Help keep farmers markets a priority in Vancouver parks
Trout Lake Farmers Market, May 2015. Photo: Kaishin Chu
The Vancouver Park Board is seeking community input on their Local Food Action Plan around how they can contribute to a just and sustainable food system through their network of parks, facilities, programs, and community connections.
Four of our farmers markets – Trout Lake, Kitsilano, Riley Park, and Main St Station – are situated on Vancouver Park Board land and rely on positive partnerships and strategic alignment with them in order to continue to operate. As we’ve seen throughout the COVID-19 crisis, these markets provide critical food access to the community and vital distribution channels for local farms and producers.
The Park Board has played a pivotal role in keeping farmers markets open throughout the pandemic and deserve our thanks for their hard work. As farmers market supporters, we encourage you to complete the Local Food Action Plan Survey before January 28 to share your appreciation but also to ask Park Board to keep farmers markets a priority in Vancouver parks. More specifically, we are asking our supporters to encourage Park Board to prioritize the following:
- List farmers markets as one of the Local Food Action Plan’s Top 5 Priorities
- List washroom facilities in and around farmers markets as important assets for the Plan to expand on. Currently, many of our markets do not have direct and/or nearby access to washrooms.
- List running water and power at farmers markets sites as important assets for the Plan to expand on. Access to water and power would increase our ability to offer community food programming and education, reduce our vendors’ need for gas-powered generators, and provide a ready source of drinking water for shoppers and vendors. Additionally, these assets could be accessible to a variety of Park users and for other types of events and programming.
Your feedback on the Local Food Action Plan is critical in keeping farmers markets top of mind with Vancouver Park Board for the critical role markets play in a just, sustainable and resilient food system. The deadline for community input is January 28 – more info and a link to the survey can be found at shapeyourcity.ca/local-food-action-plan. Thanks for your support!
