Past Projects

C-FEED (Colony Farm Employment & Enterprise Development)

Funded by the VanCity Community Foundation, FF/CF conducted the initial research and developed a draft business plan for a 20-acre farm parcel at Colony Farm. As our partners, PICS (Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society), hold the GVRD lease for this parcel, FF/CF granted the remaining project funds to PICS to complete the business plan.

Multi-functionality of Agricultural Land Project

The Real Estate Foundation of BC has funded FF/CF to produce an Organic Agricultural Plan (OAP) for 160 acres on GVRD Colony Farm Park. The former site of the "Home Farm", the land had been designated for agriculture by the GVRD Land Use Plan. Using permaculture principles, the OAP will promote a triple bottom line: environmental protection, economic viability and community building. MALP is a collaborative effort involving the stakeholders of Colony Farm, community partners, and the public. A design workshop resulted in a clearer understanding regarding the project requirements/process with the GVRD. The results will be made public at the March 12 2004 Growing Green Launch.

Growing Green Food/Agricultural Law Reform

This was a 2-year collaboration with West Coast Environmental Law and The Liu Institute for Global Issues, focused on a multi-disciplinary project to develop sustainable food law and policy reform proposals as they apply to growing food in BC and Canada, particularly southern Vancouver Island. Click here for a complete project description.

Lower Mainland Food Council Action Workshop

In response to the closing, in November 2001, of the Vancouver Food Policy Organization, we hosted a public meeting in December 2002 at UBC School of Social Work to discuss the possibility of creating a Food Policy Council. Wayne Roberts from the Toronto Food Policy Council was our special guest. Folks who attended this meeting have temporarily named themselves the Lower Mainland Food Council. A sub-committee from this group spent the spring of 2003 writing a paper that introduces food policy "Closer to Home: A Recipe for a Community-Based Food Organization" which was presented to attendees at the Food Council's June 12 & 13 Action Workshop in Vancouver. The paper and workshop were made possible with the generous assistance of Health Canada, the Growing Green project, and the Vancouver Agreement Food Task Team. Follow-up reports were prepared for government officials and the City of Vancouver, in December 2003, voted for the creation of 2 Vancouver Food Policy Council positions in 2004 - and congratulations to Devorah Kahn from Your Local Farmers' Market Society as she is Vancouver's first Food Policy Council Coordinator.

Urban Food Network (formerly Lower Mainland Food Coalition)

The participants at the June food council workshop decided to continue their discussions and networking after the workshop. They called themselves the "Lower Mainland Food Coalition" and have now (2005) changed this group name to the Urban Food Network. A listserve has been set up for network members, to subscribe, send an email to urbanfoodnetwork-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Colony Farm - Older Worker's Pilot Project

Partnered with the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) and the BC Society for Sustainable Agriculture, Jobs & Education (SAJE), FarmFolk/CityFolk created a curriculum for a sustainable agricultural training program at Colony Farm. The purpose of this project was to introduce sustainable, organic farming methods to immigrant farm workers.

CBAC (Canadian Biotech Advisory Committee)

Our founder, Herb Barbolet, is again working with CBAC as part of a reference group. The first was a Reference Group to advise on the public consultation process and their research agenda. The second committee is an Exploratory Committee (GM Foods Reference Group) to help organize focus groups to explore the possibility of devising a tool (called an Acceptability Spectrum) for dialogue. The reason the tool is needed is that officially recognized public discourse was stuck on whose science is the correct science and on such claims as "biotech is just an extension of what farmers have always done". This tool has already facilitated the expansion of the dialogue with government and industry into the areas of ethics, social and environmental considerations. Herb Barbolet continues to work with CBAC. http://www.cbac-cccb.ca

