04Dec 2023 by admin
Feel-Good Stories from 2023

Feel-Good Stories from 2023

Featured News, L2T Updates, News
Perhaps you’ve heard (cause we’ve shared a few times now)… New this year, Land to Table has been collecting an inventory of the fresh food needs of local social service agencies and food banks across the North Okanagan. This work is a result of the “value chain development” we have been doing in conjunction with UBCO - to connect organizations who care about using purchasing dollars toward ethical/sustainable food, to the farmers who produce said food! Through strong leadership values, advocating for more local food and clear food purchasing goals at Turning Points in Vernon, we were able to connect a local farmer to Turning Points Food Service Manager. Read to hear the farmers experience of that connection: ​​As soon as we completed our first delivery to Turning Point in…
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30Nov 2023 by admin
Sowing the Future: Land to Table’s Ongoing Commitment to the BX Ranchlands

Sowing the Future: Land to Table’s Ongoing Commitment to the BX Ranchlands

Featured News, L2T Updates, News
As we approach the end of 2023, it's time to shine a spotlight on one of our favourite projects. The BX Ranchlands (BXR) represents the opportunity for community-led growing and infrastructure development for greater food security and resilience, all wrapped up in a beautiful 135 acre parcel of land! Land to Table (L2T) Network has been deeply rooted in the plans for this site since our inception in 2018 - mostly in supporting the visionaries (i.e. the BX/Swan Lake Residents Association and RDNO Electoral Area Directors for areas B and C) and advocating for it to remain in public hands. As the year draws to a close, it's heartening to see our collective efforts continue to sprout opportunity, and step-by-step progressions toward  a vision for community resilience through farming. Nurturing a…
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05Oct 2023 by admin
OKIB Sun Valley Ranch: Grasshopper Update

OKIB Sun Valley Ranch: Grasshopper Update

Featured News, L2T Updates, Regional News
Our Land to Table Network is an incredible community of people helping each other share information, resources, and knowledge to support our local food system. This summer, we shared that Okanagan Indian Band's Sun Valley Ranch was struggling with a grasshopper infestation that was decimating their crops. We urgently asked the network if anyone had bug netting they could donate or sell to OKIB, and you responded! Here is a big thanks to Mike Randell, Area C Director of the Regional District of the North Okanagan and president of OK Apiaries, who donated and delivered lots of shade cloth. And thank you to Kirk Hughes from Kootenay Covers Okanagan who also offered netting he had in stock and free delivery. The food security folks at Sun Valley Ranch have not…
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27Sep 2023 by admin
Join the Good Food Box Board of Directors

Join the Good Food Box Board of Directors

Featured News, News, Regional News
The Good Food Box Society of the North Okanagan is looking for new members to join the Board of Directors. The program is based in Vernon but is looking for people located in the North Okanagan who are interested in the areas of social media, writing and accounting. Positions will require between 4-8 hours per month.  Open Board of Director Positions: Director at large: Oversee a long-term project and chair the subcommittee (2-4 hours monthly) Treasurer: Report to the Board on monthly finances and prepare monthly and annual financial statements. (The new website will do most of the information gathering)  (4-6 hours a month)  Secretary: Write meeting minutes and manage correspondence for the Board (4-6 hours monthly)  All Board Members will be expected to attend one monthly zoom meeting (~2…
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11Sep 2023 by admin
BX Ranchlands Development Plan

BX Ranchlands Development Plan

News
Visit the BX Ranchlands Info Booth at the BX Farm Tour, Sept 16-17, 2023 What are the BX Ranchlands? The BX Ranchlands is a 167-acre property located on Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) land near Vernon, BC. Historically, the area was an important site for Indigenous hunting and gathering, however, these activities were greatly disrupted by the implementation of Settler agricultural practices in the 1870’s. Settlers used the land to provide pasture for the horses of the BX Express stagecoach, which moved people, goods, and communications throughout the province. In recent years, it has been primarily used for growing forage and hay crops, and over-wintering horses and cattle. Approximately 33 acres have been used to form a perimeter trail network. It is also an ecologically diverse site, containing habitat areas that…
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31May 2023 by admin
Update: Food Costing in BC 2022 report released

Update: Food Costing in BC 2022 report released

News, Regional News
The Food Costing in BC 2022: Assessing the affordability of healthy eating report has been released. The report highlights the challenges of affording a nutritious diet for people and households who live on low incomes, especially for those who live on income and disability assistance. When incomes are low, households are especially sensitive to the rising costs of living (food, rent, etc.). The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control collaborates with the five regional health authorities and the Ministry of Health to oversee the monitoring of the cost and accessibility of a nutritious diet in BC. The purpose of the report is to highlight that inadequate incomes are the root cause of household food insecurity. In May 2022, the average cost of a nutritious diet for a family of four…
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15Dec 2022 by admin
L2T Reflections 2022

L2T Reflections 2022

L2T Updates
In a word, 2022 for Land to Table felt like “settling-in” (technically two words)... for us this has meant gaining clarity about the value of a Network organization, including growing in our capacity building role; being creative about how we partner to access funding, and house our growing L2T team; and focussing in on two clear streams of work (value chain development and community food security). We continue to be guided by a vision to build a thriving, healthy, just and resilient regional food system... And believe that a well connected and coordinated network, with a shared purpose and vision can create meaningful systems change in the North Okanagan.  Here is how we think about the roles that we play as a Network: The first is to build a connected…
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25Oct 2022 by admin
L2T October Highlights

L2T October Highlights

L2T Updates
Land to Table was busy this month. Here are some of our highlights from October. On October 5th, Network Director, Liz Blakeway attended the United For Food Summit, hosted by United Way BC (one of our key funding partners) at the Red Barn on the traditional territory of the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN). What a treat to meet in person, exchange stories with fellow Regional Community Food Hubs and learn about TFN “celiselem” Community Farm. It was encouraging to hear about UWBC’s commitment to working with partners on the ground to create greater access to funding, streamline reporting, and provide greater support toward community impact and advancing advocacy. On October 22nd, we hosted a farm tour for a group of students and staff from UBCO. Tour stops included farms and…
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24Oct 2022 by admin
Food as a Lever

Food as a Lever

Regional News
In preparation for the fall 2022 elections, the Kamloops Food Policy Council created a blog series titled Food and the City - exploring deeper civic issues that relate to “food [as] a lever” for civic engagement, connection, policy change and action. The articles include a list of recommended policy options to support action for each topic - transportation, healthy ecosystems, common land-use opportunities, safer communities, decolonization, and food security. These are thoughtful, thought provoking, action-oriented, and perhaps most importantly, useful for election now newly elected officials. We highly recommend that all candidates (and those interested in food systems and policy) have a read. The KFPC blog posts have us thinking about: how we are doing in the North Okanagan, the ways in which food systems and food security provide opportunities…
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28Sep 2022 by admin
What is L2T Up to this Year?

What is L2T Up to this Year?

L2T Updates
Land to Table took on an extraordinary number of projects last year (March 2021-2022 with a summary report coming soon). And from that great work and engagement, there are two clear ‘project paths’ that we are excited to be expanding on over the next six months. Local Food Procurement through Value Chain Development With new funding from Feed BC, UBC, and also the RDNO (Rural Economic Development Grant) we are pleased to be expanding our work the focusses on growing the local food economy. Building on the successes and foundation of a first-year collaborations and achievements with UBCO, the focus this year is to deepen our work and impact wit UBCO, expand our knowledge and lessons learned to build relationships with other institutions and undertake some research of our own.…
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