News Archive – Page 8 – North Okanagan Land to Table Network

29Apr 2020 by hpadmin

Forum Reflections For a New Context

First of all, we hope this continues to find you safe and healthy! We are feeling very grateful to have held our forum early in the year. When we gathered in early February at the Splatsin Centre in Enderby to explore opportunities for increasing access to healthy local food, our 65 participants were moved and inspired by five interview panelists. The stories, messages and ideas of these five women, as summarized in the forum report, are even more poignant and important now. I am reminded of Rebecca’s words, sharing in the context of what food sovereignty can look like, inviting us to plant food on the borders of our property and inviting people to access this food as they need. Andrea spoke about supporting our local grocery stores who source…

17Apr 2020 by hpadmin

L2T Thoughts & Resources for Changing Times

L2T Updates, News

What an intense spring we are all experiencing. As we wrestle with how to create new ways of being at home and in our communities (while keeping our distance, working from home with kids at home, and adapting our businesses to operate during pandemic times) many of us are also experiencing information overload. Land to Table would like to echo the thoughts and sentiment of most organizations in that we support the efforts to maintain social distancing to keep ourselves and our communities as healthy as possible. Also, we are optimistic about the opportunity to draw value and awareness to the importance of creating a strong local food system. Creating opportunities for more deeply connecting to each other through food seems more important than ever. We also want to acknowledge…

08Feb 2020 by admin

Feb. 8, 2020 | Bridging Gaps: Exploring Local Food Access in the North Okanagan

Events, Past Event

Feb 8, 2020 - Splatsin Centre, Enderby BC What does food access mean in our region? How might we work together to increase access to healthy local food for all? Storytelling & Dialogue Join us at the Bridging Gaps: Exploring local food access in the North Okanagan forum as we build our understanding of the complex issue of improving access to healthy local food in our region. Even though we live in a region of diverse and productive foodlands, food access is impacted by a wide range of factors including: poverty, transportation, access to land for traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering, social isolation, and a lack of skills and knowledge. Questions we will explore during this day of dialogue include: What would make local food more convenient? How do we…

01Feb 2020 by hpadmin

Speaker Bio’s for “Building Shared Understanding of Food Access” at the 3rd Annual Forum

Events, Past Event

Land to Table's 3rd annual forum, Bridging Gaps: Exploring Local Food Access in the North Okanagan, will feature the following speakers in the "Building Shared Understanding of Food Access" session. Find out more about the event, agenda, and register here. Fresh Food in Schools: Melissa Jacobs, Teacher & Dawn Guenette, Seed to Plate Coordinator & Volunteer Dawn Guenette, also known as Gramma D at Kidston Elementary, has made cooking with kids an integral part of her life. Beginning with her career as an Early Childhood Educator she naturally took on the role of providing food for those in her care. It was part of the program from the start to ensure those she cared for were provided with good nutrition. She has brought her passion to elementary school cooking programs…

21Jan 2020 by hpadmin

Food Access…Exploring Gaps

L2T Updates, News

This is not news… we know that sufficient, safe and nutritious food is critical to the health and well-being of us all. Unfortunately, half a million British Columbians can't afford a basic healthy diet. This was outlined in the Food Costing in BC report (2017) and powerful infographic. Within the North Okanagan, home to around 85,000 residents, we know that 15 percent of people in our communities are low income, meaning their after-tax income is $22,460 or less. In the Interior Health region 14 percent of households’ experience food insecurity. Yet, low income is not the only factor affecting access to healthy local food in our region. It's evident that even though we live in a region of diverse and productive foodlands, food access is impacted by a wide range…

19Dec 2019 by hpadmin

Good and Beautiful Food Brings People Together!

Event Recap, Events

Eva-Lena presenting her food system network map. 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.…

04Oct 2019 by hpadmin

Land to Table Open House Event

Event Recap, Events

You are cordially invite to the first Land to Table Open House event on October 29th, 6pm to 8pm at the Vernon Art Gallery. The evening will showcase Masters research findings by Eva-Lena Lang, including her map of the North Okanagan food system network. We are excited to host the network for an evening of mingling, sharing local goodies, food-map gazing and gathering your feedback regarding the L2T vision and goals. Come one, come all. The evening is at no cost to you and a good reason to be out after dark!

30Sep 2019 by hpadmin

Researchers Seek Input to Strengthen Farm to Restaurant Connections

News, Regional News

Researchers from the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems, Kwantlen Polytechnic University are seeking public participation to help them understand the demand for local food in Okanagan restaurants. Through to the end of October, Okanagan residents are being asked to complete a 10-minute online survey about their preferences for local food in restaurants. The survey hopes to obtain information about the demand for local foods in restaurant meals, to strengthen the farm to restaurant supply chain and support the local food/farming sectors in the region. Participants who complete the survey will be entered to win one of five $100 gift cards to local restaurants. Those wishing to access the survey can do so at https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/be_local_eat_local until Midnight on October 31st and are encouraged to share the survey with their networks. Survey…

21Aug 2019 by hpadmin

Salmon Arm Economic Development Society Wants To Hear From You!

News, Regional News

Salmon Arm Economic Development Society is assessing the feasibility of increasing agriculture processing and innovation in the Shuswap region by developing a Regional Food Hub. The Food Hub Feasibility Study which is currently underway, includes assessing the needs of local food producers and processors across all sub-sectors of agriculture in the areas of research, processing, food safety, training and education, storage, business development support programs, community kitchens and related required venues and equipment. If you are a food producer or processor, or a prospective food producer or processor, we would be grateful if you would take some time to share your knowledge and experience to help shape the outcome of this study. Please visit the survey link HERE.

23Jul 2019 by hpadmin

Community Futures North Okanagan supports food systems network

News, Regional News

How can we develop a local food system that is prosperous, environmentally sustainable and accessible? Even more, how can we go from talking about doing this, to making it happen? These are just some of the questions that have driven Land to Table, a network of partners committed to building a thriving local food network for the North Okanagan. “Our idea is that if we have a well-connected and coordinated network inspired by a common vision and goals, together we can develop a food system that benefits so many in our region in so many ways,” says Liz Blakeway, coordinator, Land to Table. Originally known as North Okanagan Food Systems Initiative (NOFSI), the network grew from handful of women rooted in the agricultural community who were committed to sustainable development…