Pre- and Post-conference Events
Field Trips
Short Courses
Dismantling Racism Training
Field trips
Successful small food enterprises
Saturday October 7th, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm, $45
Food can be a great tool for economic development and job training. This half day tour
will take you to some of the most interesting social enterprises in Vancouver. Visit
SPUD, an organic delivery service for locally produced food in BC and Washington, The
tour continues with a visit to Strathcona Community Gardens, where a series of
interlinked gardens comprise 7 acres of urban agriculture next to the downtown core
of Vancouver. Continue on with the Potluck Café, a social enterprise actively participating
in the revitalization of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, with business revenue supporting
100,000 meals to those in need while offering stable employment and training to 10
downtown eastside residents. The tour concludes with lunch at the Cook Studio, which
has created food service employment opportunities for over 1,200 disadvantaged youth.
Cost of tour includes lunch and transportation to and from Sheraton Wall Centre
Biting the Land that Feeds You: Reconciling Agricultural Land Reserve and Urban Sprawl
Trip A: Langley/Abbottsford Saturday, October 7, 8 am-5pm, $60
Trip B: Chilliwack/Agassiz Sunday October 8, 8am-5:30 pm, $60
Agriculture is an integral part of sustainable urban areas. The lower Fraser basin is one of
the most spectacular agricultural regions in Canada with over 5000 farms producing over 50%
of the agricultural income for the province. It is also in a region that is expected to grow
to 2.9 million people by 2031. Protecting scarce agricultural land from urban sprawl is a
key smart growth strategy, and the goal of BC's Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). Join staff
from the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and Smart Growth BC as we explore a diverse
variety of farms throughout the beautiful Fraser Valley Talk directly with farmers and see
first hand the application of tools developed by BC to strengthen farming through efficient
local planning.
Cost of tour includes snacks, lunch, and transportation with pick up and drop off at Sheraton-Wall Centre.
Vancouver's Urban Agriculture Scene Trip A
Saturday October 7th, 9 am- 5 pm, $60
Vancouver is an urban agriculture marvel. Come with us to see a small sampling of Vancouver
Urban Agriculture success stories. We'll visit the East Vancouver Farmers Market, one of
three popular weekly neighbourhood farmers markets in the city of Vancouver coordinated by
Your Local Farmers Market Society (YLFMS). YLFMS markets see up to 5, 000 people each week
from May to October and generated vendor sales of $1.75 million in 2005. We'll visit
Vancouver's youngest Community Garden, My Own Backyard (MOBY), two blocks from western
Canada's busiest transportation hub on a former derelict lot. Lunch will be at Strathcona
Community Gardens , the oldest and largest of Vancouver's community gardens, where three
interlinked gardens comprise seven acres of urban agriculture next to the downtown core of
Vancouver. The final stop on the tour will be the Richmond Sharing Farm, home of the Edible
Schoolyard Project where over 100 Richmond kids have had the opportunity to get their hands
dirty, plant vegetables, and harvest produce. Using donated materials and volunteer time,
Chef Ian Lai teaches the kids lessons about the whole food cycle, from seed to plate and
then from plate to soil.
Cost of tour includes snacks, lunch, and transportation with pick up and drop off at Sheraton-Wall Centre.
Vancouver's Urban Agriculture Scene Trip B
Sunday October 8th, 9 am- 5 pm, $60
In the second of our urban agriculture tours, we'll visit more of Vancouver's urban
agricultural assets. The tour will go to the University of British Columbia's farm,
the only remaining farmland in the city of Vancouver. Learn about the ongoing research
activities as well as the unique Mayan and Aboriginal gardens stewarded by members of
those communities. You'll also visit downtown alley gardens, rooftop gardens, and tour
City Farmer's demonstration facility, which includes backyard composters, cob sheds,
rain barrels, and worm bins.
Cost of tour includes snacks, lunch, and transportation with pick up and drop off at Sheraton-Wall Centre.
Carnegie Centre Kitchen
Sunday October 8th 9 am-2:00 pm and 1:00 pm -6:00 pm, $10
(Note: This is a working field trip. Participants will volunteer in preparing and/or serving Thanksgiving dinner)
On Sunday October 8, 2006 Carnegie Centre will celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday with a traditional
Turkey dinner. Come and lend a hand in the preparation and serving of this important meal in
this Downtown Eastside Community Centre.
The Carnegie Community Centre building was opened in 1903 as Vancouver's first public
library. The Carnegie Centre has long been called the living room of the Downtown Eastside,
Canada's poorest postal code. The historic building boasts beautiful stained glass windows
and a spectacular spiral marble staircase, which is well worn by the thousands of people
who have visited. In 1981 renovations to the building won the Award of Honour from the
Canada Heritage Foundation. Come and enjoy the strength and warmth of this community and
take part in a unique culinary experience.
Cost of tour includes transportation to and from Sheraton-Wall Centre.
Food Unfair: Why Does One Street Go Hungry While the Other Has Plenty?
Sunday, October 8, 10 am - 2 pm , $40
Take a walk down Hastings Street on the Downtown Eastside and learn about the food access
challenges faced by some of Vancouver's most vulnerable population groups. At the same
time, only a block away, we find plentiful Pender Street with Chinatown and its rich
selection of foods and fresh produce. Discussion of how two such distinct worlds can exist
in one neighborhood. Learn how Vancouver is using its food policy mandate, in combination
with neighborhood revitalization strategies to address a range of urban challenges.
Cost of tour includes transportation to and from Sheraton Wall Centre and lunch in a local Chinese restaurant. This is a walking tour.
