Jan 10th, 2024 | Growing for Community

Jan 10th, 2024 | Growing for Community

Past Event
Community Food Security Session: Growing for Community January 10th, 2024 | 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. PST (online)  Register now! What is this event? This session is designed for institutions, organizations, and programs interested in purchasing local food for the upcoming growing season and local farmers. The focus will be on creating growing agreements between farmers and local food organizations and schools, aiming to secure reliable end markets for farmers while providing fresh, local, and affordable supply for local organizations and institutions. Why should you come? Your attendance at this event will offer networking opportunities to connect with end-markets and farmers. Your voice will play a crucial role in shaping how these agreements are written and managed, including mutually beneficial price expectations. There will be opportunities for in-person/zoom follow-up meetings to…
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Recap: Collective Impact through Needs & Strength Mapping

Recap: Collective Impact through Needs & Strength Mapping

Event Recap
Recap: Collective Impact through Needs & Strength Mapping This month, key food actors from across the region gathered for our first Community Food Security Session to identify opportunities for collective impact through mapping our strengths. In the face of what our neighbouring communities just experienced through wildfire this summer (and remembering our experience from two years ago), and based on what we have heard about the community and organizational response (especially when it comes to food for fire evacuees) - it is clear that we are more effective and resilient when working in collaboration. This has us thinking about our community resilience, including how we prepare for, respond and rebuild when there is an emergency or disruption. In a roundtable style, participants shared their organizations’ strengths or “assets” that could…
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Oct 4th, 2023 | Collective Impact through Needs & Strength Mapping

Oct 4th, 2023 | Collective Impact through Needs & Strength Mapping

Past Event
Community Food Security Session: Collective Impact through Needs & Strength Mapping October 4th, 2023 | 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. PST (online)  Register now! What is this event? Join fellow food access program providers and key food actors from across the region to identify opportunities for collective impact through mapping our strengths.  In the face of what our neighbouring communities just experienced through wildfire this summer (and remembering our experience from two years ago), and based on what we have heard about the community and organizational response (especially when it comes to food for fire evacuees) - it is clear that we are more effective and resilient when working in collaboration. This has us thinking about our community resilience, including how we prepare for, respond and rebuild when there is an…
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Sep 16-17, 2023 | BX Farm Tour

Sep 16-17, 2023 | BX Farm Tour

Past Event
3rd Annual BX Farm Tour A tour of the food, farms and sights of Vernon’s BX region. On September 16th and 17th, you’re invited to “Know Your Farmer, Explore the BX”—to connect with local food, to better know your farmers and how they are farming, and to explore all the BX has to offer. The BX is a rich agricultural region with lots of walking and hiking trails and is the perfect place to get out and explore your own backyard. The BX Farm Tour is hosted by the farmers of the BX, with support from the North Okanagan Land to Table Network, Tourism Vernon and other local partners. Learn more
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Recap: Market Opportunity Study Webinar

Recap: Market Opportunity Study Webinar

Event Recap
Recap: Market Opportunity Study Webinar On June 15th, Land to Table hosted a webinar to share the results from our Market Opportunity Study conducted in partnership with KPU’s Institute for Sustainable Food Systems (ISFS). The purpose of this study was to identify opportunities and pathways to scale up local vegetable and fruit procurement from small-medium scale farms, and better understand the potential to develop small scale aggregation infrastructure to supply North Okanagan-produced fruit and vegetables to institutional and retail market channels. To view the full Market Opportunity Study Report - click here To view the Market Regulations Overview handout - click here Listen to the recording for an overview of: The current agricultural and market landscape in the Okanagan Brief overview of the regulations that govern the sales of fruit…
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Recap: 2023 Community Food Security Planning Session

