Market Share April 2009

Breaking News! Wednesday Market Relocating

stationst
After several months of consideration and consultation with market vendors, shoppers and City staff, we have been approved to operate a market on Station Street adjacent to Thornton Park on Wednesdays from 3pm - 7pm. Station Street is parallel to Main Street and intersects Terminal Avenue to the south. We are very excited about this new venue and the possibilities that it presents. This location has great transit access - being near several major bus routes and the Main Street skytrain station. There is also ample parking in the area for those driving in.
It is also a crossroads of neighbourhoods - Chinatown, Strathcona, False Creek and Mount Pleasant. We hope that this market can offer commuters coming from all neighbourhoods a convenient, local food shopping experience. We are looking forward to bringing the best of BC to this up-and-coming area of our beautiful city.

The new market will open on June 10th and will run until October 21.
A map of this location: Station Street Wednesday Market

If you have questions about this market, please contact Roberta at roberta@eatlocal.org or call 604-879-3276

Easter Sweets and Springtime Treats

Celebrate the Easter holiday with a meal made from locally-grown and produced food: Spring greens, potatoes, carrots, salmon, shrimp and tuna, poultry, beef, mushrooms, cheese, and artisan bread will all be available direct from the producers at the Winter Farmers Market this weekend.

And…Easter would not be complete without some sweets. Kelly Boyd from “Bad Girl easterhaul Chocolates” will be showcasing her decorated eggs and bunnies made in dark chocolate, as well as her ever so cute lollipops! Each one is hand-poured using a single mold. Come early as they will hop away quickly!

Join us as well for our Easter activities including Easter Egg-stravaganza - an event focusing on local farm fresh eggs, the vendors that produce them and instructions and recipes on how to prepare them. Watch Annett Forcier as she demonstrates how she decorates beautiful eggs. And kids, don’t miss the Easter Craft Table where you can create your own set of Easter bunny ears.

Several vendors will be offering eggs this Saturday: Klippers Organic Acres, Forstbauer Family Farm, Langley Organic Growers and Goat's Pride Dairy (they'll even have some white ones if you'd like some for decorating).

Market News

Meet Market Staff - Alita Parisotto, Operations Assistant
alita If you hear someone laughing the background while shopping at our East Vancouver Market, it very possibly could be Alita, the Market Manager. Alita's sunny personality and ever-present laugh have made her a perfect fit for our busiest market. Alita joined us in 2008 and has since also taken on the role of Operations Assistant for all markets.

Alita is originally from Trail but has been in Vancouver for 4 years. She works at Everything Wine in North Vancouver and loves to share her great knowledge and passion for wine. When she's not working at the market or suggesting wine pairings, she loves to get back to nature - running, hiking and rock climbing. Once is a while, she also enjoys a good night of dancing too.

The dolce de leche brownies from Dessert First are a personal favourite of Alita's and she remarks that the nectarines from The Fruit Guy are the best she's ever had.

You will find Alita at the East Vancouver Market again this season and when asked for an insider's tip about market shopping she would say - "Shop with a smile, it's the only way!" Come say "hi" at the market this summer - that is if you can catch up to her - she might even be able to offer a suggestion for a wine to have with dinner.

Local MLA Donates to Vancouver Farmers Markets
tara_jen Recently Jenn McGinn, Member of Legislative Assembly for Vancouver- Fairview donated a portion of her 2008 salary increase to Vancouver Farmers Markets. Jenn dropped by the market office recently to give us the donation in person. Thank you Jenn for thinking of the Farmers Markets with this gift.

Jenn McGinn and Tara McDonald, Vancouver Farmers Markets' Executive Director

Earth Month Fair and BBQ at Capers/Whole Foods
Thank you to Capers/Whole Foods at Cambie and 16th for donating proceeds from the recent earthmonth Earth Month Fair held outside their store. Vancouver Farmers Markets was very pleased to be asked to participate in this event and to be the recipient of this generour donation. Thanks to everyone who came down to talk and to have lunch with us. We had a great time!

