2013 growth report
growing community
contents 1
welcome
2
our volunteers
3
staff profile: christine hardie
4
staff profile: gavin wright
5
loutet farm
6
learning at loutet
7
staff profile: jason mertz
8
fed up!
Growth Report | 2013 Edition
10
nourishing our community: the food hub
13
a strata sharing garden
14
advancing food policy
15
staff profile: kristi tatebe
16
staff profile: emily jubenvill
17
governance and financials
18
facts and figures
19
donors and sponsors
Editor: Keira McPhee Writers: Emily Jubenvill, Kristi Tatebe, Christine Hardie, Gavin Wright, Jason Mertz Design Guru: Thanks to Sandra Hansen Design for the EGP logo and colour palette Photo Credits: Rachel Brayshaw (covers); Oliver Harden (staff portraits); Emily Jubenvill; Gavin Wright; Stephanie Imhoff; Kristi Tatebe
welcome Welcome! 2013 was another incredible year of growth and skillfully leading the EGP. We also welcomed three incredible new people to our staff (you can meet them at the Edible Garden Project: on pages 3, 7, and 15). • Our gardens swelled to 1 acre of land, growing Together we are committed to bring diverse partners to 13,100 lbs of fresh healthy produce. • 3,500 students, volunteers and community the table, to address the root issues of food insecurity members contributed enthusiasm, knowledge, and and to continue to work with you to create a stronger, caring and more resilient community. 4000 hours of their time. • Loutet Farm, our social enterprise, generated over $32,000 of revenue this year, while growing as a The time, energy, and imagination you share inspires community and learning hub. us everyday in this work. The Edible Garden Project • Fed UP, our elementary school program, provided is a generous community of volunteers, farmers, over 500 children, youth and their teachers with local businesses, donors, community members, and municipalities who work together to create a more just hands-on learning experiences in the garden. and healthy community food system. 2013 also brought a lot of change to our staff team, which makes me all the more proud of what we We hope you enjoy our look back on the accomplished together. I stepped into the Manager accomplishments and learnings of the 2013 growing role after serving for four years as the Community season, and we look forward to seeing more of you in Coordinator, when Heather Johnstone left for new the months ahead. adventures in Ontario, after 7 years of enthusiastically
Emily Jubenvill
Manager, Edible Garden Project North Shore Neighbourhood House 1
our volunteers The EGP owes its success to the many volunteers who give their time, expertise, and enthusiasm. A huge thank-you to everyone who has helped us grow food for our community this year. We couldn’t do it without you!
2013 volunteer awards Every year, we award garden gnome trophies to volunteers who really outdid themselves in their contributions. This year’s gnome recipients were: • Cathy & Randy for their dedication and stellar work with children in the Fed Up program and intergenerational gardens. • Melissa for her dedication to Loutet Farm, helping out every weekend since it was established. • Stephanie for being involved in every single one of the EGP’s programs. • Christina for being the face of the farm gate sales at Loutet Farm.
learning about gardening and plants
connecting with other
2
giving back to the
community
getting fresh air and exercise
the satisfaction of growing food to help others
like-minded individuals in the community learning to grow from seed to harvest digging in the dirt relieves stress!
“
“
experimenting with interesting food plants
what do you enjoy about volunteering with the EGP?
The great people
the mentorship and expertise offered
christine hardie, community coordinator Christine Hardie was inspired when she stumbled upon Loutet Farm two years ago. She started volunteering with the EGP right away and then completed a practicum in sustainable agriculture at UBC Farm. When she learned the EGP was seeking a new Community Coordinator, it was a perfect fit. “I just love being outside with my hands in the dirt and meeting all these people in my community. I thought, ‘it would be so awesome to work with the team that inspired me in the first place’.” Over the 2013 season, Christine was amazed by the amount of food that the EGP grew and donated. “I couldn’t get over how much food was coming out of the Sharing Gardens. I had been growing on a farm where it’s easier to grow in volume, but I was blown away by how productively we use the space in these little gardens.” Building on her previous work as a diabetes nurse, she’s excited to be a part of the shift towards a healthier, food secure North Shore. “With my background, seeing all these people learning more about healthy fresh food is just so motivating.”
