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Green Millennium Foundation has since 1981 supported a variety of initiatives for sustainable and sound society. Some seeds are bearing fruit.
In 2013 and 2014, following two of our purposes (“advance education by providing … seminars regarding food production, composting, and other topics related to self-sufficiency to persons in need,” and “promote volunteerism for the benefit of the community at large”) we did the following regarding food security: Coordianted volunteers for a food-scraps composting program in Vancouver’s West End. Coordinated volunteers for a greening school grounds program at Lord Roberts Elementary School, which includes a school garden. Promoted neighbourhood food networks in Vancouver. We also corresponded with counterparts in India for future cooperation on poverty alleviation and education. Investigated India-Canada music exchange.
In 2015 we plan to continue supporting food networks, organize workshops, raise awareness, and hold a fundraiser. Work continues on regarding studying how to network between Canada and India to advance our mission.
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- West End Community Food Asset Mapping Workshop- The Potential for Food Security & Food Growing — West End Community Centre, Sunday, June 3, 10:30 am to 12:30
- A new Food Scraps Drop Spot starts June 16 (every Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm) at the West End Community Centre — This food composting project will begin on June 16. Details below. Volunteers wanted. Related info at http://foodscrapsdropspot.tumblr.com/ (Download poster to advertise: West End Food Scraps Drop Spot poster May 2012_2-per-page)
- Food Scraps and Composting Forum, West End Community Centre, 11 am to 12:30 on June 16, same day as start of Food Scraps Drop Spot. Featured speaker Liz Blakeway will present her findings to date on masters research on how policy hinders or helps food and organic waste collection and composting at municipal/regional/national levels of government in Canada and overseas. Local West End cases will be introduced. Open to the public. City and Metro Vancouver personnel will be invited to present current status.
- Car Free Day June 17 — WENFN will have a table with Village Vancouver and the Drop Spot at the West End Car Free Day on Denman Street. Volunteers wanted.
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3. Food Scraps and Composting Forum
(West End, and Vancouver)
When: June 16, 2012, 11 am to 12:30 pm
Where: West End Community Centre
Purpose: To inspire and inform by providing information and covering the significance and prospects for food scraps composting. Report will be prepared from information collected.
Program
- Greeting (2 minutes)
- Introduction (10 minutes: West End Drop Spots, results so far, future prospects for different composting models in West End (including 100% coverage of multi-unit residential buildings), context of food scraps composting in the entire food cycle
- Policy Aspects of Composting (Liz Blakeway describes findings of masters research on composting globally and locally, with specific examples) (20 minutes)
- Situation in West End, past, present, and future prospects
- Short reports: City’s pilot program on single family composting program, (b) grants/funding, (c) more…Metro Vancouver
- Open Discussion
- Conclusion: Summarize desired or possible outcomes for food scraps composting in 3, 12, 36 months…
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Village Vancouver (West End Transition Village) and West End Neighbourhood Food Network present this series of events about food and gardening.
To register, go to www.westendcc.ca or call 604-257-8333 (Community Centre). Click image to enlarge.
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Download poster in PDF here: Poster, Robin Wheeler West End workshops 8-9 Oct 2011
Sign up online here: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/2236994912
- Sat Oct 8 and Sun Oct 9
- Mole Hill (Community Room, back lane at 1169 Pendrell)
- $5 donation (for 1 or all 3)
- Workshop 1: “Personal Food Security” 10:30 to 12 noon, Saturday, Oct 8
- Workshop 2: “Apartment Gardening” 10:30 to 12 noon, Sunday, Oct 9
- Workshop 3: “Edible Landscaping.” 1:30 to 3 pm, Sunday, Oct 9
WORKSHOP DETAILS FOLLOW:
WORKSHOP 1: “Personal Food Security” 10:30 to 12 noon, Saturday, Oct 8
City dwellers will feel more resilient through both short term (earthquake) and long term (for instance, droughts in our farm lands) food interruptions if they have a plan. This workshop is a starting point for identifying vulnerable areas and creating a personal map to a more food secure footing. We will discuss tips for stockpiling, food lists, saving freezer foods, quick cooking tips and much more.
WORKSHOP 2: “Apartment Gardening” 10:30 to 12 noon, Sunday, Oct 9
Discover the problems of tiny gardens and address some cures. We will talk about the best plants for small gardens and how to get the biggest, healthiest harvest possible.
WORKSHOP 3: “Edible Landscaping.” 1:30 to 3 pm, Sunday, Oct 9
An “edible landscape” is not just a vegetable garden. Come and learn about the differences, and begin to incorporate ideas for longer season, bigger harvest and more creative additions to your menu. Take home step-by-step suggestions that you can begin using right away.