Classes and Events

WEAVING THE CHAINS: Heritage Grains & CSAs
Friday, April 17 (6-9pm, Doors 5:30) Unitarian Church of Vancouver, 949 W 49th Ave (at Oak)

Interested in heritage grains? Growing your own? Buying fresh, local wheat? Join us for a fun, informative evening! Dinner, drinks, a Brian Harris slide show, pedal-powered milling demonstrations, great speakers and more! Learn about Metro Vancouver's new Urban Grain CSA and take some red fife seeds home!
ADVANCE TICKETS ONLY $25 Includes dinner, activities, and seeds! Live music by Token Rhyme. Crannog Ales available for sale. Limited seating. Get your tickets early!
CALL FARMFOLK AT 604.730.0450 www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca
Presented by FarmFolk/CityFolk, Anita's Organic Grain & Flour Mill, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.

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Everett Crowley Park Earth Day - April 25
The public is invited to the biggest and best ever Earth Day celebration at Everett Crowley Park. Located at 64th Avenue and Kerr in Southeast Vancouver. Gates Open at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday 25 April. Come out – Get down & dirty – Dig in – Bring gloves. Learn the “how to” of successful tree planting. It’s all happening rain or shine

----------------------------------------

Mergatroid Building Show - May 2 & 3
Come and experience the works of some of Vancouver's finest artisans at this studio show. Market Vendors Kathleen Murphy and Pro Art Glass are participating along with other talented artists and craftspeople.Mergatroid Building, 975 Vernon Drive, Vancouver
Checkout the event page on Facebook.

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Stone Soup - May 9
Britannia Community Centre presents the 14th annual Stone Soup Food Festival the Britannia plaza - Napier at Commercial Dr . This year's theme Celebrating our Global Food Community recognizes the increasing interdependence and reliance we all face within our global food world. Lots of community food security groups, arts and culture, food vendors, and more.

Fiesta De Las Madres (Mother’s Day Festival)
In honor of our mothers, Stone Soup is partnering with the Multicultural Family Centre and hosting this Latin American Mother’s Day Festival. Latin American dancing and performances, food, and crafts.
Gym D

Buen Provecho! – Cookbook Launch and Photo Exhibit
Buen Provecho! is an intergenerational food project involving Britannia Latin American Youth and elders from the Multicultural Family Center to collect food recipes and stories representing the food stories and traditions of Latin America.
Gym D and Britannia Art Gallery

UBC Farm Presentation
UBC Farm is under threat of redevelopment. This visual presentation will focus on the challenges ahead and opportunities to maintain this very important learning farm in Vancouver
Noon – 1 p.m. Al Mattison Lounge

Robin Wheeler, author of "Food Security for the Faint of Heart"
Robin runs the Sustainable Living Arts School in Roberts Creek, B.C, with her permaculture plant nursery (Edible Landscapes) and medicinal herb gardens. Robin will discuss strategies to build food security in our neighbourhoods.
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Britannia Public Library

The Joy of Raising Urban Backyard Chickens Presentation with Heather Havens
The City of Vancouver recently passed a bylaw allowing urban chicken coops in residential backyards. Heather Havens will share her knowledge of various issues involved in raising backyard chickens.
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Britannia Public Library

Artist works emphasising the themes of food, environment and recycled materials from neighbourhood artists. Works will include jewellery, textiles, collage, ceramics, paintings, stationary, concrete works, photography and more!

Musical Entertainment all day noon - 5pm. Look for local favourites: Carnival Band, Glen Watts, Courageous Mountain Rangers, Pancho and Sal, Trevor and Rowan Whitridge, Too Big To Care Marching Band, and Tambai Marimba.

Miscellaneous Productions presents “POWER”, an interactive performance by culturally diverse youth in collaboration with professionsal artists. 3pm Al Mattison Lounge

Stanley Park Cozy Project. Artist Shirley Wiebe invites you to participate in a collaborative artwork that will be installed along the South Creek Path in Stanley Park. Workshop runs from 12-5pm. Participants will be inscribing vine maple “cookies” that will then take the form of a giant afghan that will be draped over a 10 foot high stump of a Douglas Fir tree.