“This is how we make change – it’s about what people are eating, not giving people medication once they’re 3 already sick.”
gavin wright, neighbourhood farmer For Gavin Wright, Loutet Farm’s neighbourhood farmer, the highlights of the year were the successful new internship program, and working with the core group of dedicated volunteers. “It really allowed me to spend more time with our community because I had excellent volunteers to run the farm gate sales.” This was Gavin’s second year at Loutet Farm and it was a spectacular growing season, due to the weather, new hoophouse performance, and more developed soils. Gavin recently moved to the North Shore from Vancouver. “I would very rarely come out and see the farm in the evening from Vancouver, but when I can hop on my bike and be there in 5 minutes – it’s more like actual farming.” “The reason we decided on the title “neighbourhood farmer” for my position is because that is what it feels like: I am the farmer for the Grand Boulevard neighbourhood and assigned with running this fabulous community hub. I get to listen in as shoppers speak about the Loutet community with pride. I get to see local residents taking ownership of the Farm and watching over it. Volunteers tell me about the special feeling at Loutet where friendships are formed instantly. It is an immense pleasure to be a part of!“
4
“All in all, I think the finest crop we have grown at Loutet Farm is the vibrant community.”
loutet farm: a social enterprise Loutet Farm is the EGP’s first social enterprise. It operates like a business, and along with a 5-year goal to be financially self-sustaining, also provides a venue for food education and increases the availability of local, fresh, healthy produce on the North Shore. We are well on our way to meeting our goals! Any future profits will be re-invested into strengthening our educational programs at the farm. Here’s a snapshot of how Loutet Farm is achieving its financial goals as a business while also providing great social programs that enhance our community:
2013 season in numbers: 50 produce sale days average daily sales: highest sales day:
$600
$2037
$26,000 of produce sold average price:
$3.56/lb
$6000 in sales from nonproduce items
7300 lbs of food harvested best seller: salad at
$4782
runner up: carrots at
$2318
500 cubic yards of
waste diverted from the landfill (coir, coffee grounds, manure, grass clippings and leaves)
3 volunteer interns trained
$32,000
Farm revenue: (up from $3,600 in 2011)
All this with minimal vandalism and theft. Thanks neighbours for watching over the farm!
5
setting the roots, growing the shoots: learning at loutet It is beautiful to witness the transformative learning that happens when students of all ages step out of the traditional classroom and begin to use their hands, hearts, & heads. Loutet Farm functions as a halfacre outdoor classroom that is home to a range of educational activities, from structured to informal, including the GardenSmart Workshops, drop-in workbees, volunteer internships, farm tours, events, and elementary school programs. Here is a glimpse of two ways Loutet Farm came alive as an outdoor classroom this year:
our roots: children & youth on the farm
our shoots: volunteer intership at the farm 2013 was year one for our volunteer internship program at Loutet Farm, and it was a resounding success. Our three pioneer interns, Elizabeth, Brittany and Shima experienced a full 8-month growing season, gained confidence with all aspects of urban farming and really took ownership of the farm. We look forward to expanding our internship program, and continuing to “grow the shoots” of farming knowledge and passion in our community.