Join “edible landscapes” expert Robin Wheeler for one, two, or three workshops on food growing and food security in the highly urbanized setting of the West End. Learn skills. Gain knowledge. Network with others. Each workshop will be 1.5 hours long. Choose one, two, or all three. Hand out materials will be available. Workshops will include presentation, discussion, and Q&A.
PRESENTER: Robin Wheeler teaches traditional skills, sustenance gardening and medicinals at Edible Landscapes (www.ediblelandscapes.ca), a nursery and teaching garden in Roberts Creek, British Columbia. Author of Food Security for the Faint of Heart, and Gardening for the Faint of Heart.
COOPERATION: Gordon Neighbourhood House (Neighbourhood Small Grants Program), Mole Hill Community Housing Society (for room space).
ORGANIZERS: Green Millennium Foundation, Village Vancouver, West End Neighbourhood Food Network
Register online, write foodwestend [at] gmail.com or tel 604-512-9059
Info: www.greenmillennium.org
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Meeting: West End Neighbourhood Food Network
When: Wednesday, July 6, 2011
6 pm potluck (for those who wish to bring a dish and socialize)
7 – 9 pm meeting
Where: Gordon Neighbourhood House (1019 Broughton Street)
Topics: Sharing of ideas and recap of discussions of recent months about food growing, food security, sustainability and more in the West End. Discussion about future prospects for open and supportive networking and activities to make more progress on these themes. See below for notes of May 12, 2011 meeting.
Everyone is welcome.
Contact: foodwestend@gmail.com
Filed under: West End Food
Meetings Notes (Draft)
“Food Growing, Security and Sustainability: A Neighbourhood Food Network in the West End?”
May 12 (Thursday) 2011
West End Community Centre 870 Denman Street
6 pm: Potluck dinner
7 to 9 pm: Discussion
Summary of meeting
- Twelve people attended.
- The main outcome was the decision to adopt the tentative name of West End Neighbourhood Food Network (WENFN), and to create a steering committee (initially Anna Maria B., Dalyce E., Randy H., Ross M., Sharon S.) to move things forward. The idea is to do our best to move on some concrete ideas arising from numerous meetings and workshops so far in the West End, and review the situation in three and six months.
- Common themes of discussions to date include a vision for this West End community on the downtown peninsula of about 50,000 population to become a resilient, food-secure and sustainable community, with a sound food cycle, healthy food for everyone, and the lowest possible burden on environment. WENFN would encourage and inspire actions around food and food growing in the West End. The idea is to be open an supportive of a broad range of activities, whether or not related to WENFN.
- Many actions and ideas have been suggested, to be prioritized and implemented depending on interest and capacity. Examples include: mapping and assays of community assets and resources, tours and study trips (SOLEFOOD Farm on Hastings at http://1sole.wordpress.com/, YWCA rooftop garden), model projects (planting of edible landscapes, rooftop gardens on West End buildings), guest speakers, workshops, communication with individuals and groups who can help, television programming, identifying potential garden spots, communicating with the City, promoting composting, seed and seedling sharing, and more.
- The idea would be to encourage people to take action and organize in all forms, to truly be a network, easy to join and participate, broad-based, with minimum effort to maintain, based on making things fun.
- Among us are people who … have been gardening for many years, are balcony gardening, working on an undergraduate, graduate, or post-grad degree program (food-related, sustainable community development, etc.), are on the Vancouver Food Policy Council, involved in community gardens, professional writers, and more.
- It was reported that Gordon Neighbourhood House is administering a small grants project ($50 to $500 per project, applicants must be individuals in the West End) and food-related projects would be welcome. Deadline for applications was extended to July 15, 2011. Details are at http://www.gnh.vcn.bc.ca/small_grants_project_2011.
- We discussed the idea of using website, Twitter, Facebook, and more social media.
- Village Vancouver is happy to facilitate and support in any way possible. Already a West End Transition Village has been set up, and an initial web page for West End Neighbourhood Food Network.
- Next meeting will continue to discuss concrete actions.
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Neighbourhood Food Network In West End?
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We cordially invite you to a follow-up meeting about food growing, food security, and sustainability in the West End of Vancouver. There will be further discussions about the potential for a neighbourhood food network here.
“Food Growing, Security and Sustainability: A Neighbourhood Food Network in the West End?”
