Monday, February 27, 2006
Stewardship / Community Ownership
Do you care about the future of our farmland?
DUNCAN, BC, Feb. 23, 2006 (TLC) - Help The Land Conservancy create a Community Farm Cooperative to manage and operate Keating Farm near Duncan. This innovative project involves the community in farmland protection and local food production in perpetuity. It will be a model for other communities. We are hosting two community meetings in Victoria to spread the message about the Cooperative. If you are considering supporting Keating Farm by becoming a member-shareholder in the Cooperative, PLEASE DO IT NOW. We only require a signed "Agreement to Purchase" at this point in order to know it will be successful. For a copy of the Agreement, please go to: http://www.conservancy.bc.ca/regioncontent.php?sectionid=173&pageid=646®ionack=vi. Individuals, groups of individuals, businesses, other cooperatives, community or government organisations are eligible. Please SPREAD THE WORD. Co-sponsored by VIPIRG (Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group). For more information about this meeting or Keating Farm email rscott@conservancy.bc.ca or call (250) 479 8301.
Do you care about the future of our farmland?
DUNCAN, BC, Feb. 23, 2006 (TLC) - Help The Land Conservancy create a Community Farm Cooperative to manage and operate Keating Farm near Duncan. This innovative project involves the community in farmland protection and local food production in perpetuity. It will be a model for other communities. We are hosting two community meetings in Victoria to spread the message about the Cooperative. If you are considering supporting Keating Farm by becoming a member-shareholder in the Cooperative, PLEASE DO IT NOW. We only require a signed "Agreement to Purchase" at this point in order to know it will be successful. For a copy of the Agreement, please go to: http://www.conservancy.bc.ca/regioncontent.php?sectionid=173&pageid=646®ionack=vi. Individuals, groups of individuals, businesses, other cooperatives, community or government organisations are eligible. Please SPREAD THE WORD. Co-sponsored by VIPIRG (Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group). For more information about this meeting or Keating Farm email rscott@conservancy.bc.ca or call (250) 479 8301.
Success Stories / Profiles
Rural Agriculture Success Stories – US
WEB Reference, Feb. 2006 (Smart Communities Network - http://www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/rural/sstoc.shtml) - The USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program's Ten Years of SARE profiles people and projects from the last decade of its work. The site includes 10 subject areas--from crop production to natural resource protection--and offers examples of successful projects from around the nation. Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture offers a brief overview of sustainable agriculture and features a number of profiles of farmers pursuing it.
Rural Agriculture Success Stories – US
WEB Reference, Feb. 2006 (Smart Communities Network - http://www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/rural/sstoc.shtml) - The USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program's Ten Years of SARE profiles people and projects from the last decade of its work. The site includes 10 subject areas--from crop production to natural resource protection--and offers examples of successful projects from around the nation. Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture offers a brief overview of sustainable agriculture and features a number of profiles of farmers pursuing it.
Resource / Farm Markets
BC Association of Farmers’ Markets
WEB Reference, Feb. 2006 (BCAFM) - Farmers' markets operate in every type of community across British Columbia: cities, suburbs and rural communities. Markets vary in size and sophistication, from large sheltered public markets to a few farmers with their trucks parked next to each other in a parking lot or farm field. Listings: http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/directory/index.htm.
BC Association of Farmers’ Markets
WEB Reference, Feb. 2006 (BCAFM) - Farmers' markets operate in every type of community across British Columbia: cities, suburbs and rural communities. Markets vary in size and sophistication, from large sheltered public markets to a few farmers with their trucks parked next to each other in a parking lot or farm field. Listings: http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/directory/index.htm.