6
“Can we eat kale today!?” When do kids ever ask for kale? That is the power of learning at Loutet Farm. Every month during the school year, 200 students from Brooksbank Elementary visit the Farm as part of the Fed Up program and learn how to grow food. They experience the change of the seasons and learn the cycle of food production through hands-on activities: planting seeds, searching for worms in our compost and tasting the harvest. Loutet Farm truly serves students as an outdoor classroom where they plant a seed, nurture its growth, and eat and enjoy their harvest.
jason mertz, education coordinator After teaching for many years in the USA, Jason immigrated to Vancouver with his wife in 2009. Now, he’s father to two kids, and many plants. In his first full season as the EGP’s Education Coordinator, Jason has been having a blast with the kids in school gardens and on Loutet Farm. “I’m learning that teachers are as excited and learning just as much as the kids. The administration is excited, the parents are excited and volunteers are excited. It’s great to see.” For 2014, Jason hopes to build on the success of the last year and continue streamlining and refining the Fed Up program to allow for further expansion. In addition, he hopes to make EGP events even more kid-focused and friendly – turning every farm visit into an educational opportunity. Mostly though, he just wants to keep getting kids out into the dirt and excited about food and farming. “I love seeing the kids eat kale and love it- they stuff it in their faces like it was the greatest thing ever– it’s just awesome. It gets me every time.”
“I love getting kids out into the gardens and to see their reactions. To plant that seed of future gardeners & farmers is just exciting.”
7
Fed Up update
randy lewis, fed up volunteer
“Anytime a child realizes that by a small and careful act, such as planting a seed in the ground, that he or she is making a difference- that is HUGE, and lasting. It may be the most useful skill to be learned in an entire school year. Whenever good old dirt is involved, a child remembers.� 8
fed up! Fed Up is growing! In 2013, we added four new schools to our elementary school education program, where students learn about our food system from seed to plate. This means 500 students took part in our monthly food growing lessons in school gardens and at Loutet Farm in 2013. We offered summer day camp educational visits to Loutet Farm and brought an additional 300+ young people out to meet the worms and learn to grow food. With our dedicated group of volunteers, including parents from participating schools, we are able to work with children in small groups. This means children get more time to ask questions, tell stories and try things out. It’s a more satisfying teaching and learning experience for everyone. Thanks volunteers!
9
nourishing our community: the food hub Like many food banks the Greater Vancouver Food Bank started to deliver emergency food to people struggling during the recession in the 1980’s. The North Shore Neighbourhood House has been a Greater Vancouver Food Bank location for over 20 years. We are proud to have been the first location to pilot the their new approach to delivering emergency food. The food bank’s mission is “to empower people to nourish themselves by providing access to healthy food, education and training.” At the Food Hub clients are welcomed into a larger space, have appointment times, choose the items they want, meet staff and volunteers of community organizations, and can sit down to enjoy a bowl of soup or cup of coffee. Gone are the 3-hour line-ups in the rain and pre-selected food hampers.
The Food Hub is about empowerment and accessing healthy food with dignity. For this reason, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank asked the EGP to consider selling our vegetables for the first time. Their rationale was that choosing and paying for your produce is far more empowering than a hand-out. It was a hard decision to make for us and it’s been a transition for both the clients and our volunteers. But after a couple of months we could see it was working: people have a choice, they have access to high quality vegetables and really appreciate their value. We also needed to consider whether we could meet increased demand while maintaining our commitments to our other community partners. This one was easy: Sharing Garden space increased significantly in 2013 and with the addition of two new large gardens we easily met the demand.
