March 2011 newsletter

This month's newsletter includes:
March 31 deadline: East Vancouver Neighbourhood Small Grants Project
March 25 and 26: Presentation and workshop on sustainable cities by Mark Lakeman
March 20: Potato Fusion, event
April 27: Earthquake preparedness workshop at the Roundhouse
March 19 & 20: Two gardening workshops presented by Grant Watson
Pocket Market 
Date: Saturday March 19th
Time: 10am-1pm
Address: 2290 E 25th Ave (just west of the Nanaimo SkyTrain station).
Map: 

Our monthly pocket market is on again this Saturday. The range of product this week will be,

LOCAL (BC)
Lettuce, living head, $1.30 each
Russet Potatoes, $1.00 per bag

ORGANIC
Hass Avocadoes, $1.30 each
Carrots, cello organic, $1.00 per bunch

NOT LOCAL or ORGANIC
Broccoli, $1.30 per bunch
Oranges, $0.30 each

See you there!

East Vancouver Neighbourhood Small Grants Project
How would you like to make your neighbourhood a better place?
Do you live in the Cedar Cottage, Frog Hollow or Kiwassa neighbourhoods?  Do you have great ideas to improve your neighbourhood or bring people together, but need a little support to help make them happen?

Then you might want to consider applying for a Neighbourhood Small Grant!

The Neighbourhood Small Grants Project is funded by the Vancouver Foundation to support residents to initiate activities in their communities for the benefit of local people. Groups of two or more neighbours can apply for a grant of $50 to $500 to work together on small projects that benefit their neighbourhoods socially, physically, culturally or environmentally. 
All kinds of projects can receive funding.  For example, you could paint a mural, plant a neighbourhood garden, teach a cooking or art class, put up a community bulletin board, celebrate a cultural holiday, put on a music recital, hold a dialogue or talking circle, organize a community clean up, write a neighbourhood cookbook or have a block party!

Deadline for submissions is March 31st, 2011
Decisions about which projects will be funded will be made by April 30th. For more information, tips, ideas for projects or to download the Application Form from the website: http://www.froghollow.bc.ca/neighbourhood_sub3.html

Mark Lakeman: Presentation and Workshop on sustainable cities
Portland City Repair co-founder, Mark Lakeman, brings lessons from one of America's greenest cities to Vancouver. Mark Lakeman is a co-founder of the City Repair Project in Portland, Oregon and served as the Co-Director of Creative Vision from 1996 to 2008. City Repair is a multidisciplinary, non-profit organization, which works with place-based communities to creatively transform the infrastructure of the public commons where people live.

Whether converting street intersections into public squares, or organizing other forms of permanent or ephemeral place interventions, City Repair is effectively engaging citizens in the reinvention of the public landscape. All of these projects are ecological in emphasis, using natural building and Permaculture techniques. City Repair projects are underway in dozens of cities in the USA and Canada.

Mark is also the principal of Communitecture, a private design firm specializing in ecological building and planning projects at many scales. He also sits on the Board of Directors of Southeast Uplift, Portland's proactive neighborhood coalition that is undertaking numerous initiatives to remake the civic landscape.

The Village Lives
Mark Lakeman, offers an inspirational and cutting edge model for how cities can develop sustainably, powered by people at the neighbourhood level. Mark’s presentation The Village Lives provides numerous examples of urban Permaculture initiatives that are inspiring transformation across the social and political spectrum of Portland.

Mark will emphasize the benefits of broadly activated citizen vision and participation in the development of a truly sustainable culture. Mark’s presentations includes an overview of unsustainable cultural patterns, followed by examples of how urban spaces can be transformed into vital social and ecological commons.

Date: Friday, March 25
Time: 7:30 pm -  9:30 pm
Location: W2 Storyeum,
Address: 151 West Cordova, Vancouver, BC

‘Eco-Dreaming Vancouver’
Workshop with Portland’s City Repair Co-Founder Mark Lakeman and Power of Hope's creative facilitators Rup Sidhu and Sara Dent, along with Village Vancouver members, will offer a day of community building focused on how City Repair processes can be applied in Vancouver. Participants will build community, look at our city on a neighbourhood by neighbourhood basis, and learn about intersection and block repair processes.

Date: Saturday, March 26th, 2011
Time: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm,
Location: W2 Storyeum,
Address: 151 West Cordova, Vancouver, BC
Registration: http://ecodreamingvancouver.eventbrite.com

Event Supporters
Thanks to the City of Vancouver Sustainability Group for their support of the event and Car Free Vancouver! In association with W2 Storyeum. People powered by: Village Vancouver, Power of Hope, Community Arts Council of Vancouver.

