News Archive

This is not news... we know that sufficient, safe and nutritious food is critical to the health and well-being of us all. At this time of year, we tend to think a little bit more about the food we can and cannot afford. Tis the season to give generously... to food banks and other emergency food and support programs. The push for donations ensures that food banks can not only feed more people over the holiday season but also stock up for the year to come. And this next year is shaping up to be another hard-hitter when looking at food security (and household food insecurity). 4.4 million Canadians (including half a million British Columbians) experienced food insecurity before the pandemic. This number is expected to double over the coming…

On October 28th, 17 local government representatives (politicians and staff) from across the RDNO met on Zoom to discuss and learn what is on the radar for local government as it relates to local food security and food systems (planning, development, policy).  This meeting was co-hosted by Land to Table (L2T) and the Interior Health (IH) Healthy Communities Program, with the intent to build relationships with local government, provide a (virtual) networking space, and share about each of our organizations/programs and the support that we can offer to local government in food systems and food security engagement, planning and project development. In the work of L2T, to catalyze connections and collaboration and make sense of how we can best support strengthening our regional food system, this meeting was designed to…

Credit: BX/Swan Lake Community Association In the first week of my position as the Land to Table (then NOFSI) Coordinator, I found myself around a table, at Rancho Vignola, with a group of food system folks. Meeting participants included farmers exploring a co-op, an economic development consultant working with the O’Keefe Ranch, the BX/Swan Lake Community Association exploring opportunities to support retaining the municipal owned BX Ranchlands, amongst others. We were gathered to hear and learn about each other's work and to think about opportunities for collaboration--or at least how to minimize duplication. More so, we had gathered to share with and learn from Heather Pritchard, former Executive Director of FarmFolk CityFolk and now Executive Director of the Foodlands Cooperative of BC. Heather had been invited to visit the region…

Perhaps you have heard, we—the collective world—have hit the six-month COVID hump. At this point, within a cycle of “disaster” (as it has been for so many), experiencing a wide range of big emotions is normal. So if you are overwhelmed as you stare down from this hump-like place, know that burnout is quite likely. It may also be helpful to know that within the ag community, support (including funding and some really smart folks) is available. For example, Community Futures has developed a new REACH program designed to help agricultural businesses recover.  “From lost farmgate sales to lost harvest workers, agricultural businesses in the North Okanagan have had a tough year because of COVID-19. Now, a new business accelerator program aims to help the region’s agricultural entrepreneurs get the…

Food Action's 100 Mile Diet Challenge (2010) Would you call yourself a ‘locavore’? What does ‘local food’ mean to you? Is it food grown and processed in BC, or perhaps in the Okanagan? Maybe ‘local’ means closer to home still, from the North Okanagan. For many, this year especially, local looks like buying meat and vegetables from the farmer down the road, and harvesting from your own garden.  2020 has brought unprecedented challenges due to a global pandemic that is shining a spotlight on our food system and inspiring people to look at where our food comes from. This year also marks the 15th anniversary of the 100 Mile Diet—a movement inspired by a simple idea, as written about by authors J.B. MacKinnon and Alisa Smith, who for one year…

As talk of ‘recovery’ begins, many are curious to know how the agriculture sector has been impacted by COVID. In a presentation to the City of Vernon Economic Development Advisory Committee last week, Land to Table was able to share some of what we are hearing from small-medium scale producers and processors. This included:   Local, small-scale meat producer sales, direct to consumers can’t keep up with demand.Farmers' market sales are unpredictable this year, perhaps due to weather or because many are growing their own food. Those who have suffered the most include farms or processors with the majority or all sales at farmers' markets but also those who have a high number of sales to restaurants.Some small businesses were able to take the time during the lock down to innovate…

To the Women - Farmers, Food System Educators and Advocates: Hi! I know some of you well and some I am just getting to know through Land to Table and during chats at farmers markets (yes, I am still sneaking conversation in as a walk through the taped off lines of the Covid conscious markets). I am not a farmer but have budding dreams of growing food for my community. For now, I am happy to help make connections and promote cross-sector collaboration as an important piece of building a more resilient regional food system. I wanted to take a moment to share an article that comes from rural Wisconsin. It's called Rhubarb and Resilience – Women Share Inspiration. I was moved by the community-building-through-food that this group of women…