FOODROOTS NEWS
FoodRoots presents: Growing Connections 2010
Saturday March 13, 8am-4:30pm
FoodRoots invites you to a day of workshops
geared to beginner and small farmers interested
in growing for market. Hear practical advice on
farming from experienced growers in our region.
Presenters include Ruby Commandeur, Dan
Ferguson, Brian Hughes, Heather Stretch,
Candace Thompson, Graham Myers and others.
First Unitarian Church, 5575 West Saanich Road
Registration and lunch $25.00
Reserve your place today!
Email leefuge@pacificcoast.net or call 250-385-7974
Registration deadline: March 10
To view program details, click here (please note that the program is still a work in progress, check back often for updates!). To dowload the conference poster, click here.
Happy Co-op Week! This week, co-ops across Canada celebrate the achievements of the co-op movement. VanCity is hosting a co-op fair at their Blanshard/Broughton location Tuesday from 10-3. The British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies and the Victoria region co-op network invite you to a co-op fair at UVic (Michele Pujol Room, SUB) being held this Friday from 10-5. Come out to both events to see what co-ops are doing in our community.
You might have noticed that the number of pocket markets is diminishing as the season changes. Some of the outdoor markets will run until Oct. 31 (weather permitting). Once the outdoor markets close, you’ll be able to get local and BC organic produce at the Cornerstone Café, UVic and Saturday warehouse markets which will be open over the fall and winter.
Have you joined the Fruit Loop yet? We’ve set the group up on a software system which allows you to visit the FoodRoots site each week to see what’s on offer in bulk produce and other food items (bulk foods; local processed foods; frozen meat, fish and poultry; dairy products) on a pre-order basis for pick up at the warehouse. If you’re interested in participating, please go to the FoodRoots web site at www.foodroots.ca , click on buy from FoodRoots, click on buying group. Password is fruitloop. You can set up your account. Once you’ve done that, we’ll “activate” your account and you’ll be able to order.
This week at the markets, we have lots of Island veggies: beans, beets, cilantro, parsley, cabbage, pumpkins, winter squash, kale, chard, garlic, braising greens, salad mix, potatoes, tomatoes, patti pans, AND fruit – lots of it –from the island and the interior.
Where can you get your fix of tasty, hearty and healthy organic produce (with an island and BC focus)? At the Pocket Markets, of course!!!
- SPIRIT SQUARE (Pandora side): TUESDAY 11:30-4:30
- UVIC STUDENT CENTRE: TUESDAY 11:30-4:30
- FERNWOOD COMMUNITY MARKET: TUESDAY 4:30-7:30 in Fernwood Square
- DOCKSIDE GREEN: SATURDAY 9-1 beside Fol Epi Bakery, 398 Harbour Rd
- WAREHOUSE MARKET: SATURDAY 10-2 at the FoodRoots warehouse, #3, 625 Hillside
- IS THERE A PLACE YOU’D LIKE TO SEE A POCKET MARKET - your office, school, recreation centre, community centre, community garden, public parking lot? Give us a call – we can help you investigate the opportunity.
LEE
PHONE: 250-686-2395
SUSTAINING THE FEASTS
Nothing is currently scheduled.
Would you like to have a feast in November/09 and March/10?
Let us know?
susantych@telus.net
POLITICAL PANEL FARM AND FOOD SECURITY
This event was sponsored in conjunction with CR-FAIR.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2008
FoodRoots OPEN HOUSE A GREAT SUCCESS
We celebrated our new warehouse with a corn roast, ask a farmer booth, childrens vegetable animal creations, music, and food! As Lee says "Wow what a party! Hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did!"
FoodRoots has rented a warehouse space with Share Organics!
In this space we can actualize our vision of a food distribution centre for local produce and processed goods!
We'll begin right away by storing local Jerusalem Artichokes and beets for the markets this January and February!
The facility at 625 Hillside (between Government and Rock Bay) will be the hub of activity for the Pocket Markets. Lee and our staff can hardly wait as working out to the Van has definitely had its challenges!
We are having our first Work Party January 1, 12 noon to 6 PM. We'll be painting so bring your brush, roller and overalls.
Call Susan if you intend to come or just show up for a few hours!
595-6742
POCKET MARKET TOOL KIT LAUNCHED
We have been preparing for quite a while to share our Pocket Market ideas with other folks in the province and beyond. The online guide to having your own Pocket Market is now on the web site. Check it out! Thanks to Van City and VIHA for their financial support of this project!
www.foodroots.ca
FIRST AGM FOR FOODROOTS CO-OP
Sunday January 27 at 2 PM will be the first Annual General Meeting for the Co-op. We will meet at the new facility.
Unit 2/3 625 Hillside (between Government and Rock Bay).