Event: Potato Fusion
The World In A Garden will be hosting the Second Annual Potato Fusion event, where we will plant highly nutritious organic potatoes & lettuce in used burlap coffee sacs! All proceeds will be donated to The World In A Garden & Project Somos, an eco-village for abandoned and orphaned children in Guatemala.

Date: Sunday, March 20th
Time: 11am or 1pm
Location: West 57th & East Blvd. (across the street from Choices)
To register: Contact Alicia Baddorf via phone 604.257.5151 ext. 213 or by email abaddorf@jfsa.ca
www.theworldinagarden.com

Earthquake preparedness
We have all witnessed the recent earthquakes in Japan and have seen first hand the devastation they cause. Living in Vancouver, we too could be faced with a major earthquake, yet few of us have taken the necessary steps to ensure we and our families are prepared. This session will teach you how to be prepared for any emergency or disaster you may be faced with. You will learn personal and family preparedness, how to develop a family emergency plan, how to perform a home hazard hunt and how to prepare for your pets. Cost: Free

Location: Roundhouse Community Centre - 181 Roundhouse Mews
Date: Apr 27, 2011
Time: 7:00 PM
Registration Information: Phone: 604-713-1800

Gardening workshops
Grant Watson is teaching a series of gardening workshops this weekend. Go to www.gourmetgardens.ca/workshops/

Intensive Urban Microfarming
Date: Saturday March 19
Time:  12:30-3:30 pm
Location: Strathcona Community Centre
Address:  601 Keefer Street
Registration: Call Strathcona Community Centre at 604-713-1838
http://www.gourmetgardens.ca/intensive-urban-microfarming/

Food Crops: Selection & Care
Date: Sunday March 20
Time:  2 – 5 pm
Address: 2478 E 23 Ave
http://www.gourmetgardens.ca/workshops/food-crops-selection-care/
 
You can contact Grant Watson at 778.869.4060.
Visit his website at, www.gourmetgardens.ca

TLCC Job Posting

Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage Food Security Network Society (TLCC)

JOB POSTING

Position Title:                  TLCC Coordinator

Reports to:                         TLCC Board of Directors

Term of Contract:           Starts immediately until end of June 2011 with possibility of extension

Hourly Wage:                   $20.00/hr, 10 hrs/wk.  Flexible schedules can be negotiated. 

Deadline:                            Applications must be received by 4:30pm, March 8^th 2011

Description of Position:

The TLCC Coordinator will oversee overall TLCC coordination and support related activities with the following goals:

• Primarily responsible for actively pursuing &  securing sustainable and ongoing funding for the TLCC activities
• Support and maintain the existing pocket markets at Brant Villa and developing  one new pocket market. 
• Regular distribution of relevant information to Network members.  Coordinate and facilitate monthly TLCC Board meetings
• Build community capacity to be involved in food security initiatives and increase awareness of available food security resources and networking opportunities.

Roles and Responsibilities:

·         Identify funding opportunities, develop grant proposals and create a “sustainability plan”.

·         Identify and sustain opportunities for capacity building and partnerships between community leaders and agencies which would help support the work of the TLCC over the long term. 

·         Maintain and develop an email distribution list and blog.  Develop promotional materials for Network activities.

·         Monitor program finances, maintain accurate financial records, and ensure responsible budget implementation.

·         Collaborate with other food security networks in Vancouver to share resources and identify opportunities for strengthening working relationships.     

Qualifications:

·         Sound understanding of food security principles and the spectrum of food based programs in Vancouver

·         Confident leadership experience with community development and capacity building approaches to project development.

·         Experience with community work and committee based processes, particularly related to pocket markets or farmer’s markets

·         Grant and funding report writing skills

·         Strong communication and computer skills, organization and time-management

·         Must have a valid Food Safe certificate or be willing to obtain one.

·         Experience with volunteer supervision, recruitment and training

NOTE:  this position requires use of your own vehicle and may require access to a home based workspace. 

Applications will be accepted until 4:30pm, March 8^th 2011. 

