1/
2/
ENGAGEMENT
3/
EDUCATION
4/
FOOD PRODUCTION
APPLIED SUSTAINABILITY
An inviting space for community
A living learning environment,
An authentic context for
From the use of waste wood for
members of all ages to have healthy
offering integrated training and
individuals to engage in training
biomass heat and harnessing solar
food experience, build skills, combat
learning programs aimed at
with a focus on food production,
electricity, the Food Discovery Centre
social isolation, access a variety of
increasing skills, knowledge and
employment skills and a hands-
is a place to experience and advance
other supports and connect with
behavior change around healthy
on experience with the roots of
hands-on applied sustainability at a
each other over good food.
food.
the food system.
community level.
Community
Feasibility Study
Greenhouse NOVEMBER 2015
Summary
KAYAK BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
A Food Discovery Centre A year-‐round greenhouse, seasonal gardens, a food preparation and processing kitchen, retail space, training space and sustainable energy systems
SASKATOON is a rapidly changing city.
access to healthy food. This is especially
of whom are children. At the same time,
According to Statistics Canada, Saskatoon
evident at the Saskatoon Food Bank and
there is a growing understanding of the role
increased in population from 270,200 to
Learning Centre (SFBLC), where the number of
of food in building healthy, resilient
300,600 in 2014, -‐ one of the largest growth
Saskatoon` residents forced to rely on
communities and a recognition of the
rates in Canada. Many people are surprised to
emergency food hampers has grown to over
opportunities for change when a community
learn
16000 requests for food a month. Almost half
comes together over good food.
that
food
insecurity
exists
in
Saskatchewan communities, a province with a rich legacy of food production. Despite the wealth of food produced and current economic growth, an increasing number of people in our province do not have safe and consistent
>> CONT. PAGE TWO
Discovery Centre invites community “ Ato Food come together around food production, preparation and knowledge.
”
>> READ THE FULL REPORT ONLINE AT WWW.SASKATOONFOODBANK.ORG
Food Discovery
>> CONT. FROM PAGE ONE
1 in 6
are Food Insecure * Tarasuk et al, 2014
For the past year, the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre has explored the feasibility of developing a community greenhouse centre to achieve its goal of
SFBLC Emergency Food Hamper Usage 33750
194 831 Requests For Food / Year
improving food security. The facility consists
Children
of a year-‐round greenhouse, seasonal
Adults
27000 20250 13500 6750 0
gardens, a food preparation and processing kitchen, and a retail space, developed with an eye towards applied sustainability and renewable energy. The community
* from April 2014 to March 2015 at the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre
2008 2010 2012 2014 * Hunger Count, Food Banks Canada, 2015
greenhouse centre would be attached to a back-‐bone facility that for the purpose of this study is assumed to be the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre. Throughout the
“
Food bank usage in Saskatchewan grew by 50% between 2008 and 2013, and 19.4% from 2013 to 2014, much higher than the national average.
feasibility study this community greenhouse centre facility is referenced as a Food
Children in Canada
”
As food security organizations around the world
a 6000 sq. foot greenhouse, two classrooms,
continue to evolve and operate programs that
commercial kitchen and social enterprise space.
take a more systemic approach to addressing
The focus of operations is engagement,
hunger, the challenge lies in ensuring these
education, food production and applied
programs are not in isolation to key programs,
sustainability, working to increase skills,
such as food distribution, or become add-‐ons.
knowledge and behaviors around healthy food.
A Food Discovery model provides a venue for
The centre would draw on a range of community
Prepare food in a facility that meets food safety standards with potential for additional food training programs
integration and cross-‐pollination of mutually re-‐
food system resources, inviting the participation
enforcing programs and activities, while providing
of many individuals and sectors, to promote
increased opportunities for applied learning. The
solutions that increase food security and build
Access work placement opportunities within a greenhouse setting
Food Discovery Centre is a complex that includes
the health and well being of our community.
Discovery Centre and provides the context for community members to: Learn how to grow their own nutritious food, with this learning opportunity available year round Engage in training programs to learn food production and employment skills
Access programs on nutrition and entrepreneurial training
The Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning
Centre commissioned a study with financial support from the Agricultural Council of Saskatchewan to explore the feasibility of a Community Greenhouse in Saskatoon. While the study was undertaken to first consider the ‘Food Discovery Centre’ as an independent organization, it was quickly evident that there were numerous synergies that could be realized through partnerships and colocating with a back-bone organization. The study acknowledged that feasibility for an organization providing social good is generally measured differently than that of a for-profit organization; however, the study revealed that through the use of alternative sources of revenue the facility could be largely self-sufficient.
