Author Archives: Phil

About Phil

Research Associate, Nourishing Ontario

Steps to Sustainability

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Second Annual Halton Region Food Tourism Summit

Halton Region is committed to supporting and preserving our vibrant agricultural industry.

The objective of the second annual Halton Region Food Tourism Summit is to bring together Halton’s food community to learn about innovative industry initiatives and talk about putting more locally sourced foods on our tables. The day is designed to help make connections that will lead to fruitful partnerships going forward and increased local area food availability for all.

Thursday, March 26, 2015 9a.m.-4p.m.

Country Heritage Park, Gambrel Barn 8560 Tremaine Rd., Milton, On L9T 1X9

The event is free of charge.
For more details, and to register…

Fortnightly Feast

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Better Farming story on the Regional Food Hub Survey

Food Survey News

Our Regional Food Hub Survey features in the latest (May 10, 2015) online Better Farming breaking news. Read the full story here…

YMCA Cedar Glen Hiring Farm Manager

YMCA Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre is a year round operation, open 7 days a week, which delivers outdoor education programs to school groups, youth and adult retreats, a day camp and an overnight camp focused on leadership development during the summer months. The centre also operates a fruit and vegetable farm and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) system.

Reporting to the Facility Manager, the Farm Team Leader is responsible for planning and carrying out the day to day operations of the fruit and vegetable farm and the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) system with the key objective to maximize productivity while utilizing organic farming practices. The position aids in delivering the highest quality farm education programs to outdoor education and summer camp participants that align with the overall mission, vision and values of the YMCA. Read more…

Now THAT’s a Greenhouse!

The Inuvik Community Greenhouse, home of the Community Garden Society of Inuvik, is the most northerly greenhouse in North America and the only Community Greenhouse of its kind in the world!

The Inuvik Community Greenhouse is located at the corner of Gwich’in Road and Breynat Street, behind the Igloo Church, and is open from May until October. Read more…

Now THAT’s a Rooftop Garden! (YouTube video)

From The Times of India:

10,000-sq-metre roof top farm makes waves in China

BEIJING: This 10,000-square-metre farm in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality may look ordinary at first glance. But this is an exceptional farm situated on top of a sprawling factory that manufactures doors. It is big enough that a tractor is needed to help with farming. The factory’s staff grow crops there, as well as raise poultry and livestock.

Factory official Lu Xiaoqing explained the company’s rationale for setting it up. “It would be a waste if we left the big rooftop unused. That’s why we created a farming project that involves our staff…”. Read more…

1ère journée des innovations pour une alimentation durable (JIPAD 2015)

Jeudi 02 avril 2015 (10h00-16h30)
à Agropolis International
(Amphithéatre Louis Malassis)
1000, Av. Agropolis – Montpellier

Avec les étudiants ingénieurs de spécialisation “Innovations dans les systèmes agricoles et agro-alimentaires du monde” (ISAM) et de mastère spécialisé “Innovations et politiques pour une alimentation durable” (IPAD) – Montpellier SupAgro/CIRAD. Lire la suite…

Alternative Eats

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Watch a discussion on The Agenda (TVO) about the new product Soylent, involving Irena Knezevic (of Nourishing Communities).

At what point does food become more than sustenance? Food experts gather to talk about the growth and implications of non-traditional foods like soylent and other supplements. Watch the video here…

From feudal to neoliberal: a historical look at Quebec’s agriculture and food regimes

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Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems

Brown bag lunch and learn

Speaker:   Dr. Manon Boulianne, Dept. of Anthropology, Université Laval

Date:         Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Time:        11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Where: P3027 – Peters Building, Wilfrid Laurier University
(School of Business and Economics, on the corner of University Ave and Albert St. in Waterloo)

From the 17th to the first half of the 20th century, petty commodity production was the modus operandi of an important part of Quebec’s family farms. During phases of industrial expansion, farm-born and raised young people flew to growing city centers. During economic depressions, new regions of colonization were opened in order to prevent French Canadians from leaving for New England, where they moved to find factory work. Commodification and specialization of farming developed after WW1, and by the middle of the 1960’s, modernization and standardization became the norm.