Please submit your resume and cover letter to:

TLCC Food Security Board of Directors

Attn: Marlene Bell at spiritros@telus.net or Fax: 604-873-4402

Talk Green Vancouver potluck on Wed. Feb 16

TLCC Newsletter, February 2011
This month's newsletter includes:

• Talk Green Vancouver neighbourhood potluck in Cedar Cottage
• Information about a new seed saving collective in Cedar Cottage
• News about the first ever House of Commons debate on genetic engineering and what you can do to support it
• Two local food related job postings

TLCC's next Pocket Market!
Date: Saturday February 19th
Time: 10am-1pm
Location: 2290 E 25th Ave (Just west of the Nanaimo SkyTrain station.
Map: TLCC Pocket Market location

The TLCC Pocket market has great prices as always on organic or local produce. Shop and save while supporting access to healthy foods for those who have low income! The Pocket Market Coupon model has worked so well that it will be used as part of a food security program run by South Vancouver Neighbourhood House for residents in their area.

Please drop by on the 19th!

Talk Green Vancouver Potluck Invite
Join your friends and neighbours for a community potluck and Greenest City conversation!

TLCC and Talk Green Vancouver (the City of  Vancouver's Greenest City initiative) invite you to share a meal, share some great conversation and share your ideas about Vancouver’s plan to become the Greenest City in the world by 2020. It’s going to take actions – small and large – from the whole city to achieve the vision of a bright green future for our city and our planet. Thousands of residents contributed to creating 10 draft action plans. Find out what’s in them, add your feedback and share ideas with your neighbours about how you can help create the greenest city in the world.

Please bring food to share, serving plate and spoon as well as a plate, fork, knife etc for yourself. We will have access to the kitchen to heat things up if necessary.

Join us and talk green!
Date: Wednesday Feb 16th
Time: 7:00 to 9:00pm
Location: Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House, 4065 Victoria Drive

Give your input to the draft Greenest City plans and find out how you can get involved at www.talkgreenvancouver.ca

Cedar Cottage Seed Saving Collective
A new group has formed through Village Vancouver in Cedar Cottage that will focus on seed saving in our neighbourhood. They are interested in creating a local source of seeds as a way to address global pressures from the patenting of seeds, genetic modification and climate change. They are looking for others who have experience with growing and seed saving using natural "organic" growing methods to join the collective.

Their next meeting is, a vegetarian potluck is on:
Date:Sunday Feb, 6th
Time: 10am -noon
RSVP: www.villagevancouver.ca/events please RSVP through the Village Vancouver site.

email: ccseedsavingcollective@gmail.com
blog:  ccseedsavers.wordpress.com

House of Commons debate on genetically engineered seeds
Victory for Canada on Genetic Engineering! Unprecedented debate on Bill C-474, February 8.The actions of Canadians like you are working! Despite biotech industry attempts to shut down debate, on December 1st in the House of Commons, the New Democratic Party secured a new 5-hour debate on Bill C-474 and the impacts of genetic engineering for February 8. Bill C-474 would support Canadian farmers by requiring that “an analysis of potential harm to export markets be conducted before the sale of any new genetically engineered seed is permitted.” If the Bill is passed this February it would stop GE wheat and GE alfalfa. The final vote on Bill C-474 will happen on February 9th in the House of Commons and there will be a 5-hour debate the day before! This type of debate on genetic engineering in the House of Commons has never happened before! Now every MP will have a chance to participate in the debate on Bill C-474.

Watch the video on Bill C-474: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH9NwvrVh3U

Actions before Feb 9th to support Canadian farmers:
Email your Member of Parliament to ask them to support the Bill and speak up in the debate – you can send your letter instantly from http://www.cban.ca/474action

Jobs in Local Food

PART-TIME COORDINATOR:  FARM TO SCHOOL COORDINATOR, GREATER VANCOUVER AREA
The Public Health Association of British Columbia in conjunction with their partners at Vancouver Coastal Health, the Vancouver School Board, the Richmond School Board and the University of British Columbia’s Eat&Think Green@School Initiative are pleased to announce that they have received a grant from Vancity enviroFund to increase the amount of local food served in five schools in the Richmond, Vancouver and West Vancouver area.

The  Group, the Greater Vancouver Farm to School Committee, seek the services of a Farm to School Coordinator The one year part-time coordinator will be responsible for sourcing local foods and farms for schools and developing agreements with farmers to grow foods for 5 schools. Details are outlined in job description at
http://communitykitchens.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/feb14-farm_to_school_coordinator_jd_vancouverregion.pdf.

Interested applicants must email their resume and cover letter to Sarah Carten, sarah.carten@vch.ca by noon on Monday, February 14th, 2011.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Sarah Carten, (604) 675-3988 x 20340, sarah.carten@vch.ca
APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Monday, February 14th, 2011.