ann pentland, food hub volunteer
“I have really enjoyed working at the Food Hub. At first it was quite hard for me. Although we were selling the produce at extremely reasonable prices, so many of the clients could not afford it. After a few weeks, the clients gradually remembered to bring a few dollars with them so they could buy our vegetables. My favorite story was when a woman was debating about how she would spend the little money that she had : “Veggies - cigarettes, veggies cigarettes”. She opted for the veggies! That made my day and made me realize that selling the vegetables was making the clients really value them.” 10
11
before 12
after
an egp first: a strata sharing garden ornamental garden needed to be removed. Resident Ann Hansen advocated to partner with the Edible Garden Project and turn it into a Sharing Garden instead. It took just over a year to navigate the safety, liability and insurance issues before the first seeds were Dedicated and enthusiastic teams of volunteers plant sown. An unbelievable sunny location, the Sailview and tend these gardens and the bounty (over 8 tonnes Garden is highly productive and was able to produce so far) is shared with the people in our community over 645 lbs of produce in it’s first season. that need it most, through our partnerships with the Harvest Project, Greater Vancouver Food Bank, Sage Growing food where people live is a fundamental piece Women’s Transition House, local social housing, and of rebuilding a healthy, just food system. But most of us (53%) of us live in multi-family homes or multi-unit other social service programs. dwellings. Growing Sharing Gardens in the city is a This year we worked with residents at Sailview to start collaborative affair, requiring cooperation between the first Sharing Garden at a strata building on the neighbours, various authorities, stratas or institutions, North Shore. Stratas are a structure of ownership that and advice from lawyers and engineers and sometimes subdivides multi-family buildings into areas of private zoning and other policy changes. ownership with a common area. They are governed by The EGP provides support, resources and our network the BC Strata Property Act. of relationships to help residents navigate the processes When the landscaped area on the roof of their parking and policies required to start new sharing gardens, but garage began to leak, the overgrown shrubs and it is the residents who make it happen- thanks to all at Sailview! Since our very first boulevard veggie patch in 2006, the EGP has grown Sharing Gardens in yards, parks, boulevards, rooftops, and schoolyards in neighbourhoods across the North Shore.
We learned a lot developing the Sailview Garden, and we compiled our learnings into the guide: “Starting a Food Garden: A Resource Guide for Strata Corporations.” This is your go-to guide for developing edible landscapes in the common areas of stratas. Please share widely! See the guide at bit.ly/egpstrata
13
advancing food policy “Sometimes we feel powerless in the face of the national and multinational business aspects of food and agriculture. However, food is clearly a municipal issue. Food is not only about health, nutrition, and food safety, but also food security, affordability, and access,” said Margaret Broughton, chair of the Table Matters Steering Committee and a Community Nutritionist at Vancouver Coastal Health. The Edible Garden Project is a founding member of the Table Matters Network, an open group of people and organizations on the North Shore who are committed to creating a just and sustainable food system. Since 2008 the Table Matters group has worked collaboratively to put food policy “on the table” of our local governments. In 2012 and 2013 Table Matters issued an open invitation to the community to a dinner and dialogue series. Together we envisioned what a healthy and just food system looks like for the North Shore. The result is the North Shore Food Charter: it shares our vision and suggests principles to guide decision making for our municipalities, governing bodies, institutions and businesses.
This past fall Table Matters presented the North Shore Food Charter to the North Shore Congress, comprised of representatives from the five municipalities (City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, District of West Vancouver, Bowen Island and Lion’s Bay), two school districts, Vancouver Coastal Health, Tsleil-watuth and Squamish First Nations, federal MP’s and provincial MLAs. It was incredible exposure for the Food Charter! So far the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, District of West Vancouver, and the North and West Vancouver School Districts have endorsed the charter. Read the charter and stay tuned on how to get involved in local food policy efforts at www.tablematters.ca
Let’s eat our food!
The EGP and Vancouver Coastal Health worked together to develop a new food safety plan this year. This new policy enables childcare centres with gardens to serve the food they grow at snack time. 14
kristi tatebe, communications coordinator Kristi Tatebe is the EGP’s new parttime Communications Coordinator, bringing her organizational, writing, and design skills to her work with the EGP. When she’s not behind the computer, she loves to get out in the garden as much as possible with her 2-year old daughter. Kristi has a Master’s degree in Planning and in her other work she helps BC farmers prepare for the realities of climate change. Her role is to translate complex scientific data into accessible resources and workshops, held across the province. She’s excited to be part of a team advancing urban agriculture. “Urban agriculture reconnects us to where our food comes from, it’s about growing a food culture and economy. Many large scale farmers are recognizing that small-scale, bio-diverse farms are inherently more resilient in times of increasing variability and uncertainty. So we’re also providing a hands-on education and training on what that looks like. The EGP is a very inspiring place to work.”
