Here’s a fact – food brings people together, especially good and beautiful food. At our open house event on October 29th we had nearly 80 people in attendance, all gathered around a table showcasing some of the best food grown or processed, and lovingly prepared in the North Okanagan. Seeing the joy and hearing the appreciation for the food on offer reminded us why we are doing the work of creating a food system network. Because gathering in this way stands to nourish us all.
Over the evening participants made their way through the different stations learning about the work that L2T is doing to: grow the local food economy, improve the sustainability of our food system and increase access to local food. We had fantastic representation from across the food system who joined us, from farmers, retailer and engaged consumers (including many new to Land to Table), to government (staff and elected officials) and non-profit organizations. We gathered valuable feedback about your perception of the issues that affect access to local food regionally and on the future events you would like to see L2T host. A highlight of the evening was the food system network map presented by Eva-Lena Lang that participants were quick to add to (helping to create a more complete picture of our food system in the North Okanagan).
This event was a highlight of the year for us at Land to Table and for that we would like to thank all who attended and helped bring the evening together. We believe that this quote sums up beautifully the atmosphere in the room that night:
Thanks again for a great event – I really enjoyed the conversations I had. The people I met were wide-ranging from farmers, to local government officials, Interior Health chefs, local not-for-profits, and grocers. I think the fact that members from every aspect of the food network were present shows the success of L2T in creating a strong local network with open lines of communication. I really appreciated the opportunities for input from those present to guide the priorities of the L2T network. I believe this will make the project much more resilient because by nature it will benefit the stakeholders if they offer guidance into what would be most helpful to them.
We wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season that includes some fine local food!