Annual Report 2012
A Word from the Chair ››
Lisa Matthaus
In 2012, Fernwood NRG’s Board of Directors set a new strategic direction for the organization focused on food and food production.
O
ver our more than 30-year history, Fernwood NRG has expanded from a long-time focus on childcare and programming at the Fernwood Community Centre to playing a central role in the economic and social revitalization of the heart of Fernwood. As well, Fernwood NRG now provides affordable family housing through our 10 units in the Cornerstone Building and Park Place. In the spring of 2011, we held our second Neighbourhood Visioning Forum which was attended by 140 people from the neighbourhood including a number of groups active in the neighbourhood. We spent the day in dialogue to determine our collective priorities for the future. Both
affordable housing and food security rose as key priorities. While record high property prices and less grant availability from both government and foundations makes this a risky time to pursue property development for affordable housing (though we’re always watching for opportunities!), we see lots of ways to start advancing food security in Fernwood. What is food security? Ultimately, real food security means that we have the capacity to sustain ourselves indefinitely with food we have grown, stored and prepared ourselves—not each of us as individuals, but at a larger regional scale. There are many in the Capital Region who are bringing a much greater emphasis on food and food security to the popular
consciousness. In 2012, Fernwood NRG’s Centre at 1240 Gladstone Avenue. We Board of Directors set a new strategic also secured generous support from various direction for the organization focused on funders to develop related initiatives for food and food production. Part of our the coming year, including a survey of vision for the neighbourhood in the next Fernwood residents’ food security needs and interests, an five years is to scale inventory of land in up that production. We want to see the neighbourhood We want to see food food growing potentially available growing everywhere, for growing food, and to celebrate everywhere, and and presentations what can be grown to celebrate what and workshops with and produced in can be grown and a number of partners. the city. We want To see more about Fernwood to become produced in the these and other known as “the food city. projects planned or neighbourhood,” in the idea-phase for where there is an emphasis on producing our own food and the coming year, go to http://fernwoodjoyously consuming it. nrg.ca/fernwood-nrg-programs/urbanAlready, in 2012, we brought the Good sustainability/food-security/ and watch Food Box into our organization, and we the Village Vibs. now deliver roughly 250 boxes of food I would like to take this opportunity every two weeks to families across the to say thank you to my colleagues on the region. And later in the year, we announced Board, our dedicated staff and committed that we will be planting an orchard and volunteers, our funders, and all of our garden in the Spring of 2013 in the lands many supporters in the neighbourhood adjacent to the Fernwood Community and beyond for a productive 2012! 2012 Annual Report
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