Recap: 2023 Community Food Security Planning Session

Event Recap
About the Event Land to Table held a Community Food Security Planning Session on March 2nd, bringing together individuals from various organizations, local government, and educational, health, and religious institutions throughout the North Okanagan region who are addressing food insecurity with an interest to move towards greater community food security overall. This was the first event of this size that we have hosted in 3 years! All agreed it was good to gather in this way! Nearly 30 representatives were present! We were pleased to have our Spokes, Whitevalley Community Resource Centre, Okanagan Indian Band, the Good Food Box, share their insights on their programs and how the Hub has contributed to their capacity and growth. Attendees found the hub presentations helpful, saying they “loved hearing the presentations from the…
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May 12, 2022 | BX Open House

May 12, 2022 | BX Open House

Events, Past Event
In 2021, The Institute for Sustainable Food Systems (ISFS) and the Land to Table Network of the North Okanagan (L2T) were contracted by the Regional District of the North Okanagan (RDNO) to prepare a 5 year development plan for the BX Ranchlands parcel at 4122 East Vernon Rd. The site is a valued community resource for agriculture, recreation, and conservation. In order to explore these interests further, ISFS and L2T worked with the RDNO and local stakeholders to draft a plan for the site that will maintain community access while supporting ecological well-being and encouraging agricultural opportunities for local farmers and growers.  Watch a Video on the Proposed Development Plan You can click button above for a detailed overview of the plan or you can download a summary of the…
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April 20, 2022 | Learning Circle: Whole System Perspectives

April 20, 2022 | Learning Circle: Whole System Perspectives

Events, Past Event
We are pleased to invite you to our upcoming and final Learning Circle Series session looking at: Systems Perspectives.  This discussion will highlight the key points that we have learned in the series so far, and will ask panelists to help us further define and understand the complex/system issues that continue to impact local food procurement (at institutions), and how we create new systems that are sustainable in the long term.  We invite you to join us for this upcoming session over Zoom, Wednesday, April 20, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (PST). Speakers will include (but are not limited to): Panelist Lindsay Harris, Kamloops Food Policy Council Panelist Brittany Maguire, Meal Exchange David Speight, UBC Food Services Register here to join us for this upcoming session over Zoom, Wednesday, April…
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March 22, 2022 | Learning Circle: Aggregation & Distribution

March 22, 2022 | Learning Circle: Aggregation & Distribution

Events, Past Event
Over the past year, Land to Table (L2T) and UBC Okanagan have partnered in collaboration with the Institute for Community Engaged Research (ICER) to undertake a local food procurement pilot project.  As a part of our ongoing exploration into existing modes of institutional local food procurement, we are hosting a series of three learning circle sessions. Our first session (Feb 2, 2022) Institutional Perspectives, featured discussion on procurement logistics and relationships, the values that guide decision-making, how partners balance cost, and how institutions engage with students. Please find the recorded session here.  Our upcoming session, Aggregation & Distribution will feature farmer and aggregator/distributor perspectives on supplying to and working alongside institutions. In this session panelists will share different models for aggregation/distribution; the values that shape those models, financial challenges and…
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Experts on Tap: Tips and Tricks for Exhibiting and Selling New Products

Experts on Tap: Tips and Tricks for Exhibiting and Selling New Products

Event Recap, Events, Featured News
Tuesday, March 8th, 2022 - We held a live, online discussion with industry experts to help producers elevate their businesses and gain new listings and retail opportunities. The panel offered tips and tricks for exhibiting and preparing for upcoming events, including the Local Food & Buyers Mixer (March 18th, 2022) and the 9th Annual Cheese! It's a Natural Festival (March 19th, 2022) in Armstrong. 2024 Update: Check out the (rebranded) 2024 The Big Cheese! event featuring industry-only Food and Buyer Expo and Experts on Tap workshops on Friday, April 5th, 2024 and Local Food Festival open to the general public on Saturday, April 6th, 2024. Learn more at https://www.aschamber.com/thebigcheese.html If you missed this event or want to listen to the experts one more time, check out the highlights and the…
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