Westside Food Security Collaborative Meeting Minutes

July 20, 2010

Present: Spring Gillard (Chair), Gord McGee (minutes), Ellen Wickburg, Marnie Newell, Dolly
Araquel, Sally Spears (Fruit and veggie deal), Darlene Seto, Dellie Lidyard

Guest: Marnie Newell (SPEC), Darlene Seto (UBC Student)

Regrets: Catherine Leach, Lisa Ross, Diane Ash, Chelsea Calder, Lisa McCune (reassigned)

Pocket Market Report: Gord McGee and Spring Gillard

• Volunteers Dellie and Charlotte have been excellent and without them and their experience
the markets would not be possible

• Sources of produce for sale at the market: no longer able to source from local urban farmers
like Kitsilano Farmer, Jordan’s Southland Farms due to their low yields in the cold and wet
June. We chose to source from UBC Farm, and two Richmond Farms: New Moon Acres Too,
Cherry Lane Farms, Biovia (a wholesale organic supplier and distributor), and a third
Richmond farm which we are no longer using.

• We have held four markets, with between 30 to 50 sales per market. At South Granville
Seniors Centre (SGSC) most of the sales have been to seniors with some ‘under-aged’ buyers
coming in from the street. At our Kitsilano Market we have about 50% of our sales coming
from Seniors (largely those leaving the Kits House Seniors Drop-in program) and 50% from
passersby and those that have heard about the market.

• We underestimated how much time would be required in labour for these markets. There
have been significant challenges in sourcing food and transportation that have led to higher
work hours for both the project manager and coordinator than were anticipated.

• Difference between two markets: Kits is very festive with an interactive community
atmosphere outside, while the SGSC is inside, quiet and not as interactive with the broader
community

• It appears to date that the project is not viable as a standalone social enterprise, the margins
are too low when combined with the small amount of product sold to enable a profit to be
made that would cover the additional management and transportation costs. It would appear
that the pocket market will require grants for future operation

• Social capital is certainly generated through the market in the form of support and interaction
with vulnerable seniors, the development of business relationships and networks between
small-scale local farm producers, community gardeners, seniors, and neighbourhood house
organizers.

• A suggestion was made that perhaps direct produce delivery in the form of a ‘weekly market
box’ could be added on to the pocket market in order to serve those seniors who are isolated,
or immobile. The idea of delivery by volunteers on bikes (youth and adults) was suggested as
a way of cutting down on transportation costs. The idea was well received but Spring pointed
out that for this year the time constraints are too high to make supervising those kinds of
volunteers possible.
• An idea for a Student Research Project was suggested: a student to survey vulnerable,
isolated, or immobile seniors and disabled on the west side to probe further into their levels
of malnourishment, access to nutritious, affordable food and see if they would want delivery
of fresh local, affordable food in the form of a ‘good food box/ fruit and veggies box’ that
could be part of the pocket market work. With potential delivery by bike . This could
potentially build on the existing Fruit & Veggie Deal operating out of Steeves Manor.

(Action item: Gord speak to Spring regarding this project and his contacts and to
report at next meeting in September)
Vouchers: None from South Granville Seniors Centre, or Westside Family place

• Need volunteers for the next 2 markets

Roundtable Updates

Gord McGee:

• Hired to coordinate Greenest City Grant. Update on role in developing ‘urban growers
market’ at Kits house for local backyard growers, community and urban farmers, to sell,
trade, donate their produce and to serve as a venue for garden tours, food workshops and
entertainment. Also a project focussing around food recovery and connecting up groups who
are making food available with groups who are in need of food donation. This project will
include: knowing what food is available and how to distribute it, who needs it and how to get
it

Marnie Newell:

• SPEC has food committee to support food security around the city. Main area is developing
organic gardens in schools. Focus is on supporting the kids to learn about how to grow food,
and where it comes from, and the issues with commercial food operations. (Action item:
Gord to engage with Marnie on how SPEC can participate in and promote Thursday
evening Urban Growers Market).

Dolly:

• Trying to network with as many Kitsilano agencies as possible. She is a homeless outreach
worker for MPA, trying to find housing here on the west side for those who are on welfare,
disability, (the hard to house) they’re trying to get away from the DTES. Maximum rent they
can pay on their welfare is $375. Finding it difficult to obtain housing or even rental rooms
for her clients. Action: Spring to provide contacts to Dolly

Ellen: Westside family place, no update

Darlene:

• Attending Association of Environmental Studies and Science, looking at food policy in the
U.S. Thesis on urban agriculture and ethnicity: Dietary acculturation and alternative food
networks. Potential connection with Tricia Sedgewick with World in the Garden and her
work on multi-cultural agriculture. Also Maximo Morales and the Mayan Garden at UBC
Farm may be good contacts.
Sally:

• Down to just 13 boxes a month, which is difficult for finances. Identified need for delivery
service for the fruit and veggie deal. (Action item: WFSC to help address the issues Fruit
and veggie deal faces. For discussion at September meeting.

Dellie: Requires electronic copy of pocket market ad (Action item: Spring to provide)

Spring:

• SPARC BC is trying to determine cost of eating for seniors. Anyone knowing of specific data
on this segment of the population contact Spring. Potential Student Project.

Closing:

No meeting in August, therefore next meeting is September 21st. Tour of City Farm Boy
garden will have to happen in the fall

Summary of Action Items (Due for next meeting in September)

1. Gord speak to Spring regarding student research project on Seniors and disabled on west side
and their level of interest in food box delivery. Gord’s contacts at UBC/Kwantlen

2. Gord to engage with Marnie on how SPEC can participate in and promote Thursday evening
Urban Growers Market.

3. Spring to provide contacts to Dolly

4. WFSC to help address the issues Fruit and veggie deal faces. Discussion at next meeting.

5. Spring to provide Dellie with an electronic copy of pocket market