PICTURING AN IDEAL FOOD SYSTEM & NEWS GROM THE KAMLOOPS PUBLIC MARKET CO-OP

Network Meeting Summary
November 7, 2018

Secwepemc Word of the Month: Tqeltkúkwpi7 (tal kook pi) = creator

Table Introductions
“What would your perfect food system look like?” (in three words)
* local                            * empowering                 * choice
* stewardship              * regenerative                 * viable
* accessible                  * sustainable                   * variety
* sovereign                  * innovative                     * veggies
* inclusive                   * an honest reflection

Board Update
The Strategic Planning Standing Committee is meeting monthly. They met in October to get things rolling for developing the evaluation rubric — to learn more about what our membership sees as an ideal food system and find ways to measure KFPC’s success in working toward its objectives.

There have been incredible connections made with respect to the Policy Implementation Project through the Real Estate Foundation. Quite a buzz is building around an Indigenous incubator farm/farm school project.

Staff Update
~ The Household Food Insecurity Forum, now known as Nourish, will be held in late March. More details to come soon!
~ The Policy Implementation Project is almost through reviewing the plans they received and will be holding an initial meeting with the collective at the end of November.
~ In addition to 13 harvests, GAP is completing season-end tasks and hosted two seed cleaning workshops for Kamloops Adult Learning Society.
~ Social Enterprise finished processing all of their fruit and ran into a freezer shortage. Thanks to Glenn and JUMP, freezers were located and the fruit awaits it’s final transformation.

Farm to School Update
Farm to School BC Grant Application Available Now!
Do you want to promote food literacy and healthy local food in your/your child’s classroom? Farm to School BC (F2SBC) is offering grants up to $3,500 for new start-up programs and up to $1,000 for previous grant recipients to bring your ideas to life! From school gardens, microgreens and smoothies to tower gardens, farm visits and so much more, F2SBC promotes healthy local food, hands on learning opportunities and connections between schools and communities. To learn more about the Farm to School BC’s Bringing Healthy Local Food to Schools Grants, please check out the grant application and eligibility criteria available here.

The grant applications are due November 19th, 2018.  For questions or further inquiry, please contact Bonnie Klohn, Farm to School Kamloops Region Animator at kamloopsregion@farmtoschoolbc.ca.

Picturing an Ideal Food System as a Path to an Evaluation Rubric
The table introductions got the juices flowing for picturing what an ideal food system looks like — where would we like to be and how do we get there? This session focused on the initial steps of dreaming about where we would like to be. Next steps will help us develop practical guidelines for KFPC Board and Staff. Thank you for contributing to this important step in the growth of KFPC!

If you missed the meeting on November 7, we would still love to hear from you about what your ideal food system would look like. Email info@kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil.com with your input on this. If you’d like, use these seven values we have identified for our food system in Kamloops as inspiration. If you would rather have a conversation about this, please call Robyn McLean at 250.200.0649/250.276.6517.

Community Spotlight – Kamloops Public Market Coop with Daphane Nelson
Stemming from conceptual discussions in the summer of 2017, a group of four people (Dieter Dudy, Greg Lindross, Rick Duggan and Daphane Nelson) came together to form the Kamloops Public Market Coop, which was incorporated in August 2018. Daphane provided an overview of coop models, of which the KPMC is a community service non-profit. Membership structure was also described, with shares being available to individual consumers (1 share at $20), community groups/non-profits (3 shares at $60), and businesses (5 shares at $100).

Recognizing that this project is still at the concept stage, and inspired by the Pybus Market in Wenatchee, WA, the intentions are for the Public Market to run year-round and be open from morning to night. The site location that KPMC is proposing is next to Heritage House by Riverside Park. The plan for a multi-level building, above a parkade, raised much feedback within the group. Concerns were raised about the possibility of infringing on green space, parking conflicts with arrangements already in place for Heritage House, and the immense cost of building new (rather than re-purposing a building like the old Value Village, for example).

Kamloops Public Market Coop is seeking letters of support from community partners and are ultimately aiming for at least 1,000 members. A proposal will be presented to City council and T’Kemlups Band Council in the future.

If you have any questions, you can reach the Kamloops Public Market Coop in the following ways:
kamloopspublicmarket@gmail.com
kamloopspublicmarket.org
@kamloopspublicmarket

Who’s Who
City of Kamloops
Community members
Interior Health
JUMP
KFPC
Kamloops Organics
Kamloops Public Market Coop
Kamloops Regional Farmers’ Market
LEC/My Place Program
Open Door Group: Gardengate
Tapestry Evaluation
Thompson Shuswap Master Gardeners Association
TRU
UBCO

Next Meeting: December 5
5:30 – 7:30 PM
** Starting promptly at 5:30, it will be a continuation of the Ideal Food System discussion followed by a panel discussion with agricultural representatives from dairy, cattle and large-scale vegetables **
Rotating Chair – Kent Fawcett
Set Up – Erica, Teresa
Clean Up – Glenn, Greg