Carolyn Herriot

Community Food Security is the name for a system dedicated to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food to all people at all times. It seeks to develop self-reliance among communities in obtaining their food and to create a system of growing, manufacturing, processing, making available and selling food that is grounded in the principles of justice, democracy and sustainability. Here is a list of some great local examples:

BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation – Part of the ActNow BC initiative to encourage healthy choices by all British Columbians, the foundation provides fresh fruits and veggies to 57,000 children in 164 different schools.
www.aitc.ca/bc/snacks/

This Island’s Chef Collaborative – By featuring locally produced foodstuffs on their menus, the ICC increases consumer awareness and educates about the ecological and economic benefits of buying locally.
www.iccbc.ca/public/index.html

The Lifecycles Fruit Tree Project – The Fruit Tree Project harvests fruit from private trees that would otherwise go to waste that is then distributed among homeowners, volunteers, food banks and community organizations within Victoria.
www.lifecyclesproject.ca/initiatives/fruit_tree/

FoodRoots – Working with farmers, processors and retailers, FoodRoots gathers produce and products from local farmers and processors and makes them available to the community through Pocket Markets.
http://www.foodroots.ca/

SPIN Farming – Small Plot Intensive Farming (SPIN) is a non-technical and inexpensive farming system that makes it possible to earn significant income from land bases under an acre in size.
www.spinfarming.com/

P-Patch Community Gardens – P-Patch Trust, a nonprofit organization, offers 2500 plots, which serve more than 6000 Seattle gardeners on 23 acres of land. They supply seven to 10 tons of produce to local food banks each year.
www.ppatchtrust.org

Strengthening Farming Program – The program’s tries to foster awareness between the BC government and the farm and ranching community and to improve land use compatibility between farm and non-farm uses
www.agf.gov.bc.ca/resmgmt/sf/about.htm

Smart Growth BC – Smart Growth BC is a non-governmental organization devoted to fiscally, socially and environmentally responsible land use and development with an emphasis on priority on infill, redevelopment and green space protection.
www.smartgrowth.bc.ca/

Island Direct Farm Marketing Association – This organization provides a guide to farms and farm fresh products in Greater Victoria, the Gulf Islands and the surrounding area.
www.islandfarmfresh.com/

BC Seed Security Project – The BC Seed Security Project is dedicated to providing information on organically grown vegetable, flower and herb seeds in British Columbia.
www.bcseeds.org/

Stewards of Irreplaceable Land – Established in 1989 as a non-profit organization, SOIL links Canadian farmers willing to take on and train apprentices with folks wanting to work and learn on organic farms using sustainable practices.
www.soilapprenticeships.org/

Slow Food – Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic, member-supported organization founded in 1989 to counteract fast food, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
www.slowfoodvancouver.com/

FarmFolk/CityFolk – This non-profit society works urband and rural dwellers to cultivate a local sustainable food system.
www.ffcf.bc.ca/

100-Mile Diet – On the first day of spring in 2005, two Vancouverites chose, for one year, to buy or gather their food from within 100-mile radius of their apartment. The experiment unexpectedly turned into an international movement and a website was created for “100-milers” to exchange ideas and develop campaigns.
100milediet.org/

Seed and Plant Sanctuary for Canada – This charitable organization is dedicated to the preservation of heritage seeds and maintains a database for all edible, medicinal and useful crops that can be grown in Canada.
www.seedsanctuary.com/

City Farmer – In 1994, City Farmer started first website on the Internet promoting urban farming. Their pride and joy, the Vancouver Compost Demonstration Garden, can be enjoyed at 2150 Maple Street in Kitsilano.
www.cityfarmer.org/

Carolyn Herriot is author of A Year on the Garden Path, which talks you through growing food year-round and seed saving. www.earthfuture.com/gardenpath/ 
Check out the weekly progress of The New Victory Garden in Victoria by following Carolyn's blog on www.gardenwise.ca