Organic Farming Internship Project

Our Organic Farming Internship Project started in the summer of 2001. We partnered five youth with skilled organic farmers in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley (for a period of three months). All interns learned a basic set of organic farming skills and contracted with farmer/instructors to accomplish an individualized set of clearly defined learning goals. FarmFolk/CityFolk helped clarify these learning goals, facilitated positive relationships, and tracked intern learning. Project participants (youth interns and farmers) were also actively involved in a dynamic research process that consisted of creating actual learning experiences while also reflecting on and evaluating those experiences. These one-on-one partnerships provided valuable opportunities for mentorship and mutual learning. The participatory research process helped to highlight many of the issues and challenges associated with teaching organic farming skills. It also highlighted the need to work with other farms throughout the province (especially those who already offer internships and apprenticeships) and educational institutions to develop a more coordinated, regional approach toward training. During the spring of 2002, FarmFolk/CityFolk facilitated a list-serve for folks interested in "Teaching Organic Farming" which created many lively discussions regarding what is currently offered and what is still needed, with regards to training for organic farming. In the summer of 2002, we worked with 2 youth interns.

Roots & Shoots

This project works with immigrant communities to develop organic gardens in the BC Lower Mainland area. Its goals are to enhance food sufficiency/security and access to adequate and culturally appropriate food; foster intercultural connections and literacy skills; revise and record traditional sustainable agriculture knowledge; identify needs for access to land, seed, and knowledge; and provide experience of organic growing. In its successful first year (1998-99) it worked with groups from the Japanese and Latin American communities on land donated by West Coast Seeds in Richmond. In 2000 and 2001 the project worked with Kurdish, Taiwanese, and Mayan groups, whose three gardens were located at a site at the University of British Columbia where the Faculty of Agriculture provided one acre of land on the South Campus Farm. In 2002, UBC determined that, of the three groups, only the Mayan fit their educational mandate. FarmFolk/CityFolk is working with the Taiwanese and Kurdish to locate appropriate farmland for 2005 so Roots & Shoots can continue, as well, we are looking into adding a third culture to the Roots & Shoots project, the Cambodian community.

citiesPLUS

In January 2002, Greater Vancouver embarked on an innovative initiative in Cities Planning for Long-Term Urban Sustainability - or citiesPLUS. As part of an international competition, Greater Vancouver will represent Canada in showing how a large metropolitan area can reach the destination of sustainability over the next 100 years. Our Executive Director, Herb Barbolet, has participates in their Intensive Design Charette as well as co-wrote the (August 2002) citiesPLUS paper.

Downtown Eastside Community Food Mapping Project

During the summer of 2002, in partnership with the Food Providers Coalition, a small number of Downtown Eastside food-service patrons were asked to complete a survey questionnaire through in-person interviews. The interviews were conducted at four of the major free-food services in the area. The survey results will help to assess the ability of the existing food service facilities to meet the identified needs of the growing number of food service patrons. The results will also help to identify the type of food services required in the area in order to increase the health and sense of social well being in the community.

Deconstructing Supper

We hosted the world premier of "Deconstructing Supper" - a film by local filmmaker Marianne Kaplan. Do you wonder where your food comes from? Chef John Bishop travels near and farm, talking with organic farmer, Michael Ableman, as well as biotech firms and women farmers in India...on a quest to deconstruct what is on your dinner plate. (This film also airs January 24/03 on Vision TV). Read about the film and see what VanEats had to say about this inspiring, educational, delicious event.

Hollyhock Sustainable Agriculture

FarmFolk/CityFolk joined organizations from several different fields, including agriculture, environment, health, and social justice in sharing information and assessing the need to promote sustainable agriculture. Groups attending agreed that FarmFolk/CityFolk, appropriately restructured, could lead the way for the "food movement".

Rural/Urban Workshops

A series of workshops throughout the province to build stronger relationships between rural and urban people by raising awareness of farming and food issues.

Community-Based Food Policy (C-Base)

This was the last year of the Community-Based Food Policy project, sponsored by FarmFolk/CityFolk and headed by Cathleen Kneen. Working with 16 communities throughout BC, local food systems were assessed and coalitions were created. An annual food security conference has been established in Sorrento, a listserve and a website have been created for the BC Food Systems Network: http://www.fooddemocracy.org

Secrets from the Farm, Making the Bounty Last

This event, at the Granville Island Public Market, showcased BC farm products with farmer truck sales, cooking & food preserving demonstrations, and information tables. Together with the Market and (the now defunct) BuyBC program, we produced a booklet with advice and tips on food preservation (Secrets from the Farm booklet.)