2
* Hunger Count, Food Banks Canada, 2015
C o m m u n i t y G r e e n h o u s e
vs
C o m m e r c i a l G r e e n h o u s e
A community greenhouse with a focus on ‘growing community’ is significantly different than a commercial greenhouse with a focus on maximum production and profit. Production is selected based on
Production is selected based on
relevance to training and participants’
maximum yield and revenue
interests
potential
Access to community members to
Access is limited to production
see, learn and participate throughout
workers to manage production
the year
risks
ACCESS
Priorities are training, accessibility,
Priorities are food production,
engagement and maximum
managing risks and maximum
participation
revenue
PRIORITIES
>> READ THE FULL REPORT ONLINE AT WWW.SASKATOONFOODBANK.ORG
One of the goals of this feasibility study was to determine if the Food Discovery Centre would be an
Elements of a Food Discovery Centre
appropriate model for remote northern communities to replicate as they work to address food insecurity issues in their communities. The Food Discovery Centre could serve as a pilot project and would be a valuable resource for northern communities in their efforts to improve food security. The
Food Discovery Centre (FDC) could become a demonstration site and could also be used as a training site for communities wishing to replicate the facility in another location.
Programs and activities in the centre create
Advance Innovation
opportunities for community members to
I n E n e r g y , I n A c c e s s i b i l i t y , In Partnership
increase their knowledge and skills related to food production, selection, preparation and hands on experiences in an authentic supportive
1
learning environment.
A 6000 SQUARE FT GREENHOUSE providing: year round green space and year round training, produce for emergency food hampers, a place to start seedlings for seasonal gardens, source of ingredients for
Community
food preparation programs.
Sustainability
2 3
SEASON GARDENS for outdoor education, Growing
community plots and hands on experience Learning
FOOD SYSTEM FOOD ACCESS FOOD KNOWLEDGE
directly relevant to what a new home gardener would require. COMMERCIAL
GRADE
KITCHEN
where
healthy food would be produced as well as
Welcome
providing space for training programs focused on healthy food preparation and selection.
We’re Growing Something Big!
4 5 6 7
CLASSROOM, OFFICE and MEETING ROOM spaces for use by programs as well as available
for
rent
to
community
organizations, businesses and other groups.
Energy from the Sun Heat from Waste Wood
SOLAR PV & BIOMASS
The Food Discovery Centre’s design
Food Discovery Centre may be valuable as a pilot their forest resources while contribute to greater
resources. The design capitalizes on the synergies food security in their community. between food production and facilities operations, as outlined under Greenhouse Design (page 4). The facility will also take specific advantage of advancing solar technology: the facility will harness the energy of the sun. Biomass heat will be generated through the re-‐use of waste elm wood, otherwise disposed of in Saskatoon. Surplus energy and heat will provide a revenue source, allowing for the recovery of infrastructure and contributing to ongoing operational costs. This component of the
the greenhouse and kitchen, with training ranging from nutrition to food preparation, to entrepreneurship.
will embrace the emerging trend for northern locations exploring sustainable use of towards renewable and local energy
WORK PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES within
400 $60000 TONNES/YR of waste elm diverted from City of Saskatoon Landfills
GREEN THERAPY would be available to all community members through public access to the community greenhouse, available throughout the year.
THE FOOD DISCOVERY CENTRE could become the hub of a spoke system of community greenhouses where training and
Waste
support was provided centrally from this
disposal
location to other similar facilities.
savings of
EACH YEAR
3
Greenhouse Design
Building Costs. These estimates are of a general nature only and will change depending on type of building, the site selected and
Ideally, the greenhouse would be attached to a backbone facility and should run the entire length of the south-‐facing wall of the main building. This would optimize exposure to sunlight within the greenhouse structure and the construction of the shared wall would
minimize cost.
The planting beds would be terraced up
other related factors. Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment Costs (FF&E). The estimated cost for FF&E will also change with building design and site selection. Two FF&E costs are shown to illustrate two scenarios for the kitchen facility. Option A assumes the kitchen will be the responsibility of the FDC and used as a toll kitchen / community kitchen, etc. Option B assumes the kitchen will be leased and the tenant will assume the costs of equipping the space.
the north wall to orient plants to the
Sustainable Energy Equipment Costs. Vendor quotes were
low angle of the winter sun. The
provided for a 390 kWh biomass heating system and a 150 kWdc
optimum angle of the glazing for winter heat collection is approximately
photovoltaic solar panel system to provide electricity.
