

First Nations Elder Dave poses with the heirloom beans he planted earlier this year.

Autumn is upon us! It's time to pull up eggplant and cucumber plants, plant garlic and fall rye, put away the irrigation hoses, and pickle all those green tomatoes. It's also time to bring the mason bees in out of the cold, sort and store heirloom beans and edible flower seeds (including calendula, borage, and sunflowers), and generally batten down the hatches for winter.

In the next two weeks, the Rooftop Garden Volunteer Team will be busily working on these and other tasks. If you're interested in helping out, let us know.

Colourful pepa de zapallo heirlooms, a bean variety originally from Chile.

Fresh tomatoes and eggplant from the roof. At a recent cooking workshop, we made two simple eggplant dishes with home-grown produce: Japanese-style grilled eggplant with sweet miso sauce, and Vietnamese-style roasted eggplant salad with fresh herbs and chilies.

Food Security volunteers assembling jars of flavoured sugar to sell as a fundraiser.

We'll miss you, Emily! Toronto is lucky to have you.

Persimmon and fig trees in their temporary spot on the Rooftop Garden (waiting to be planted at the Harvest Fair).

Esther at the information booth.

Our flavoured sugars come with one easy sugar cookie recipe and some facts about sugar you might not have known. For example:

Sugar production supported the early Dutch, French, and English colonial empires. Sugar cane grew on slave plantations in the Caribbean and South America, helping to fuel the slave trade with Africa. Cotton and tobacco slave plantations in the American South were modeled after 17th century British sugarcane plantations.

In 2009, Canadian company Rogers Sugar began growing genetically modified sugar beets in Alberta, despite over 4000 concerned emails and letters from consumers. Now Rogers will be selling genetically modified sugar made from the beets.

Windermere volunteers at the Harvest Competition table. Pictured: winning entry for the Biggest Sunflower category.

Winning entry for "biggest zucchini" (Photo courtesy Youth Media

Tammy explains the Harvest Competition (Photo courtesy Youth Media.

Coming soon: The Tree Planting Story and photos, safe canning tips, the death and times of Norman Borlaug.

Reminder: Harvest Fair and Moon Festival October 3

2009-10-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

It’s getting very exciting around here! The costumes are all done (almost), new lanterns are finished and favourites from previous years are repaired and ready to go. Now it’s the last minute details of final rehearsals, shopping lists and excited calls from artists with last minute inspirations and questions. Great performers are coming! check it out!

4-7 pm Harvest Fair artists include:

Zeellia singing Slavic Soul Music
the Wheeling eights square dance club
A-Slam punjabi live hip hop music
BC Clettes, bicycles dancers

7:00 pm Lanterns, music and art by the stream in Renfrew Park.

Live music by
Twisted Strings – Random Acts of Violins
Aligator Joy Gamelan ensemble
Lisa Chase – singer songwriter
Jun Rong- erhu
Violin Chapeau – classical violin duo
Marimbamaphone interactive instrument

Performance Art
Mind of a Snail shadow puppet theatre
True North – Upaya, with an Evelyn Roth inflatable

Lantern Installations
By:
Nicole Dextra
Yoko Tomita
Carmen Rosen
Joey Mallett
Naomi Singer
and many many more

8:30pm finale spectacle on Renfrew Park field
Big band, original music, dance, fire spinning and fireworks
Original Music by Brad Muirhead and the Renfrew Community Performance Project band
Original dance, stilt dance and fire spinning by Isaac Rosen-Purcell, Odette Slater, Ariel
Anderson and 25 young performers from the community.

See you there!

City Chickens Workshops and More

2009-09-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

City staff have been finalizing proposed bylaw recommendations, so backyard chickens may be legal in Vancouver very soon.

Village Vancouver and Fork in the Road are presenting 2 neighbourhood Backyard Chickens 101 learning parties with Heather Havens on Sunday, October 4th by donation. A 3rd workshop will be added if there is enough interest.

Main St/Little Mountain: near Cambie and King Ed from 10-noon (Potluck to 1);
Dunbar: near Dunbar and 18th from 1:30-3:30.

Learn about the proper care and keeping of small urban flocks of hens and meet neighbours who share your interest. This interactive session will help participants discover the ease of caring for small flocks and ally fears and animosity about backyard hens.

Heather Havens is an agricultural and animal scientist. In January, 2008, she legally imported her hens to Canada and has since worked with others to help the Vancouver City Council change the backyard chicken bylaw. Heather taught the first local backyard chicken keeping workshop in Richmond BC in Feb 2009, and Village Vancouver organized the 1st workshop in Vancouver at Langara College in June.

To register email Ross. Everyone is welcome, but registration is limited to 15-20 people per workshop.

Cheers,

Ross Moster
Village Vancouver

Village Vancouver organizes neighbourhood food growing/sharing skills learning workshops with Heather, Robin Wheeler (founder Sustainable Living Arts School-Roberts Creek, author Gardening for the Faint of Heart, and Food Security for the Faint of Heart), Spring Gillard (Diary of a Compost Hotline Operator), and others. Next workshops: Robin Wheeler Sept 29-30 and Oct 13-14. New hosts welcome.