The Lost and Found Puppet Company with Maggie Winston who will tell the Stone Soup Story. Performance times: 1pm; 1:30pm; 3pm; 3:30pm
----------------------------------------

Rally for Farms and Farmland
Please join us for a major rally in support of agriculture, 1:30 pm, Saturday, April 18, at the BC Legislature in Victoria.
Urgent issues:
--decline of agriculture in BC
--lack of support for local food production
--unaffordable farm land
--vanishing meat processing capacity
--erosion of ALR

Who should be there:
--farmers & their families
--supporters of local food
--restaurants and grocery stores
--members of the public concerned with the decline in agriculture.

We need farms, now farms need us! Mark your calendars! April 18th, 1:30 pm, at the BC Legislature.

For more information, please vist the 2009 Farms, Farmers, and Food Security Rally Blog: http://2009foodsecurityrally.blogspot.com/
Here, you can RSVP for the rally, find rally updates, read more details about the policy changes we want to rally around, and have an opportunity to express the agricultural policy issues that matter the most to you.

Contacts: Jordan Marr: jordan.marr@gmail.com
Tom Henry: tomhenry@smallfarmcanada.ca

----------------------------------------

Genuine Progress Speaker Series
Should we measure how well we're doing by how much we shop?
Five lectures from April - October. Hear Susan Davidson, Member/Owner of Glorious Organics Co-op speak about the Value of Farming in this speaker series that looks at the health of our community and our country from a non-economic perspective. Other topics include the Value of Simplicity & the Value of Eco-Villages. For a complete list, lecture descriptions and location details See the PDF Flyer All lectures are FREE and will take place at the Central Branch of the VPL. Made possible by a grant from Coast Capital Saviings.

----------------------------------------

Community Kitchens Leadership Workshops
During this one-day workshop you will have the opportunity to find out more about community kitchens, different ways a group can work and how you can lead or start a community kitchen.
Upcoming Dates: Choose from one of the following :
Thurs, April 30
Thurs, June 4
Time: 9:30-2:30 pm
Location: Vancouver Food Bank, 1150 Raymur Ave.
Cost: $25.00 for community members & $45 for agency representatives
To register or for more information: Contact Lynn Leong, lynnl@foodbank.bc.ca, 604-876-0659 ext 105

----------------------------------------

Michael Pollan at UBC Farm Fundraising Event - June 6
In partnership with Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks, the UBC Farm is pleased to announce a Saturday afternoon presentation and book signing with award-winning author, Michael Pollan. Vancouver will be Michael's only Canadian city on his book tour for the paperback version of In Defense of Food.

This unique opportunity to meet Michael takes place at UBC Farm on Saturday, June 6 at 1:00 p.m. At this fundraiser for UBC Farm, Michael will share his manifesto of: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." He will also be available to sign copies of In Defense of Food.

This exciting afternoon includes a signed copy of In Defense of Food, guided tours of UBC Farm and live music and entertainment. All are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and a blanket to sit on.

Tickets to this rain or shine event are $45 (includes GST) and are sold exclusively through Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks. The ticket price includes a paperback version of In Defense of Food, and all proceeds from the event will go to support the UBC Farm.

For more information about this and other events, visit Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks website at www.bookstocooks.com. Please call 604-688-6755 to purchase tickets.

Berkeley farmers markets doing away with plastic bags, packaging

By Kristin Bender
Oakland Tribune, 04/07/2009

As part of its "Zero Waste" campaign, the three farmers markets in Berkeley will be eliminating all plastic bags and packaging from their weekly events, making Berkeley the first city in the nation to do so, organizers said.
The goal of the campaign is to remove, reduce and recycle plastic, and to recycle and compost all materials generated at the markets. The markets encourage shoppers to bring their own cloth bags and previously used paper and plastic bags.
Organizers say single-use high-density polyethylene bags pose significant problems to the environment, wildlife, and human health through their production, use, and disposal. They can take from 400 to 1,000 years to break down, and their constituent chemicals remain in the environment long after that, market organizers said. Read on...