15° greater than the latitude at the site. For high latitude sites such as in
NOTE: the table below does not consider the costs associated
Saskatoon, steeper glazing or even vertical glazing may be optimum to
with the requirements of the backbone organization.
intercept the low winter sun.
Building Costs FF&E Costs Sustainable Energy Eqpt. TOTAL CAPITAL COST
A two-‐story attached greenhouse provides more growing space with greater heat stratification in order to provide heat to the building or to charge thermal mass. Among the compelling reasons for a backbone facility to incorporate an attached greenhouse is to reduce energy consumption. Stand-‐alone
… mutually beneficial exchanges,
greenhouses are notorious for tremendous
The operating costs (including those associated with the SFBLC as
energy consumption required for heating, in part due
the backbone organization) are shown below. Status quo illustrates the current SFBLC operations.
to their poor thermal performance; however, joining
reducing the
these two structures would provide for mutually
operating cost
beneficial exchanges, reducing the operating cost of
of the main
the main building. The greenhouse also acts as an
building.
active solar collector, whereby the solar heat
Revenue Expenses Surplus/Deficit
captured by the glazing would be transferred into the attached building through convection or by mechanical means. There are also synergetic exchanges between the plants in the attached greenhouse and the humans occupying the main building. There are obvious advantages to the exchange of oxygen from plants and the exhaled carbon dioxide from humans; the result is better health for humans and better growth for plants. The exchange of humidity and natural light are an added benefit for humans. In addition, research shows that human well-‐being is enhanced with a view of living plants.
Cost
Capital costs for the Food Discovery Centre are estimated at $3.3 million if the kitchen is leased. However, because generated revenues more than offset the cost associated with operating the Food Discovery Centre, there is a small impact to the net operating costs of the back-‐bone organization. The capital costs associated with the proposed Food Discovery Centre were broken down into three main categories: Building Costs, Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment Costs (FF&E), and Sustainable Energy Equipment Costs.
4
Option A Option B $2,368,000 $2,368,000 $38,177 $108,177 $1,034,000 $1,034,000 $3,440,177 $3,510,177
Status Quo Option A Option B $1,809,150 $1,883,120 $1,908,762 $1,738,573 $1,925,808 $1,904,628 $70,577 ($42,688) $4,134
Theory of Change
Food Security
Food Access
Emergency Food Aid
Food Production Knowledge
Food Knowledge
Food Selection Knowledge
Long-‐Term Employment at living wage
Food Preparation Knowledge
Improved Diet
Knowledge / Employment Appreciation skills and of Health Placement Implications
“
Facility / Appropriate Location
Changed Habits and Empower-‐ ment
* A simplified version of the Theory of Change model is presented here. Please see the full report for the unabridged version. Read the full report online at www.saskatoonfoodbank.org.
A gap in knowledge and skills related to production, purchasing and preparing nutritious foods can lead to an intensified experience of food insecurity
”
A Theory of Change model is a valuable tool that helps
organizations identify their key priorities. From there, they are able to work backwards to identify the factors impacting their ability to affect that
Existing Models
key outcome, and finally use that information to focus on a few areas of work that will have the greatest impact. Once the model has been
As part of the research for the feasibility study, visits were
developed, organizations can also use Theory of Change to evaluate their
made to several community food security organizations
effectiveness at implementing change over time. In this model the desired
who have embraced a broader strategy than historical food aid,
long-‐term outcome is Improved Food Security with short-‐term outcomes
integrating community building, sustainability, poverty reduction and
of Access to Food, Food Knowledge, Long-‐Term Employment at Livable
self-‐reliance activities as part of their operations. Below are the
Wage, and Improved Diet. For the SFBLC, the potential for powerful
profiles of a selected few of these organizations:
synergies with a Food Discovery Centre are evident at numerous points in this model. The key to success shown at the bottom is the critical need for a “appropriate-‐sized” facility. A year-‐round greenhouse is required to address Food Production Knowledge on a year-‐round basis and a kitchen is required to expand Food Preparation Knowledge programs.
Growing Power, founded by Will Allen in the United States focuses on knowledge and training. Food produced by the organization is sold to generate revenues to support their on-‐going operations. KOTO (Know One, Teach One) in Vietnam focuses on training, working with disadvantaged youth to provide them with food-‐based
* Hunger Count, Food Banks Canada, 2015
training and skills development to help them secure meaningful long
Community Benefits
term employment.
