Market News

Local Hero Award
We’re excited to announce that we’ve been chosen by Edible Vancouver Magazine’s readers as an Edible Communities Local Hero in the Non-Profit Category. We’re also very honoured to be in the company of Ethical Bean Coffee, UBC Farm, Andrea Carlsen of Bishop’s Restaurant and our own A Bread Affair. Take a look at this short video montage of the winners and check out the upcoming Spring issue of Edible Vancouver for more details.

Thank you readers for acknowleding our work in the community!

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East Van Location Update
We are proposing to move the East Vancouver Farmers Market from the Main lot of Trout Lake Community Centre to the North Lot of John Hendry Park while the new community centre is built for the 2010 – 2011 seasons. We feel this temporary location provides the continuity and amenities that we need to keep bringing the best of BC to the city and especially the East Van Community that has supported us for over 15 years.

We are currently in the process of conducting a community consultation – residents on the streets that border the north lot and alley behind 13th Avenue have been given leaflets explaining this move and are being asked to provide their feedback to the Park Board prior to the upcoming committee and Park Board meetings. Approval for this move will be given by the Park Board on April 19th.

You Can Help!
We are currently collecting signatures via an online petition. Please include your signature if you are supportive of this move – we have over 900 signatures and are hoping for at least 2000 by the time the Planning and Environment Committee meets on April 8th. We encourage you to email the park board at the address below to also tell them how you feel about keeping the Farmers Market in the park.

If you would like to comment on this plan, please contact Park Board Events at parkevents@vancouver.ca

Vendor News

The Summer of 2010 at Vancouver’s Farmers Markets is shaping up and we’re almost finished scheduling and recruiting vendors for the upcoming market season. This years markets will be full and exciting and will offer something new and something familiar each week. Loads of favourite vendors will be returning and we have a selection of new vendors – high quality crafts, wonderful artisan baking and food products and new and upcoming growers. More information in the April issue of Market Share. Start the countdown until opening day…

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AGM and New Board Members
At our recent AGM, held March 6th, four board members were elected: Pat McCarthy, Will Woods, Kristi Tatebe & Deb Taschuk. Deb is a returning director while Will and Kristi are new to the board. Read more about our all of our board members on our website’s About page.

Heartfelt thanks go out to departing Directors Mel Lehan & Kevin Klippenstein. Mel was instrumental in gathering support for the Kitsilano Farmers Market when it was just beginning and spent almost every Sunday of the his last 3 summers at the market meeting and greeting. Kevin played a valuable role as Treasurer as well as one of our Farm Vendor representatives on the Board.

Next Member Appreciation Day – April 24
The Winter Market Season wraps up with Member Appreciation on April 24. Show your membership card to receive FREE market money transactions and special offers on market merchandise and at select vendors’ stalls. You never know what treats you’ll find on Member Appreciation Day – so come expecting the unexpected.

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Vendors Looking for Market Help
As the summer season approaches, vendors will be looking for help at their market stalls. Check back for more opportunities or email us directly for a list of current postings.

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks is looking for a mature, reliable individual to assist with Markets –
May – October, Saturday & Sundays. Please contact Susan at 250-954-3931 or susan@cheeseworks.ca

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Do you know what a CSF is? Community Supported Fisheries Vendor – Skipper Otto’s Wild BC Salmon – joins us at West End & Main Street this year.
Learn more about the idea of community supported fisheries and agriculture in this article from the Georgia Straights Judith Lane. You’ll also notice a mention of Klippers Organic Acres who are entering their 2nd year of Summer CSA shares after a very successful Winter Share program. ARTICLE

Classes and Events

The Inaugural Welch Community Dialogue presents GROWING OUT OF HUNGER
featuring Will Allen, CEO, Growing Power Community Food Centre, Milwaukee & Chicago

Find out how this former professional basketball player, corporate sales executive and urban farmer is feeding 10,000 people and starting a community food revolution out of his inner-city farms in Milwaukee and Chicago. Winner of the $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship in 2008, Will Allen is transforming the cultivation, production, and delivery of healthy foods to underserved urban populations http://www.growingpower.org/blog/

Thursday, March 25, 7-9pm
Croatian Cultural Centre
3250 Commercial Drive (and 14th)
Vancouver, BC
(Transit: Take the #20 Victoria bus from the Commercial/Broadway skytrain station)