How do these changes relate to the transformation of the agri-food system, in the province and beyond? These questions will be addressed from a food regime perspective. Emphasis will be placed on how regional dynamics were influenced by the nation-states and corporate actors which have occupied a hegemonic position within different food regimes?

Why New York City and San Francisco are focused on local food manufacturing and distribution

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…from the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City:

Record amounts of snow have depleted Boston-area grocery shelves of many food items in recent weeks. Snow-clogged streets and loading docks have resulted in delayed or erratic deliveries, making it difficult for grocery stores to replenish their stocks. In light of these recent events and the fear of future natural disasters, some cities, such as Boston, are giving increased attention to food as part of their resilience planning. Food resilience is concerned with how a community’s food system would recover from a shock such as a natural disaster. A vulnerable or disrupted food processing and distribution industry directly impacts food resilience and inhibits a community’s ability to return to normal functions.

Read more…

Seed Saving in Northern Ontario

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Workshop Series – Sault St. Marie & Sudbury

(La version française suivra)

The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security the Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society and FarmStart (with funding from FedNor and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation) are pleased to bring Michelle Smith of Northwind Farm all the way from Cape Breton to Sault Ste. Marie to offer an in-depth seed production workshop series for farmers and gardeners. These workshops are offered in conjunction with Seedy Saturday in Sault Ste. Marie– come early to take part in the seed exchange, tradeshow, and other seedy activities!

Local food should come from local seed. But what are the challenges of producing high quality local seed in Northern Ontario? How can we overcome those challenges? Most seed-saving resources do not offer tips on how to grow seed in marginal climates or regions that experience shorter growing seasons. Learn how to push the limits of your region, from market gardener and seed-saver, Michelle Smith of Northwind Farm. Michelle has been growing vegetables and open-pollinated, heirloom seeds in the challenging climates of Cape Breton for 30 years. Check out this excellent series of workshops we have put together to save seed in Northern Ontario:

Sault St. Marie information, dates, descriptions & registration

Sudbury information, dates, descriptions & registration

*Veuillez noter que ces ateliers sont seulement offerts en anglais.*

L’Initiative de la famille Bauta sur la sécurité des semences au Canada, la Société d’horticulture de Sault Ste. Marie et FarmStart (avec l’aide financière de FedNor et de la Société de gestion du Fonds du patrimoine du Nord de l’Ontario) sont fiers d’accueillir nul autre que Michelle Smith de la ferme Northwind, qui se déplace du Cap-Breton jusqu’à Sault Ste. Marie pour offrir aux fermiers et fermières une série d’ateliers approfondis sur la production de semence. Ces ateliers sont offerts dans le cadre de la Fête des semences de Sault Ste Marie, samedi le 7 mars 2015 – arrivez tôt pour profiter de la table d’échange de semence, des expositions, et des autres activités spéciales de la journée!

Notre nourriture locale devrait provenir de semences locales. Par contre, au nord de l’Ontario, il y a plusieurs défis à relever afin de produire des semences viables. Comment pouvons-nous les surmonter? Les ressources qui nous sont présentement disponibles ne nous donnent malheureusement aucune directive en ce qui concerne la production de semences dans un climat marginal ou dans une région ayant une courte saison de croissance. Apprenez comment profiter pleinement de ce que peut offrir votre région avec l’aide de Michelle Smith, maraîchère chevronnée et experte en conservation de semences. Depuis plus de 30 ans, Michelle cultive une vaste gamme de semences patrimoniales à pollinisation libre dans les conditions climatiques rudes du Cap-Breton. Elle est donc fière de pouvoir vous partager ses connaissances dans ces prochains ateliers :

Sault St. Marie information, dates, descriptions & registration

Sudbury information, dates, descriptions & registration

 

Growing Together

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Ensuring healthy food, viable farms, and a prosperous Buffalo Niagara

After nearly three years of research, community engagement, partnership building and planning by over 5,000 citizens and more than 700 local organizations, One Region Forward released its Regional Plan for Sustainable Development entitled “A New Way to Plan for Buffalo Niagara”.