A Food Discovery Centre is a venue for learning and engagement. The community benefits of a Food Discovery Centre include:
Sole Food Farms in Vancouver trains and employs marginalized workers who help grow food on urban plots in downtown areas. Produce is sold to high-‐end markets and also to food insecure people
A context to bring together a diverse community including clients, staff, funders and volunteers
at a subsidized rate.
︎
A realistic context for learning and skill training programs
The Stop, the flagship for the Community Food Centre model, in
︎
Opportunities to develop new and valuable partnerships for collective impact
Toronto is a food bank model that also provides training on food
︎
Green Therapy and mental health benefits
︎
Opportunities to build food skills related to growing, preparing and consumption of healthy food Opportunities to better understand the connection between nutritious food and health Access to recreation and community which supports healthy habits and behaviors
preparation and nutrition, gardening and community programming. For 25 years, the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre has provided training and education programs and now in its 6th year, the Garden Patch supplies nutritious food for emergency baskets while providing the context for applied learning. It is obvious that there is no single model that works every time. However, each model has a consistent emphasis on education, production and preparation. In order to provide this opportunity with continuity in Saskatchewan, you need a greenhouse.
>> READ THE FULL REPORT ONLINE AT WWW.SASKATOONFOODBANK.ORG
5
Conclusion
To determine whether a community greenhouse is feasible requires a broader lens than a business focused, revenue-‐ based analysis. The social capital that would be contributed
Backbone Organization
Food Banks across the country, including the SFBLC, are evolving beyond emergency food distribution by
recognizing the need for longer-‐term solutions: skills development, training, engagement and connecting
to the community combined with revenue from renewal
members to community resources. There is a great
energy, and rental space show financial and social reasons why this is an attractive venture.
opportunity emerging for food banks: creating shared
The Food Discovery Centre would include a greenhouse,
more deeply.
space for the community to gather, interact and connect
meeting rooms, offices and a kitchen with associated seating
SFBLC is in the process of determining the role that they
/ social enterprise / flex space with a foot print of
will play in a Food Discovery Centre. At the same time,
approximately 12,000 sq ft. The cost to build this as a
they are exploring available sites, initiating and continuing
standalone facility has been estimated at around $3 million,
conversations with potential partners, and planning what
not including the cost of land.
the next steps in this initiative might be.
Co-‐location with a backbone organization would benefit both
The SFBLC has identified their current location as a limiting
organizations through building efficiencies, operational
factor in their ability to offer new and expanded
efficiencies and through synergies in programming. As a
programming that would address their mandate to target
potential backbone organization, the SFBLC has reasons to
the root causes of hunger and poverty. For SFBLC the
consider relocation of its own. A combined facility would
status quo is simply not an option. The Saskatoon
require approximately 2 acres of land, and would cost close to $12 million including the cost of land.
environment is rapidly changing and along with it comes
A Food Discovery Centre would:
donors, and opportunities to take advantage of emerging
Be an public benefit to Saskatoon as a community;
new demands for service, greater expectations from patterns and trends. SFBLC struggles to meet existing
demand in its current form; change of some kind is
build upon existing programs;
necessary and inevitable.
allow the development of innovative partnerships, establish a central location open to everyone for year-‐
For the last 6 years, SFBLC has operated 1 1⁄2 acre urban
round food experience;
farm that produces approximately 20,000 pounds of food
expand knowledge of food systems and food
a year and provides a learning environment for
production, and bring people together over good food. The Food Discovery Centre would serve as a sustainable pilot for the use of alternative energy systems in other civic
community members and schools. A major challenge with an exclusively outdoor growing system is that all programs need to be initiated and completed within the short Saskatchewan growing season of approximately 4 months.
buildings. The combination of food production and biomass
While the Food Discovery Centre could operate
heat in particular could be used as a demonstration site for
independently, this would fail to take advantage of
northern communities looking to manage their natural
substantial opportunities, which could be realized
resources, while contributing to greater food security.
partnering with an organization focused on poverty reduction, food security and food access.
In time, a community greenhouse could become an expected part of every community - a public benefit - not unlike a communityfunded library
Tom Allen Tom.Allen@usask.ca
Trina Schmid Tschmid.dual@gmail.com
Laurie O’Connor Laurie.O@saskatoonfoodbank.org
>> READ THE FULL REPORT ONLINE AT WWW.SASKATOONFOODBANK.ORG
KAYAK BUSINESS SOLUTIONS GROUP S a s k a t o o n , S a s k a t c h e w a n , C a n a d a
Financial support for this project has been provided by the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan Inc. through the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-‐Food Saskatchewan (ACAAFS) program.