This event is free, however pre-registration is required
Click here to RSVP

Stay tuned for more information on this event as it becomes available at http://www.sfu.ca/dialogue/study+practice/welch+dialogue.html

In partnership with the Real Estate Foundation of BC and SFU Centre for Dialogue (Planning Cities as if Food Matters) Sponsored by the Lis and Bruce Welch Community Award

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The Politics of Food: A Bite Size Course
Eating is a political act. Find out how the food on your plate can affect a farmer half a world away. Through field trips, guest speakers, classroom presentations and discussions, students will explore the entire food system from table top to ground and back again. Covers local food issues and movements and the more complex global ones like genetically modified foods and seed monopolies. Examines the charity model and solutions oriented programs like fair trade to see if they really are fair. Students will leave with a basic understanding of the politics of food and 10 things they can do to strengthen the food system in their neighbourhood. Warning: chocolate and coffee will be consumed!

The Politics of Food (HLTH 1376)
4 wks Sa Apr 10, 17, 24, May 1 9:00-13:00
(16 hours) $399
Instructor: Spring Gillard (bio at compostdiary.com)

To register, call 604-443-8484. Quote: CRN # 20331

Vancouver Community College
Broadway Campus
1155 East Broadway
Switchboard: 604.871.7000

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Gardening Links
Looking to start a garden this year? Want to know which plants do best in our climate or how to start composting? Looking for a Garden show or supplies? Check out these links for references, resources and classes:

Vllage Vancouver: find out about classes running in your neighbourhood to learn about gardening, composting and preserving your harvest.
GardenWise Magazine: always a good resource for gardening resources and techniques
GardeningBC.com: find out about garden shows and events near you!
Gardenworks: a garden centre with lots of great info on their website
Hotbeds: a beginners guide to planting veggies
UBC Botanical Gardens: climate-specific tips and timing for planting a veggie garden

As always, our May and June markets will be a good time to find veggie starts, bedding plants and potted herbs for our home gardens. Its also a great time to talk to the growers and get their tips and tricks for getting the best results from your work. Mark your calendars, our Dig In! Garden Festival is happening on May 29th at the East Vancouver Market location.

Opportunities – Volunteer and Otherwise

Red Fife Wheat by donation

Available in 2.5kg packages and 20kg sacks. Flour and berries by donation to support local farmers attending Terra Madre 2010. Email Joanne (infosfv@slowfoodvancouver.com) to arrange pick up dates.

The wheat was grown by Holly Peterson in Saskatchewan and milled by John at Anita’s Organic Flour Mill in Chilliwack. The flour and milling were donated to Slow Food for this project.
Let us know of your experience baking with the flour and share your recipes with us. We will post them on our site. All proceeds to be used to send a representative to Terra Madre in Italy in October. For further information visit: http://www.slowfoodvancouver.com/index.php/adopt-a-farmer/

Red Fife wheat is Canada’s first Presidium because of its historic significance in the development of Canada’s wheat sector and because of its exceptional flavour and near extinction status. It is also in The Ark of Taste which aims to rediscover, catalog, describe and publicize forgotten flavors. It is a metaphorical recipient of excellent gastronomic products that are threatened by industrial standardization, hygiene laws, the regulations of large-scale distribution and environmental damage. visit http://www.slowfoodfoundation.org/eng/arca/lista.lasso for further information.

Coupon Program’s Funding Comes to a End

Project subsidizing low-income shoppers at farmers’ markets loses funding
Cheryl Rossi, Vancouver Courier
Published: Thursday, March 11, 2010

Before Micheline Kamber attended classes at the Family Enrichment Centre at Hastings Community Centre, the wife and mother of three wasn’t a cook.
But she enjoyed learning the canning and bread-making skills she didn’t learn growing up. “We did potlucks so we learned recipes from each other and the kids got involved making sushi,” Kamber said. The classes were tied to the Farmers’ Market Nutrition and Coupon Project, an initiative of the B.C. Association of Farmer’s Markets. The first of its kind in Canada, the project provided low-income families with children and low-income pregnant women with coupons to buy locally produced fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, dairy products and herbs at farmers’ markets. Read on…