Friday, December 31, 2004
Dining Resources / Vancouver Island, BC
Organic Food Directory
VICTORIA, BC, Dec. 2004 (EcoNews) - In case you were planning to eat anything over the holidays, LifeCycles has published an incredible on-line Good Food Directory for Vancouver Island, including everything from meats and produce to ice cream and candy. The Directory is organized so that you can find who is producing organic produce, free range eggs, pasture fed and antibiotic free beef, etc. It also lists restaurants, bakeries, caterers, grocers, breweries and brown box programs that sell locally grown good food. For added fun, it shows how much you will reduce your greenhouse gas emissions when you shift to locally grown food. See http://www.lifecyclesproject.ca/food_directory.
Organic Food Directory
VICTORIA, BC, Dec. 2004 (EcoNews) - In case you were planning to eat anything over the holidays, LifeCycles has published an incredible on-line Good Food Directory for Vancouver Island, including everything from meats and produce to ice cream and candy. The Directory is organized so that you can find who is producing organic produce, free range eggs, pasture fed and antibiotic free beef, etc. It also lists restaurants, bakeries, caterers, grocers, breweries and brown box programs that sell locally grown good food. For added fun, it shows how much you will reduce your greenhouse gas emissions when you shift to locally grown food. See http://www.lifecyclesproject.ca/food_directory.
Government Tools & Resources / Research
Value-Added Agriculture: A Senate Report
VANCOUVER ISLAND, Dec. 2004 (SSFPA) - The Senate's Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry met during 2003-2004 to discuss the importance of adding value to Canada's agricultural products. The Committee's report encourages assistance to the organic sector and to farmer-owned processing enterprises, including co-operatives. http://www.ssfpa.net/documents/pdf/senate_report_value_adding_2004.pdf.
Value-Added Agriculture: A Senate Report
VANCOUVER ISLAND, Dec. 2004 (SSFPA) - The Senate's Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry met during 2003-2004 to discuss the importance of adding value to Canada's agricultural products. The Committee's report encourages assistance to the organic sector and to farmer-owned processing enterprises, including co-operatives. http://www.ssfpa.net/documents/pdf/senate_report_value_adding_2004.pdf.
Training / Farm Funding
Announcement on the Canadian Agricultural Skills Services (CASS)
VANCOUVER ISLAND, Dec. 2004 (SSFPA) - This program could make a real difference to some rural families in Canada. The purpose of the CASS initiative is to help farmers and their spouses increase their family income through improved farm practices OR through increased off-farm income. Assistance will be provided for qualified individuals to receive training in areas such as business management, accounting, finance, human resource management; training for other employment; or training to acquire skills for starting a new business. Financial support such as tuition fees for courses, textbooks and travel while attending training away from home will be provided for eligible clients with an approved Individual Learning Plan. Farm families with a net income of $45,000 or less are eligible to apply. Visit the CASS web site to learn about funding levels. The start-up date hasn't yet been announced, so check the web site again for further updates. http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/apf/index_e.php?section=ren&group=docu&page=cass.
Announcement on the Canadian Agricultural Skills Services (CASS)
VANCOUVER ISLAND, Dec. 2004 (SSFPA) - This program could make a real difference to some rural families in Canada. The purpose of the CASS initiative is to help farmers and their spouses increase their family income through improved farm practices OR through increased off-farm income. Assistance will be provided for qualified individuals to receive training in areas such as business management, accounting, finance, human resource management; training for other employment; or training to acquire skills for starting a new business. Financial support such as tuition fees for courses, textbooks and travel while attending training away from home will be provided for eligible clients with an approved Individual Learning Plan. Farm families with a net income of $45,000 or less are eligible to apply. Visit the CASS web site to learn about funding levels. The start-up date hasn't yet been announced, so check the web site again for further updates. http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/apf/index_e.php?section=ren&group=docu&page=cass.
Grassroots Organizing / Food Funding
Small Scale Food Processor Financing
VANCOUVER ISLAND, Dec. 2004 (SSFPA) - To deal with (financial) challenges (for small and sustainable farms) here (on Vancouver Island) the Small Scale Food Processor Association is working with Coast Capital Savings Credit Union to develop a program that will help fill in the financing gaps for our members. Any SSFPA member wishing more information should contact Frank Moreland of SSFPA.
Small Scale Food Processor Financing
VANCOUVER ISLAND, Dec. 2004 (SSFPA) - To deal with (financial) challenges (for small and sustainable farms) here (on Vancouver Island) the Small Scale Food Processor Association is working with Coast Capital Savings Credit Union to develop a program that will help fill in the financing gaps for our members. Any SSFPA member wishing more information should contact Frank Moreland of SSFPA.