Salmon Habitat Restoration
Sunday, October 8, 9 am- 12 pm, $30
Join with local Salmon Enhancement and Streamkeeper volunteers at the Capilano River to
learn of how they work with all levels of government and business to bring back the
salmon to local streams. Land use practices over the years have taken a toll on our
salmon stocks. Salmon habitat has been compromised through the building of dams to secure
drinking water, leachate problems from our landfills and urban development. These
volunteers work to reestablish salmon habitat and water quality in their watersheds
in order to rebuild our salmon stocks to sustainable levels. Hands on activities, w
ater and bug sampling and fish feeding and viewing. Dress for the weather.
Cost of tour includes transportation to and from Sheraton Wall Centre and snacks.
Farms and Gardens of Southern Vancouver Island (Victoria, BC)
Saturday, October 8, 6:40 am- 8:00 pm , $125
Before getting down to business at the Conference, take a relaxing day to sail
across the Georgia Straight to Southern Vancouver Island. Experience the stunning West
Coast and have the opportunity to visit vibrant local farms, an organic farmers market,
and lunch on West Coast cuisine featuring locally grown foods. Blessed with fertile soil,
sub-Mediterranean climate, abundant water and the longest growing season in Canada,
southern Vancouver Island has the potential for a local food system with the freshest
high quality locally grown food. In less than 50 years the region has turned from being
virtually self-sufficient to importing over 90% of its food, in addition over 50,000
people in Greater Victoria are accessing emergency food services. On this tour you will
have the opportunity to see first hand how local farmers and folks are working together
to revitalize the food and agriculture sector, see and hear about a wide range of food
action and community economic development projects as well as hear about the emergence
of a joint community and local government initiative to create a Regional Food and
Health Action Plan. The tour will be hosted by LifeCycles and the Capital Region Food
and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable.
Cost of tour includes transportation to and from Sheraton Wall Centre, ferry, transportation on Vancouver Island, continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Dinner is on your own.
Granville Island Public Market Walking Tour
Sunday October 8, 11:00 am - 3 pm, $10
Granville Island is an urban planning success story, analyzed and copied worldwide.
Transforming it from a derelict industrial park to a thriving market and entertainment
destination, the Island's planners have carefully and affectionately guided its growth.
The centrepiece of the Island shopping experience, the Public Market is an irresistible
emporium of green grocers, butchers, bakers, fishmongers, importers, ethnic food sellers,
craft vendors, sweet stands, florists and casual eateries. It also features a wine shop
and a micro-roaster of organic coffee.
We'll walk the 30 minutes from the Hotel to Granville Island, enjoy the sights, and
walk back. No transportation is provided.
Cost of tour includes guide. Lunch is on your own.
Thanks to Garden Heart Productions for help developing some of these tours.
Garden Heart offers a series of "green tours", designed to showcase urban
sustainability initiatives both locally and internationally. For more
information go to : www.uniquetraveller.com/greenscenes.
Short Courses
Tools for Participation and Empowerment in Community Food Assessment and Food System Work
Sunday October 8, 1:00 pm- 5:30 pm, $30
This course will focus on simple tools for engaging community members in working together
to change their food system. It will present a brief overview of the Community Food
Assessment process, and then focus on specific methods that can be used at key work stages.
Course participants will experience several exercises during the session and handouts will
provide additional ready to use tools appropriate for food assessments and other community
based food system work.
Course leaders: Carol Richardson Smith, National Catholic Rural Life Conference; Kai Siedenburg, CFSC; others TBA.
It's Your Government, Too! Expanding the Power of Community Food Projects Through Local and State Policy
Sunday October 8, 1:00 pm- 5:30 pm, $30
In their work to address local food needs, community food projects often run into policy
barriers or miss opportunities to use public policy to advance their work. This course
will provide an overview of how local, state, and provincial policies impact community
food projects; examples of how food projects have won policy support at these different
levels; and opportunities for applied work to address participants' policy goals and
challenges. The session will be targeted to projects funded by the USDA Community Food
Projects (CFP) Program, but also will be relevant to other U.S. and Canadian food
project organizers interested in gaining policy support for their work, especially at
the local and state/provincial levels.
Course leaders: Mark Winne, CFSC; Pam Roy, Farm to Table; Paula Jones, San
Francisco Food Systems; representative of National Conference of State Legislatures; others TBA.
Life Cycle of a Farm to Cafeteria Program
Sunday October 8, 9:30 pm- 5:30 pm $65
While Farm to Cafeteria programs take varied paths to development, there are some issues
they all have in common. This workshop will look at the life cycle of a farm to cafeteria
program, from finding initial collaborators to program evaluation. Specifically, it will
address: developing partnerships; transportation and distribution issues; the benefits -
financial and otherwise - for farmers and food service; the need for program evaluations;
and a discussion of next steps you can take in your own organizing efforts. Whatever stage
of development you may be experiencing, this short course will have information to help you
develop efficient, strategic programs to benefit farmers, food service, students and communities.
Speakers include: Susan Butler, Field to Table, Toronto; Abbie Nelson, Vermont FEED; Brent
Warner, Department of Agriculture, British Columbia; Tony Geraci, Food Service Director, Conval, New Hampshire;
Gail Feenstra, University of California, Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program;
Anupama Joshi, Center for Food & Justice; Marion Kalb, Community Food Security Coalition;
Allison Karpyn, The Food Trust.
Dismantling Racism Training
Dismantling Racism (DR) Training
Wednesday, 9:30am-6:30pm and Thursday 8:30 am-5:00pm approx. $100 (separate registration required, scholarships are available)
The Dismantling Racism Training is designed to help leaders and organizations who want to proactively understand and address racism, both in their organization and in the community where the organization is working. It is a very powerful experience that leads to a shared understanding of how racism impacts people and institutions, and builds a strong foundation for working together to end racism and injustice.
Trainers: Bree Carlson and Suzanne Plihcik, dismantling Racism Works.
View more information on training logistics, registration, and scholarships here.
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