FARMFOLK/CITYFOLK LOWER MAINLAND FEAST OF FIELDS COORDINATOR
For job description and details on how to apply, visit the FarmFolk/CityFolk website at: http://www.ffcf.bc.ca/about_us/get_involved.html

CONTRACT DATES:  April 1, 2011 to October 31, 2011
LOCATION:  Vancouver, BC
APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 15.

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That's it for this month.

Erin
blog: tlccfoodsecurity@blogspot.com

Trout Lake Cedar Cottage Food Security Network Newsletter for January 2011

Hi, I hope that 2011 got off to a good start for you.

If you have a hankering for food security at its best, I suggest registering for Will Allen's free presentation at the Croatian Cultural Centre on January 27th. This man has been very successful in teaching people with his special brand of enthusiasm how to grow food in the urban core. Registration details below. It's bound to fill up fast as the date approaches.

Of course there is also tomorrow's Pocket Market where you can buy fresh quality produce at VERY reasonable prices. The market has moved to Saturdays:

TLCC Pocket Market
Day: Saturday January 15th
Time: 10am to 1pm
Place: 2290 E 25th Ave, just west of the Nanaimo SkyTrain Station

Just follow the directional signs. Here is the array produce you'll see tomorrow:

LOCAL (BC)
Ambrosia Apples
Cabbage
White Mushrooms
Yukon Gold Potatoes

ORGANIC
Bananas, South America
Carrots, California

NOT LOCAL or ORGANIC
Avocados, Mexico
Oranges, California
Broccoli, California

Will Allen, Growing Out of Hunger
Day: Thursday, January 27, 2011,
Time: 7-9pm
Place: Croatian Cultural Centre 3250 Commercial Drive (and 14th)

This lecture is free, however pre-registration is required.

There is still time to register for the second annual Bruce and Lis Welch Community Dialogue featuring Will Allen, CEO, Growing Power Community Food Centre, Milwaukee & Chicago: Join us and find out how Will Allen, urban farmer and community activist, is dedicated to supporting low income and small family farmers and bringing healthy, affordable food to urban areas. Will has over fifty years experience in farming, marketing and distributing food and has shared this knowledge with youth, adults, community groups, immigrants, farmers and consumers. Winner of the $500,000 MacArthur Genius Fellowship in 2008, Will Allen is transforming the cultivation, production, and delivery of healthy foods to under-served urban populations.

Visit Will Allen's blog.

Tree Pruning Service by Vancouver Fruit Tree
The Vancouver Fruit Tree Project wishes you a happy, fruitful new year! We are excited to announce that we will be offering small scale pruning services! Martin Anevich, a senior undergraduate student in Human Geography at UBC, has been trained pruning fruit trees in the Okanagan, and his university specialization is urban food systems. While not a professional, Martin is still able to give your fruit tree some tender lovin’ care, to help it develop more healthfully, beautiful, manageable and fruitful for the coming years. The service will be offered by donation, and proceeds will support the Vancouver Fruit Tree Project and offset the pruning program's transportation and equipment costs. As the cost of professional pruning can often be quite substantial, this is a great opportunity to care for your trees while supporting the Project’s community work. Unfortunately, because a service is given in return for the donation, we cannot issue tax receipts for pruning.

This service will begin in a couple weeks! If interested, you can email Martin at: manevich@interchange.ubc.ca or call him at 604-700-4460.

Workshops: Winter Cultivating Food, Cultivating Community Series
Over a dozen workshops, presentations, and gatherings focusing on growing food and cultivating community from January 9-March 27th. Organized by Ross Moster, Village Vancouver and Strathcona Community Centre.

Location: Strathcona Community Centre (601 Keefer St)
Workshops and dates:
Jan. 23 Garden Planning & Preparation workshop with Grant Watson
Jan. 25 Backyard Chickens 101 workshop with Duncan Martin
Feb. 6 Food Crops: Selection and Care workshop w/Grant Watson
Feb. 8 How to Create a Village in a City dialogue w/Ross Moster
Feb. 20 Food Crops: Selection and Care workshop w/Grant Watson
Feb. 27 Seed Saving in the City workshops with Robin Wheeler and other BC Seedswomen
Mar. 6 Soil Fertility and Plant Health Management w/Grant Watson
Mar. 19 Gardening for the Faint of Heart w/Robin Wheeler
Mar. 19 Intensive Urban Microfarming workshop w/Robin Wheeler
Mar. 27 Soil Fertility and Plant Health Management w/Grant Watson
Mar. 29 Backyard Chickens 101 workshop w/Duncan Martin

Community Kitchen Leadership Workshop
During this workshop you will have the opportunity to find out more about community kitchens, different ways a group can work and how you can lead or start a community kitchen.  Learn the history of the community kitchen movement and the effect it has had around the province. Hear about the different kitchen models that run successfully in our communities. Experience a community kitchen first hand! Lunch will be provided.