Eliot Coleman Luncheon - Why Stop in October?

Along with the COABC and BCARA, FarmFolk/CityFolk hosted a slide-show luncheon with guest, Eliot Coleman. Mr. Coleman is a winter farmer from Maine, USA. He shared his knowledge and has inspired many BC farmers who want to participate in a pilot project for winter farming in various areas of our province. The luncheon was catered by Food & Service Resource Group, lead by Chef James Kennedy. The Food & Service Resource Group trains youth-at-risk for careers in the restaurant/culinary fields.

School of Social Work, Community Food Mapping Exercise

FarmFolk/CityFolk hosted this UBC School of Social Work exercise/discussion to map out what our current food system looks like and what an ideal system might look like and how it could function.

Canadian Alert on Genetic Engineering (CAGE)

After helping organize the Big Money/Bad Science Teach-in during November 2000 (A Citizen's Response to Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering), FarmFolk/CityFolk continued their involvement with CAGE raising Canadian awareness of the dangers of genetically modified organisms. http://www.monkeywrenchcafe.org/cage

E-Dialogue on Social Capital

(Royal Roads University) FarmFolk/CityFolk's Executive Director, Herb Barbolet, participated as a panelist. The purpose of this e-dialogue was to explore the relationship between social capital and sustainable development, and specifically how social capital contributes to local, community development. Each day of the dialogue explored one of the following questions: What is social capital? What is the relationship between social capital and sustainable development? Who can build or destroy social capital? http://e-dialogues.royalroads.ca/index.htm

Who Cares?

Our former Executive Director, Herb Barbolet, spent 8 months as a member of the "Who Cares?" Dialogue Group at Simon Fraser University. The purpose of this group was to engage in a series of dialogues concerned with civil society and social obligations.

Building A Sustainable FarmFolk/CityFolk

Robert Bick and Joan Goodhue of Robert Bick & Associates volunteered 3 months of their time, assisting FarmFolk/CityFolk with a new project management/methodology process and the start of a re-organizational structure within the office. Robert Bick & Associates assist businesses and organizations with Process Mapping, Process Improvement, and Project Management. They do their best work when they help you do yours. For information, call 604-264-7812 or email Robert Bick robertbick@robertbick.com.

Vancouver Food Policy Organization

Located in the FarmFolk/CityFolk office, the Vancouver Food Policy Organization was organized by Jennifer Coulson. Jennifer has resigned from the VFPO and is now part of the FarmFolk/CityFolk Board of Directors/Stewardship Team. She is contributing her knowledge and skills towards the larger picture of food security. FarmFolk/CityFolk took on the work of the VFPO - starting with the Downtown Eastside Community Food Mapping Project (Summer 2002) and has now passed it over to the new Vancouver Food Policy Council.

The Potluck Café

The Potluck Café Project is a new initiative of Save Our Living Environment (SOLE) in co-operation with the Portland Hotel Society (PHS), A Loving Spoonful (ALS), Central City Mission Foundation (CCMF), and Farm/Folk City/Folk Society (FFCF). SOLE is a non-profit urban environmental group that works to improve the physical, social and economic environment of Vancouver’s inner city through the development of self-sustaining enterprises that employ local labour and resources. The Potluck Café has introduced affordable, home-style dining in the designated café space on the main floor of the new Portland Hotel. The project will demonstrate how nutrition can be a vital link in the transformation of community life.

BC SPCA Farm Animal Welfare Program

Together with a coalition of agencies including FarmFolk/CityFolk and the University of British Columbia Animal Welfare Department, the BC SPCA has created a set of standards to allow producers who invest extra time and money in humane production methods to identify their products with an "SPCA Certified" sticker.