April 2009 The Newsletter of Vancouver's Farmers Marketswww.eatlocal.org
At the Market This Month Produce: Apples, Carrots, Chives, Fresh Herbs, Green Onions, Garlic, Potatoes, Quince, Parsnips, Salad Greens (very limited), Mushrooms, Squash, Storage Onions, Frozen berries, & tomatoes Protein and Dairy: Eggs, Goat and Cow's Milk Cheese, Yogurt, Beef, Chicken, Pork, Sablefish, Salmon, Cod, Side Stripe Shrimp, Tuna, Octopus Prepared Foods: Dried Fruit, Fruit Juice, Baked Goods, Honey, Humous, Chutney, Pesto, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Preserves, Chocolates, Olives, Granola, Roasted Coffee, Candy, Bread, Salsa, Seasonings, Maple Syrup, Tea, Brewed Coffee Crafts: cards, prints, jewellery, soap, bodycare Other: Tulips, Paperwhites, Primula You'll find a great guide to the seasonal availability of BC products provided by Get Local . Print your copy own copy and post it on your fridge for quick reference. Winter Farmers Market Dates Only 2 Winter Markets Left! April 11 & 25 The WISE Hall is located at 1882 Adanac St. at the corner or Victoria and Adanac behind the Van East Cultural Centre. The market runs 10am - 2pm each time. Check our website for vendor listings for these markets. Don't Miss Our Monthly Raffles! Our famous raffles continue through the winter at our Winter Farmers Markets - we'll be raffling off a big ol' basket of goodies on the last market of the month for the next 3 months. Tickets are $1 each of 7 for $5 - look for the prize and signs around the market to direct you to the tickets! Thanks for your support! Summer Market Dates Every year we reapply for permits and street closures for our 4 summer markets. Here are this year's dates: East Vancouver - Saturdays, 9am - 2pm May 16 - October 10 West End - Saturdays, 9am - 2pm June 6 - October 24 Kitsilano - Sundays, 10am - 2pm June 7 - October 25 Station St. - Wednesdays, Hours 3pm - 7pm June 10 - October 21 For more details, visit our website at http://www.eatlocal.org/markets.html My Markets News Email Update Find out who'll be at the market so you can plan your shopping trip - visit www.mymarketsnews.com and choose the markets you'd like to receive updates for. All of our Vancouver Farmers Markets are listed. Seasonal Recipe Grilled Cheese & Greens Sandwich with Mushroooms 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup baby spinach or other greens 1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms - oyster are tasty for this - try Richmond Specialty Mushrooms salt and ground black pepper to taste 2 slices bread 1 tablespoon softened butter 2 slices cheese- your favourite - I like Little Qualicum's Rathtrevor DIRECTIONS Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir mushrooms and spinach until mushrooms are tender and spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside. Spread one side of each bread slice with butter. Place one bread slice, buttered side down, into the skillet. Top with the Swiss cheese, then spread the mushroom mixture on top of the cheese. Cover with the second slice of bread, buttered side up. Cook until the sandwich is golden brown on both sides, turning once. Cut in half and serve hot. The Great Apostrophe Debate. This has been a topic of discussion around here for years - we've always left out the apostrophe and looks like others agree... Should there be an apostrophe in the term “farmers market”? The United States Department of Agriculture does not think so. Neither does the University of California or the Washington State Farmers Market Association. In fact, in 2006, the Associated Press Style Book formally determined that the term is correct without an apostrophe. Why? It is a matter of possession. To put an apostrophe before the “s” in “farmer’s market,” like so, suggests one farm owns the market, and we all know that one farm does not a farmers market make. Putting an apostrophe after the “s” as in “farmers’ market” is inaccurate because farmers markets are, with a few exceptions, generally not owned by the farmers, but by the communities that host them. Thus, “farmers market” sans apostrophe is the correct usage, as it accurately portrays a market with multiple farmers, which is, after all, what a farmers market is. While common usage may still often favor the use of an apostrophe, the trend is to remove them. from "Growing for Markets" Special issue Travel Far with Eat Local! Send us a photo of you and your market bag in a far-away place and we'll put it in the next issue of Market Share. This is an ongoing call for photos so send them in whenever you can. Photos can be sent to Jen in the market office either by mail or email (contact info below). Be sure to include where the photo was taken and your full name and address so we can thank you properly! Now get snapping! Newsletter Archives Missed the last issue of Market Share? Want to pull up that great recipe you saw back in August? We've