Events / AgriTourism – 5 BC Communities – Feb – Mar
On a Roll with Agriculture
WEB Reference, Feb. 2006 (BC AgriTourism) - To help address the needs of today’s farm producer, the British Columbia AgriTourism Alliance and Canadian Farm Business Management Council have joined forces to create an informative "road show". This unique and innovative caravan will bring a one-day workshop-style conference to five communities across British Columbia in February–March 2006. http://www.agritourismbc.org/caravan. Also, check Southern Vancouver Islands Agritourism opportunities - http://www.islandfarmfresh.com/agritourism.html.
On a Roll with Agriculture
WEB Reference, Feb. 2006 (BC AgriTourism) - To help address the needs of today’s farm producer, the British Columbia AgriTourism Alliance and Canadian Farm Business Management Council have joined forces to create an informative "road show". This unique and innovative caravan will bring a one-day workshop-style conference to five communities across British Columbia in February–March 2006. http://www.agritourismbc.org/caravan. Also, check Southern Vancouver Islands Agritourism opportunities - http://www.islandfarmfresh.com/agritourism.html.
Food Enterprise / Reference
Canadian Food and Beverage Processors
WEB Reference, Feb. 2006 (www.foodincanada.com) - Food in Canada ("The Voice of the Canadian Food Industry") 2005 Top 100 (http://www.bizlink.com/foodfiles/PDFs/sept2005/food_top100_sept05.pdf) list of food companies (based on sales for 2004).
Canadian Food and Beverage Processors
WEB Reference, Feb. 2006 (www.foodincanada.com) - Food in Canada ("The Voice of the Canadian Food Industry") 2005 Top 100 (http://www.bizlink.com/foodfiles/PDFs/sept2005/food_top100_sept05.pdf) list of food companies (based on sales for 2004).
Our Shifting Focus / Food Growing
Starving for Change: The Necessity of a New Agricultural System
ARTICLE Excerpt, Feb. 2006 (TheBubble.ca) – (Editor’s note: This is a really great article.) … "The research indicated that organic corn, over a period of 69 growing seasons, yielded 94 per cent of what conventionally grown crops yielded. With data from five states over 55 growing seasons, organic soybeans also showed a 94 per cent yield compared to conventional crops. Examined over a period of 16 seasons, organic wheat produced 97 per cent of conventional yields and tomatoes, with 14 years of comparative research, showed no yield difference at all. The benefits of organic food growing far outweigh slightly lesser yields (additionally, there are methods, described later in this article, that actually produce higher yields)…. A 21-year Swiss study of organic and conventional farming systems found that organic farming methods used 50 per cent less energy, 97 per cent less pesticide and as much as 51 per cent less fertilizer than conventional methods (and the fertilizer that is used comes primarily from animal waste). At the completion of the study, the soil in the organic test plots was rich in nutrients, resistant to erosion and much more water absorbent." http://thebubble.ca/v1/magazine/issues/1/main.php?cat=2 (This excerpt is about ¼ of the way down the page.)
Starving for Change: The Necessity of a New Agricultural System
ARTICLE Excerpt, Feb. 2006 (TheBubble.ca) – (Editor’s note: This is a really great article.) … "The research indicated that organic corn, over a period of 69 growing seasons, yielded 94 per cent of what conventionally grown crops yielded. With data from five states over 55 growing seasons, organic soybeans also showed a 94 per cent yield compared to conventional crops. Examined over a period of 16 seasons, organic wheat produced 97 per cent of conventional yields and tomatoes, with 14 years of comparative research, showed no yield difference at all. The benefits of organic food growing far outweigh slightly lesser yields (additionally, there are methods, described later in this article, that actually produce higher yields)…. A 21-year Swiss study of organic and conventional farming systems found that organic farming methods used 50 per cent less energy, 97 per cent less pesticide and as much as 51 per cent less fertilizer than conventional methods (and the fertilizer that is used comes primarily from animal waste). At the completion of the study, the soil in the organic test plots was rich in nutrients, resistant to erosion and much more water absorbent." http://thebubble.ca/v1/magazine/issues/1/main.php?cat=2 (This excerpt is about ¼ of the way down the page.)