Date: Thurs, Feb 10, 2011
Time: 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
Location: Vancouver Food Bank, 1150 Raymur Ave.
Cost: $45.00 (lunch provided).
To register: Contact Darlene Tanaka, at 604-216-2325 or darlenet@foodbank.bc.ca or complete and send in the Community Kitchen Leadership Workshop Registration Form.

Please note: Payment required upon registration. Cancellations must be done at the latest, 72 hours before. No refunds for no-shows. The workshop may be rescheduled if registration numbers are not met.

Subsidies:  Due to a grant from Campbell Company of Canada,  travel and accommodation subsidies are available to those traveling in BC for more than 100 km to get to the workshop. You must apply by Thurs, Jan 21 for this February workshop. For more information, see our application form

Workshop: Foodsafe Level 1
We all have questions when it comes to food safety. What should we be concerned with when handling food in our kitchens? What's safe and what isn't in our day-to-day work in the kitchen? Come learn the basics about safe food handling in a friendly classroom environment. This is a provincially recognized course taught by qualified instructors. It is suitable for individuals who have a grade 8 or higher reading comprehension level.

Date/Time:  Sat, Feb 5, 2011 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location: Vancouver Food Bank, 1150 Raymur Ave.
Cost: $50.00 - $95.00 (sliding scale)

To register: Contact Darlene Tanaka, at 604-216-2325 or darlenet@foodbank.bc.ca or complete and send in the FoodSafe Registration Form.

For more information:  Visit our FAQs on the FoodSafe course. Please note: Lunch is not provided, so please bring a lunch. Registration is limited to 20 per class. Payment required upon registration. Cancellations must be done at the latest, 72 hours before. No refunds for no-shows. The workshop may be rescheduled if registration numbers are not met.

Grant: The Rebuilding Nature Grant Program
Application deadline:  Feb 11, 2011.For community groups to cover the costs of tools and building projects, native plants and trees, and other expenses in support of environmental stewardship projects.
Amount: $1,000, $3,000 or $12,000 plus $2,000 in The Home Depot gift cards. For more information: Visit Evergreen. Supported by The Home Depot Canada Foundation and led by Evergreen.

Grant: TOYOTA EVERGREEN Learning Grounds School Ground Greening Grants
For schools wishing to create outdoor classrooms and food gardens to provide students with a healthy place to play, learn and develop a genuine respect for nature. Amount: $500 to $3,500 for publicly funded Canadian schools (JK-Grade 12); $500 to $2,000 for not-for-profit daycares. Now accepting applications. Deadlines: March 4, 2011 (spring planting), June 3, 2011 (late spring/early summer or early fall planting). For more information go to Evergreen's website

Contest: Good Food Hero Comic Contest
Students from across Canada are invited to create their own comic and enter it in the Canada's Good Food Hero Comic Contest. There are 3 age categories for the contest:  1) Kindergarten - Grade 4   2)   Grade 5 - 8  and 3)  Grade 9 - 12. Application deadline: March 1, 2011. This is your chance to get creative and create awareness about food in Canada. Winners will receive awesome prizes, and the top 10 entries from each age group will be featured in the Good Food Hero Comic. Book, to be printed and distributed across the country in a 32-page colour booklet! Review the criteria and contest guidelines and complete the application form. For more information: Visit the Food Secure Canada website
--
Trout Lake Cedar Cottage Food Security Network
email: tlccfoodsecurity@gmail.com

Pocket Markets in 2011

3rd Saturday of the month,

January 15

February 19

March 19

April 16
May 21

June 18

Last Pocket Market in 2010

  Sunday, December 5th

Produce for this Sunday's pocket market

LOCAL (BC)
Gala apples
Cabbage
Beets
White mushrooms
Yukon potatoes
Campari tomatoes
Butternut squash

 
ORGANIC 

Green leaf lettuce
Sweet Potatoes 

Mandarins oranges