Our learning parties are part of an ongoing series which is designed to help individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities learn how to live well (and have more fun!) while using substantially less fossil fuels.

Upcoming Village Vancouver Programs
Langara College

Oct 7 Wed Shifting from Knowing to Doing class. 6-8 pm (Philip Be'er)

Oct 8 Thur Overshoot: Human Enterprise and Natural Law. 7-8:30 pm (Rex Wyler)

Oct 13 (Wed) and 27 (Wed), Nov 13/14 (Fri/Sat) and 17 (Wed), and Jan/Mar
Cultivating Food, Cultivating Neighbourhoods, an 8 part series, which includes Fork in the Road: Cultivating Food and Community in Local Neighbourhoods on Nov 13-14

Oct 21 Wed Greening Your Living Space: Practical Ways to Reduce Energy Consumption in Your Home or Building 6-9pm (Philip Be'er)

Dec 4/5 Fri/Sat Transition Town Transition for Vancouver workshop. 9am-5pm (Michelle Colussi and David Johnson) Highly recommended! For info on TT's: www.transitiontowns.org.)

Cornucopia

An interactive display wihich examines the industrialization of the food system and local solutions to it, premiers as part of the Sustenance: Feasting on Art and Culture Festival Oct 1-16 at the Roundhouse.

For further information on our programs, or to learn more about Village Vancouver, please contact Ross, or visit www.villagevancouver.ca or Welcome to Village Vancouver in Common Ground magazine www.commonground.ca (June, July, and September). Our learning parties are inspired in part by the Sustainable Living Arts School Vancouver learning parties. slas.ca.

Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World

2009-09-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

[Rooftop Garden volunteer Tim shares Aboriginal planting traditions, spring 2009.].

The Wayfinders.

Recently, many of us have been alarmed to learn of accelerating rates of extinction among plants and animals on our planet. But how many of us know that human cultures are going extinct at an even more shocking rate? While biologists estimate that 18 percent of mammals and 11 percent of birds are threatened, and botanists anticipate the loss of 8 percent of flora, anthropologists predict that fully 50 percent of the 7,000 languages spoken around the world today will disappear within our lifetimes. And languages are merely the canaries in the coalmine: what of the knowledge, stories, songs, and ways of seeing encoded in these disappearing voices?

In The Wayfinders, Wade Davis offers a gripping and enlightening account of this urgent crisis. He leads us on a fascinating tour through a handful of indigenous cultures, describing the worldviews they represent and reminding us of the encroaching danger to humankind’s survival should they disappear.

Wade Davis is a noted Canadian anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author, and photographer whose work focuses on indigenous cultures worldwide, particularly involving traditional uses and beliefs associated with plants.

For more information, please visit the CBC's Massey Lectures website.

How to Boil a Frog, Food Justice Forum & Volunteer Orientation

2009-09-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the upcoming Harvest Fair and Moon Festival, we'll be putting together food-related crafts to sell as a fundraiser. Help us promote deliciousness while also raising awareness about the politics of sugar. Bring old (clean) glass jars if you can spare them.

Tuesday September 29
4:30-6:30
Collingwood Neighbourhood House (5288 Joyce St., Vancouver)

For those of you who have expressed interest in volunteering at the Food Security Institute, this will be a good opportunity to meet other volunteers, ask questions, and find out about our many initiatives. I hope you'll be able to join us.

RSVP by email or by phone at 604.435.0323.

How to Boil a Frog

How to Boil a Frog is an eco-comedy (documentary feature film) that mixes rapid-fire humour with hard-hitting facts to show the consequences of “overshoot” – too many people using up too little planet – and what it means for our future. With its upfront Everyman approach, world-class experts, and iconoclastic humor, How to Boil a Frog gives us the scoop on the imminent end of the world as we know it and 5 surprising ways that regular people like can save civilization, while making our own lives better now.

Film: How to Boil a Frog
Date: Wednesday, Sept 23
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Langara College, Theatre A130

Food Justice Forum (part of SUSTENANCE)

Why is organic, sustainably produced food unaffordable for many people? Can we pay the real cost of food, while also providing quality food at an affordable price? Is there a need for low-cost food options, including fast food, in our community? Join the panel of speakers for a discussion of these questions and more.

Joyce Rock, Director, Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House and food access advocate
Chris Bodnar, Glen Valley Organic farmer and food sustainability activist
Barbara Joughin, Co-author of the Vancouver Food Charter
Moderated by Sandra Thomas from the Vancouver Courier

Date: Thursday October 8
Time: 7 - 9pm
Location: Britannia Community Centre, Learning Resource Centre
This is a free event

Fork in the Road: Cultivating Food and Community in Local Neighbourhoods

This is a 1 1/2 day gathering organized by Village Vancouver members. They use fun games and exercises to explore "What would happen if we made a conscious effort to create neighbour based food growing/sharing networks in our neighbourhoods and communities?" Fork participants have also been known to get together for potlucks where they share nourishing food, information and resources.

Date: Friday Nov. 13th and Saturday Nov. 14th
Location: Langara College
For times and information contact: Leslie Kemp.

PS--here is an online video on food policy in the USA. GMO labelling, organics etc. It's about 40 minutes long. Enjoy!