May 12 (Thursday)
West End Community Centre 870 Denman Street
6 pm: Potluck dinner
7 to 9 pm: Discussion
Cost: Free
Registration: Not required, but we welcome an e-mail to FoodWestEnd@gmail.com so we can prepare.
Anyone is welcome.
This event follows a successful meeting on April 9, entitled“Building a Neighbourhood Food Network in the West End.” The notes and presentation materials of that meeting will be available by this weekend on the websites of Village Vancouver and Green Millennium Foundation (see below). The discussion in April showed that many people are interested in these topics, are already active, and have considerable knowledge, resources and enthusiasm. On May 12 we will discuss some of the ideas that arose, future actions, and look for people and groups willing to get involved in building momentum.
Organized by:
Village Vancouver (http://www.villagevancouver.ca/group/westendtransitionvillage)
Green Millennium Foundation (www.greenmillennium.org)
(We thank the Vancouver Food Policy Council (www.vancouverfoodpolicycouncil.ca) and West End Community Centre Association for their cooperation.)
Filed under: Uncategorized
Download poster here: Poster, Nghbrhood Food Ntwrk West End, 9-Apr-2011
Building a Neighbourhood Food Network in the West End
April 9 (Saturday), 2011 from 1 pm to 4 pm
West End Community Centre 870 Denman Street
FREE. Refreshments will be provided.
How can neighbours foster food growing, food security and sustainability in the West End? Hear what’s going on in existing neighbourhood food networks, and how Village Vancouver, Vancouver Food Policy Council, and others are
helping to build new networks. Then explore how a local, neighbour-driven food network could share, garden,
celebrate, and build security around food in the West End.
Presented by: Village Vancouver and Green Millennium Foundation with support from the Vancouver Food Policy Council.
Registration required: RSVP here, then register online at http://www.westendcc.ca, or in person, or by calling WE Community Centre (604-257-8333), or simply e-mail GreenMillenniumFoundation@gmail.com and we’ll pass it on.
Limited to 50 participants.
Message from Green Millennium Foundation about this event:
We all eat food every day, certainly we could produce more in the city, even in highly urban communities like the West End. But what would that look like and what issues arise?
There is considerable media and public interest in sustainability, organic and healthy food, farmers markets, and the “100-mile diet.” Meanwhile, there are concerns about “peak oil,” food riots overseas, rising food prices, food safety and security, the impacts of food production on climate change, and the impacts of climate change on food production. These are all connected with food and our future, and affect people of all income levels in all communities.
Several communities in Vancouver have local networks of people to support the growing of food. Some are funded, some are entirely volunteer. Each is different. You will hear about them at the meeting.
Food is already being grown in West End back yards, on roof tops, on balconies, window sills, in school yards, in community gardens, and more. And some food is actually being manufactured in the West End. What is the potential for growing more food here? And if we were to consider the entire cycle of food we consume (raw materials, planting, growing, transporting, consuming, disposing, composting) here on this peninsula and with our West End population of over 46,000, what might we learn? Come and find out on April 9. There are many angles to this discussion, and everything is “on the table.”
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Food Security & Growing in the West End
Sunday Dec 5, 10:30 – 12:30
West End Community Centre, Denman Street, Vancouver
Register: Online at http://www.westendcc.ca, or in person, or by calling (604-257-8333).
A presentation and group discussion on initiatives, policies, networks, and
resources in Vancouver regarding food security and food growing as they
apply to our lives and community in the West End. Presenters include Robin
Wheeler (author of Food Security for the Faint of Heart and founder of the
Sustainable Living Arts School), Ross Moster (Village Vancouver), and Randy
Helten (Green Millennium Foundation). More information will be added as we get closer to the date. Other presenters may be added.
Fee $15.
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(June 5, 2010) Thank you to all the people who joined the workshops from April through June at the West End Community Centre. We’ll be working on follow-up plans next. Please see “latest news” and “cool links” tabs for useful information!
The Green Millennium Foundation in 2010 continued to develop plans for promoting local food growing and food security for urban dwellers of all income levels. The benefits for personal health, community wellbeing, and even for the environment and climate are almost countless. We look forward to working with partners Robin Wheeler (Edible Landscapes), Village Vancouver, and many other groups that share common goals. Watch for news on a series of workshops with Robin in the late spring designed especially for apartment dwellers in Vancouver’s West End. We note that the City of Vancouver has adopted a food security policy and has decided to place an emphasis on “edible landscapes” for the next two years as one of its activities under the Greenest City initiatives. As a community-based organization, we hope to work with others to support these policies. We will also be moving forward with poverty-alleviation and human empowerment projects in cooperation with partners in India.
Green Millennium Foundation 