got our newsletter archives online - going back about a year. Your Local Farmers Market Society Your Local Farmers Market Society is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. They are an active board, with many projects on the go. They are: Gigi Egan Andrew Hale Shana Johnstone Kevin Klippenstein Mel Lehan Bob Ransford Amy Robertson Joni Sherman Deb Taschuk You can look forward to learning more about the board and their activities in upcoming issues of Market Share. Follow us on Twitter Get up to the minute updates and behind the scenes info from Market staffers. Our Twitter Name: VanMarkets	Breaking News! Wednesday Market Relocating After several months of consideration and consultation with market vendors, shoppers and City staff, we have been approved to operate a market on Station Street adjacent to Thornton Park on Wednesdays from 3pm - 7pm. Station Street is parallel to Main Street and intersects Terminal Avenue to the south. We are very excited about this new venue and the possibilities that it presents. This location has great transit access - being near several major bus routes and the Main Street skytrain station. There is also ample parking in the area for those driving in. It is also a crossroads of neighbourhoods - Chinatown, Strathcona, False Creek and Mount Pleasant. We hope that this market can offer commuters coming from all neighbourhoods a convenient, local food shopping experience. We are looking forward to bringing the best of BC to this up-and-coming area of our beautiful city. The new market will open on June 10th and will run until October 21. A map of this location: Station Street Wednesday Market If you have questions about this market, please contact Roberta at roberta@eatlocal.org or call 604-879-3276 Easter Sweets and Springtime Treats Celebrate the Easter holiday with a meal made from locally-grown and produced food: Spring greens, potatoes, carrots, salmon, shrimp and tuna, poultry, beef, mushrooms, cheese, and artisan bread will all be available direct from the producers at the Winter Farmers Market this weekend. And…Easter would not be complete without some sweets. Kelly Boyd from “Bad Girl Chocolates” will be showcasing her decorated eggs and bunnies made in dark chocolate, as well as her ever so cute lollipops! Each one is hand-poured using a single mold. Come early as they will hop away quickly! Join us as well for our Easter activities including Easter Egg-stravaganza - an event focusing on local farm fresh eggs, the vendors that produce them and instructions and recipes on how to prepare them. Watch Annett Forcier as she demonstrates how she decorates beautiful eggs. And kids, don’t miss the Easter Craft Table where you can create your own set of Easter bunny ears. Several vendors will be offering eggs this Saturday: Klippers Organic Acres, Forstbauer Family Farm, Langley Organic Growers and Goat's Pride Dairy (they'll even have some white ones if you'd like some for decorating). Market News Meet Market Staff - Alita Parisotto, Operations Assistant If you hear someone laughing the background while shopping at our East Vancouver Market, it very possibly could be Alita, the Market Manager. Alita's sunny personality and ever-present laugh have made her a perfect fit for our busiest market. Alita joined us in 2008 and has since also taken on the role of Operations Assistant for all markets. Alita is originally from Trail but has been in Vancouver for 4 years. She works at Everything Wine in North Vancouver and loves to share her great knowledge and passion for wine. When she's not working at the market or suggesting wine pairings, she loves to get back to nature - running, hiking and rock climbing. Once is a while, she also enjoys a good night of dancing too. The dolce de leche brownies from Dessert First are a personal favourite of Alita's and she remarks that the nectarines from The Fruit Guy are the best she's ever had. You will find Alita at the East Vancouver Market again this season and when asked for an insider's tip about market shopping she would say - "Shop with a smile, it's the only way!" Come say "hi" at the market this summer - that is if you can catch up to her - she might even be able to offer a suggestion for a wine to have with dinner. Local MLA Donates to Vancouver Farmers Markets Recently Jenn McGinn, Member of Legislative Assembly for Vancouver- Fairview donated a portion of her 2008 salary increase to Vancouver Farmers Markets. Jenn dropped by the market office recently to give us the donation in person. Thank you Jenn for thinking of the Farmers Markets with this gift. Jenn McGinn and Tara McDonald, Vancouver Farmers Markets' Executive Director Earth Month Fair and BBQ at Capers/Whole Foods Thank you to Capers/Whole Foods at Cambie and 16th for donating proceeds from the recent Earth Month Fair held outside their store. Vancouver Farmers Markets was very pleased to be