Growing Together report is a technical document that supports a larger regional sustainability planning effort, labeled locally as One Region Forward. For the first time in the history of the Buffalo-Niagara region, a formal planning process has explicitly addressed our region’s food system. Read more…

 Download the Plan Summary

Who are the New Farmers?

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The National New Farmer Coalition and the University of Manitoba have put together a survey to assess the needs of new farmers in Canada where it concerns policy and educational opportunities. If you are intending to farm, are currently farming, or have recently exited farming, we want to hear from you! The results from this survey will be used to develop a National New Farmer Policy Platform that we aim to share with all levels of government. It will also document the sources of new farmer learning and make suggestions on how to improve this training in Canada. In order to give weight to our recommendations, we need as many farmer voices as possible.

La Coalition pancanadienne pour les nouveaux fermiers/nouvelles fermières et l’Université du Manitoba ont développé un sondage dont l’objectif est de cerner les besoins des nouveaux fermiers au Canada en matière de politique et d’offres de formations. Les résultats de ce sondage serviront au développement d’une plateforme politique servant les nouveaux fermiers/nouvelles fermières à tous les paliers gouvernementaux. Le sondage documentera l’offre de formation existante et présentera des pistes de solutions pour améliorer la formation au Canada. Pour donner du poids à nos recommandations, aidez-nous à recueillir le plus grand nombre de réponses possibles.

Go to the survey / compléter le sondage…

More detail from Broadfork Farm…

 

Ontario’s Regional Food Hub Development

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Co-op Food Hub Discussion in Guelph

Changing the Way We Do Local Food

February 24, 2015
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Chapel, Loyola House, Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph

Public Forum, Panel Discussion and World Café

Facilitated by Sally Miller, LOFC Network Food Hub Project Manager

Come participate in a robust discussion about how co-operative food hubs are offering Ontario communities viable, democratically driven business options for local food aggregation and distribution. Guests from the Local Organic Food Co-ops Network’s Regional Food Hub Expansion project will share their experiences before the audience has a chance to participate in small table discussions on Financing, Marketing, Governance, and Logistics for Distribution.

Special guests include Peggy Baillie, Eat Local Sudbury, Devorah Belinsky, Ottawa Valley Food Co-op, Kelly Skinner, True North Community Co-op, Jeff Pastorius, On the Move Organics, Alison Blay-Palmer, Wilfrid Laurier University, Jodi Koberinski, Canadian Council on Food Sovereignty and Health, Glenford Jameson & James Patterson, West End Food Co-op, Glenn Valliere & Randy Whitteker, Ontario Natural Food Co-op.

Tickets are $20 at the door, or included with registration at the Dan Kittredge farmer training (Feb. 23 & 24) or at Building the Soils of a Co-operative Food System, our 6th Annual Assembly (Feb. 24-6).

Food Policy and Regional Food Systems

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Opportunities for Networking across Jurisdictions

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

1:00 – 2:15 PM EST

REGISTER for the Webinar

Where does your local food policy council fit within the regional food system? Would you like to play a stronger role in both your locality and at a regional level but not sure how? Functioning with limited resources and volunteer members, it can often be easiest for a food policy council to concentrate locally. By understanding the role of local food policy councils within the context of a regional food system, groups can network across geographies to maximize impact and effectiveness of policy changes.

During this webinar, expert panelists will address a number of big picture questions local food policy councils have about regional food systems, including:

  • The role of local food policy councils within a regional network
  • When is it beneficial to connect across a region
  • How to determine your “region” and what to do when definitions vary
  • Best practices and challenges to organizing and building regional networks, including resources and infrastructure needed

These issues will be addressed to show participants how networking across jurisdictions can positively influence food system change. The webinar will also include time for participant Q&A.

Suggested participants: Food policy council coordinators and members, policy-makers, members of the local and regional food system and food system advocates.
This event is sponsored by the Institute for Public Health Innovation and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.
Register here…