“Urban agriculture reconnects us to where our food comes from, it’s about growing a food culture and economy.”
15
emily jubenvill, manager In her new role, as EGP’s Program Manager, Emily guides the efforts of EGP’s staff, fundraises and nurtures the partnerships that keep the EGP well-watered and growing. She comes to this role after four years as the EGP’s Community Coordinator. She grew up on the North Shore and after a few years away, is delighted to be back living and working in the community where she has deep roots. For 2014, Emily is excited by the EGP’s public education work, and exposing new people to food security and urban agriculture through public projects like the Schoolyard Market Gardens. “There’s a lot of potential to pique people’s curiosity and shift where their thought goes when they think about food security and urban agriculture.”
“The EGP is really shaped by the people we work with.”
16
financials Our fastest growing sources of revenue are Social Enterprise, followed closely by Donations. Loutet Farm is a social enterprise that meets business goals while providing a hub for community learning and gathering. Donations have increased 600% over the last two years, and North Shore citizens who invest in the EGP
how we’re funded
are directly contributing to the EGP’s resiliency. Thank-you to all of the organizations and individuals that fund and contribute to our work. We are deeply grateful for your investment in a healthier, more engaged and connected community.
our expenses
Total: $222,715.90
governance The North Shore Neighbourhood House (NSNH) is home to the Edible Garden Project. It’s a great fit: the EGP brings a food access and justice lense to the incredible range of NSNH’s programs serving the North Shore community. In 2006 NSNH provided the fledgling EGP with a desk and accounting support and in 2011 we became a core program of the House, governed by the NSNH Board of Directors. The EGP Manager serves as part of the NSNH management team led by Executive Director Lisa Hubbard.
District of North Vancouver, the North Shore Recycling Program (all part of the original community coalition that founded the EGP), as well as representatives from the Harvest Project, Vancity and citizens at large.
Working in an open, consultative and responsive way is the key reason for the EGP’s strength and depth. Our work is shaped by our volunteers in informal conversations in the gardens and at our office. We consult with neighbours, municipal governments, local businesses and organizations at open houses and The EGP’s Advisory Committee meets bi-monthly and is neighbourhood community consultations throughout comprised of staff from Vancouver Coastal Health, the the year.
17
EGP by the numbers: 5800 lbs
in 2013.
of food grown and donated in our Sharing Gardens
8 tonnes donated since 2006. 7300 lbs of food grown & sold at Loutet Farm in 2013.
Over
2013 in numbers: • # of Sharing Gardens: 12 • land in Sharing Gardens: 1/2 acre • # of fresh produce donation stations: 6
tripled • People accessing donated fresh produce: 1120/month • # of fresh produce distribution partners (increased from 500/month)
our growth: 2011-2013 farm revenue
#program participants
$3,600
360
2882
90
1684
2012
$18,000
365
3113
300
2786
2013
$32,000
462
4163
520
3500
2011
18
egp volunteer volunteers hours
# school kids involved
thank you for your generosity! pattypan supporters (< $1000) The Batua Foundation Howard HW Cheng TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Tricia Edgar The Zacks Family Charitable Foundation Alex and Brenda Jamieson The CAT Rental Store Bonnie Kelly Sandra Hansen Design Dianne Kennedy West Coast Seeds Paulette Lacroix Victor Balon Wade Lifton Susan Brennan Jennifer Meilleur ...and thank you to our anonymous donors!
Britney Myers Mike Nassichuk Noella Nykyforuk Louis Peterson Julie Rudd Elizabeth Waddell Robyn Young
acorn supporters (<$10,000)
butternut supporters (<$20,000)
cinderella pumpkin supporters ($20,000+)
19
Contact the Edible Garden Project to find out how you can support us, buy our produce, or get involved.
Cover Image: Rachel Brayshaw
(604) 987-8138 ext.231 info@ediblegardenproject.com
PUBLISHED APRIL 2014