asked to participate in this event and to be the recipient of this generour donation. Thanks to everyone who came down to talk and to have lunch with us. We had a great time! Classes and Events WEAVING THE CHAINS: Heritage Grains & CSAs Friday, April 17 (6-9pm, Doors 5:30) Unitarian Church of Vancouver, 949 W 49th Ave (at Oak) Interested in heritage grains? Growing your own? Buying fresh, local wheat? Join us for a fun, informative evening! Dinner, drinks, a Brian Harris slide show, pedal-powered milling demonstrations, great speakers and more! Learn about Metro Vancouver's new Urban Grain CSA and take some red fife seeds home! ADVANCE TICKETS ONLY $25 Includes dinner, activities, and seeds! Live music by Token Rhyme. Crannog Ales available for sale. Limited seating. Get your tickets early! CALL FARMFOLK AT 604.730.0450 www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca Presented by FarmFolk/CityFolk, Anita's Organic Grain & Flour Mill, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. ---------------------------------------- Everett Crowley Park Earth Day - April 25 The public is invited to the biggest and best ever Earth Day celebration at Everett Crowley Park. Located at 64th Avenue and Kerr in Southeast Vancouver. Gates Open at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday 25 April. Come out – Get down & dirty – Dig in – Bring gloves. Learn the “how to” of successful tree planting. It’s all happening rain or shine ---------------------------------------- Mergatroid Building Show - May 2 & 3 Come and experience the works of some of Vancouver's finest artisans at this studio show. Market Vendors Kathleen Murphy and Pro Art Glass are participating along with other talented artists and craftspeople.Mergatroid Building, 975 Vernon Drive, Vancouver Checkout the event page on Facebook. ---------------------------------------- Stone Soup - May 9 Britannia Community Centre presents the 14th annual Stone Soup Food Festival the Britannia plaza - Napier at Commercial Dr . This year's theme Celebrating our Global Food Community recognizes the increasing interdependence and reliance we all face within our global food world. Lots of community food security groups, arts and culture, food vendors, and more. Fiesta De Las Madres (Mother’s Day Festival) In honor of our mothers, Stone Soup is partnering with the Multicultural Family Centre and hosting this Latin American Mother’s Day Festival. Latin American dancing and performances, food, and crafts. Gym D Buen Provecho! – Cookbook Launch and Photo Exhibit Buen Provecho! is an intergenerational food project involving Britannia Latin American Youth and elders from the Multicultural Family Center to collect food recipes and stories representing the food stories and traditions of Latin America. Gym D and Britannia Art Gallery UBC Farm Presentation UBC Farm is under threat of redevelopment. This visual presentation will focus on the challenges ahead and opportunities to maintain this very important learning farm in Vancouver Noon – 1 p.m. Al Mattison Lounge Robin Wheeler, author of "Food Security for the Faint of Heart" Robin runs the Sustainable Living Arts School in Roberts Creek, B.C, with her permaculture plant nursery (Edible Landscapes) and medicinal herb gardens. Robin will discuss strategies to build food security in our neighbourhoods. 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Britannia Public Library The Joy of Raising Urban Backyard Chickens Presentation with Heather Havens The City of Vancouver recently passed a bylaw allowing urban chicken coops in residential backyards. Heather Havens will share her knowledge of various issues involved in raising backyard chickens. 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Britannia Public Library Artist works emphasising the themes of food, environment and recycled materials from neighbourhood artists. Works will include jewellery, textiles, collage, ceramics, paintings, stationary, concrete works, photography and more! Musical Entertainment all day noon - 5pm. Look for local favourites: Carnival Band, Glen Watts, Courageous Mountain Rangers, Pancho and Sal, Trevor and Rowan Whitridge, Too Big To Care Marching Band, and Tambai Marimba. Miscellaneous Productions presents “POWER”, an interactive performance by culturally diverse youth in collaboration with professionsal artists. 