If you would like to joint the co-op you can download the membership form on the web site. Membership fee is $200 for one share and one vote! In order to vote at the AGM you must let us know one month before hand. That is December 27 and is fast approaching. Send your intent by email and we will work out the details.
If you would like to find out more about what is going on please join us. You can sign up at the event, get all the info but just not vote this time around.
Best of the holiday season to all of you. Special thanks to our volunteers who have kept us on track in our first year of service!
HISTORY OF FEASTS SO FAR
FoodRoots Sustainable Feasts will showcase locally grown and locally processed foods.
For the 2007-08 Season tickets will be $30 each. This will make the feasts more sustainable in that we will be able to pay a feast co-ordinator - a huge position previously done by volunteers.
FEASTS December 2007 and February 2008
The December Feast was fabulous! Thanks to all the chefs and farmers. We could not do it without their expertise. We learned why local cranberries are so hard to come by and about growing wheat on the Island and hemp from Saskatchewan. We enjoyed 30 mile bread grown and baked within 30 miles of us!
APRIL MAY AND JUNE FEASTS
Lots of yummy gourmet local foods served up! Thanks to Dwant MacIsaac who made the June BBQ look so wonderful. And it tased great too. Bison Burgers were served along with Portabello and Red Pepper burgers. Spinach Salad, Tabouleh and German Potato Salad. We heard our OUR Ecovillage in Shawnigan Lake and how they feed themselves, guests and delegates to their workshops from their gardens.
We also heard about the Island Organics Festival coming July 5 and 6, 2008 Glendale Gardens, Victoria, BC. Checkout their website
THE 2006-2007 SEASON
The first FoodRoots Sustainable Feast was held in November 2006. It was a sellout event featuring local cheeses and bread, wild salmon, vegertarian and vegan curry, salad greens, Apple Cheesecake and more. Wine was from the Cowichan Valley and beer imported from Esquimalt own Phillip's Brewery. Our second feast December 4 featured wild mushrooms and was another sellout so we decided to do it every month. January however proved difficult as everyone would be cash poor and feasted out. In early December we declared January an un feast month or diet feast! The February Feast was another SELLOUT! Lasagna with local tomatoes (fresh frozen at Providence Farm) and beef from Mayne Island as the main course. Vegetarian and vegan options always available. We learned about our local Madrona Farm and about issue around an imported foods we love - coffee! March Feast featured the Sierra Club and their Seafood Guide. Salmon from Iron Maiden Seafoods was the entre with a fabulous vegetarian and vegan pot pies!
We partenered with SlowFoods for our April feast and featured a Slow Food Cheese Tasting organized by the Vancouver Island Slow Foods Convivium. Vegan appetizer in lieu was Hornby Island Veggie Pate and Quince Paste from Truffles catering made with LifeCycles Treefruit Project Quince! Wild nettle quiche was enjoyed by all in addition to traditional Irish Lamb Stew featuring lamb from FirHill Farm on Pender Island. Roger Foucher from the Cowichan Valley spoke about wild foods and how they can be a part of the food we eat!
In May we enjoyed fabulous organic asparagus fresh from the fields in Cawston. Local natuarally grown was not available. Rhubarb came from Valayara Farm on Mayne Island and was made into a wonderful crisp in combination with our local blueberries! Van City Credit Union presented FoodRoots with a cheque for $7000 to use towards creating a Pocket Market toolkit! We heard from City Harvest about SPIN gardening - using backyards for growing produce for markets.
June Feast was a fabulour BBQ! Local beef, chicken and portabello mushroom burgers, all served with BC organic roasted sweet peppers! Local dilly new potato salad and a fabulous lentil salad with mint!
We were very lucky to have the first local strawberries of the season from Cowichan Valley Organic Farm and Kildara Farm. It was a lovely night with many highlights, especially hearing all about Haliburton Farm an urban farm and farmer training centre on Cordova Bay Ridge.
FoodRoots Distributors Co-op is the proud owner of a refrigerated van!
LINKS
OUR FUNDING SPONSORS
VANCITY
https://www.vancity.com/MyBusiness
VANCOUVER ISLAND HEALTH AUTORITY
VANCOUVER ISLAND FEAST OF FIELDS
OUR COFFEE SPONSOR LEVEL GROUND TRADING
OUR TICKET LOCATION SPONSORS
HEMP & COMPANY
SHIFT NATURAL FASHIONS
http://www.hempandcompany.com/
PLENTY EPICUREAN PANTRY
http://www.epicureanpantry.ca/
SHARE ORGANICS
OUR CHEF SPONSORS - ISLAND CHEF'S COLLABORATIVE (ICC)
http://www.islandchefscollaborative.com/
OUR EDUCATIONAL SPONSOR/PARTNERS - LIFECYCLES PROJECTS