3pm Al Mattison Lounge Stanley Park Cozy Project. Artist Shirley Wiebe invites you to participate in a collaborative artwork that will be installed along the South Creek Path in Stanley Park. Workshop runs from 12-5pm. Participants will be inscribing vine maple “cookies” that will then take the form of a giant afghan that will be draped over a 10 foot high stump of a Douglas Fir tree. The Lost and Found Puppet Company with Maggie Winston who will tell the Stone Soup Story. Performance times: 1pm; 1:30pm; 3pm; 3:30pm ---------------------------------------- Rally for Farms and Farmland Please join us for a major rally in support of agriculture, 1:30 pm, Saturday, April 18, at the BC Legislature in Victoria. Urgent issues: --decline of agriculture in BC --lack of support for local food production --unaffordable farm land --vanishing meat processing capacity --erosion of ALR Who should be there: --farmers & their families --supporters of local food --restaurants and grocery stores --members of the public concerned with the decline in agriculture. We need farms, now farms need us! Mark your calendars! April 18th, 1:30 pm, at the BC Legislature. For more information, please vist the 2009 Farms, Farmers, and Food Security Rally Blog: http://2009foodsecurityrally.blogspot.com/ Here, you can RSVP for the rally, find rally updates, read more details about the policy changes we want to rally around, and have an opportunity to express the agricultural policy issues that matter the most to you. Contacts: Jordan Marr: jordan.marr@gmail.com Tom Henry: tomhenry@smallfarmcanada.ca ---------------------------------------- Genuine Progress Speaker Series Should we measure how well we're doing by how much we shop? Five lectures from April - October. Hear Susan Davidson, Member/Owner of Glorious Organics Co-op speak about the Value of Farming in this speaker series that looks at the health of our community and our country from a non-economic perspective. Other topics include the Value of Simplicity & the Value of Eco-Villages. For a complete list, lecture descriptions and location details See the PDF Flyer All lectures are FREE and will take place at the Central Branch of the VPL. Made possible by a grant from Coast Capital Saviings. ---------------------------------------- Community Kitchens Leadership Workshops During this one-day workshop you will have the opportunity to find out more about community kitchens, different ways a group can work and how you can lead or start a community kitchen. Upcoming Dates: Choose from one of the following : Thurs, April 30 Thurs, June 4 Time: 9:30-2:30 pm Location: Vancouver Food Bank, 1150 Raymur Ave. Cost: $25.00 for community members & $45 for agency representatives To register or for more information: Contact Lynn Leong, lynnl@foodbank.bc.ca, 604-876-0659 ext 105 ---------------------------------------- Michael Pollan at UBC Farm Fundraising Event - June 6 In partnership with Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks, the UBC Farm is pleased to announce a Saturday afternoon presentation and book signing with award-winning author, Michael Pollan. Vancouver will be Michael's only Canadian city on his book tour for the paperback version of In Defense of Food. This unique opportunity to meet Michael takes place at UBC Farm on Saturday, June 6 at 1:00 p.m. At this fundraiser for UBC Farm, Michael will share his manifesto of: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." He will also be available to sign copies of In Defense of Food. This exciting afternoon includes a signed copy of In Defense of Food, guided tours of UBC Farm and live music and entertainment. All are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and a blanket to sit on. Tickets to this rain or shine event are $45 (includes GST) and are sold exclusively through Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks. The ticket price includes a paperback version of In Defense of Food, and all proceeds from the event will go to support the UBC Farm. For more information about this and other events, visit Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks website at www.bookstocooks.com. Please call 604-688-6755 to purchase tickets. Read This... Berkeley farmers markets doing away with plastic bags, packaging By Kristin Bender Oakland Tribune, 04/07/2009 As part of its "Zero Waste" campaign, the three farmers markets in Berkeley will be eliminating all plastic bags and packaging from their weekly events, making Berkeley the first city in the nation to do so, organizers said. The goal of the campaign is to remove, reduce and recycle plastic, and to recycle and compost all materials generated at the markets. The markets encourage shoppers to bring their own cloth bags and previously used paper and plastic bags. Organizers say single-use high-density polyethylene bags pose significant problems to the environment, wildlife, and human health through their production, use, and disposal. They can take from 400 to 1,000 years to break down, and their constituent chemicals remain in the environment long after that, market organizers said. Read on...
Vancouver Farmers Markets 1163 Commercial Dr, #2, Vancouver, BC V5L 3X3 Tel. 604-879-FARM (3276) i nfo@eatlocal.org Executive Director, Tara McDonald tara@eatlocal.org Roberta LaQuaglia, Operations Manager roberta@eatlocal.org Jen Pleadwell, Office Manager jen@eatlocal.org Alita Parisotto, Operations Assistant alita@eatlocal.org