Westside Food Security Collaborative Meeting Minutes

Tuesday January 19th, 2010

Present: Diane Ash, Nicole Mireau, Spring Gillard, Chelsea Calder, Sally Speers, Ross
Moster, Max St Maurice, Zsuzsi Fodor, Lisa McCune, Dellie Lidyard, Karen Dar Woon,
Charlotte Roth.

Regrets: Ellen Wickberg

Guest: Grant Watson, NowBC Cooperative

Governance: Lisa McCune

• Terms of Reference were reviewed and the reason they should be updated
was discussed.
• Attached to the minutes is the TERMS OF REFENCE REVIEW document. We
will be discussing the governance of the group in much more detail at the
next meeting in February. It is suggested that all members think about the
proposed questions before the meeting to enable to a fruitful discussion. If
someone is not able to attend the next meeting, we welcome the feedback
beforehand so it can be included in the overall discussion.

Pocket Markets & Funding: Spring

• Did not receive Vancouver Foundation or the CFAI funding. Will ask Lisa Ross
to follow up on Vancouver Foundation for more feedback.
• The CFAI funds a food security coordinator and the neighbourhoods with a
paid food security coordinator have been able to move forward with projects
and initiatives. We are encouraged to apply again in the fall.
• With only the $25,000 from United Way for the Pocket Markets, we may need
to scale back the outcomes (i.e. promotional items and purchases). We will
be reshaping the budget
• Some partnership opportunities are possible with NOWBC or The Richmond
Food Security Society.
• Pocket Market committee meeting next week – Tuesday Jan 26, 1:30-3:00 at
KNH, Youth Room.
• The same 2 farmers may be involved with the Pocket Markets this year –
Southlands Farm and Kitsilano Farm. UBC farm might be willing to sell us
some produce if we don’t have enough from these two farms. Another
partnership might be with The Fruit Tree Project who have started selling the
fruit as a social enterprise.
• UBC students – Zsuzsi and Lindsay have developed an executive summary,
backgrounder and started to make a pricing list. The pricing list is tricky
because we want to make it affordable for the local farmers and the
consumers.
• Discussion around whether or not the pocket markets should run on two
different pricing structures: one being cheaper (or just offering vouchers to
low income seniors and families) and the other offering produce at market
value situated at businesses, where the proceeds of these markets can go to
offset the costs of the less expensive markets.
Guest: Grant Watson NOWBC
• Used to be an organic farmer so he started NOWBC in 2005 to enable better
connections with consumers and organic farmers.
• They find it difficult to compete with farmers markets in the summer months.
• The organization became a co-operative in 2008. Similar to home delivery
groceries but delivers to more than 20 depots in Vancouver, Burnaby and
North Shore, order online within the weekly cycle, produce is from lower
mainland farmers and then sourced wherever its available.
• 75 members in 2008, serving over 400 families
• NOWBC gives farmers a better price than the wholesale; therefore both the
consumer and the farmer get a better deal because NOWBC is the only
middle man.
• Selling their 16ft refrigerated van for $6000. Van needs about $3000 worth
of work done on the engine.
• New project: Pocket Market at the Unitarian Church. 30% drop in sales
during the summer months so wanted to offer produce in a different way. In
the process of getting support from the church, pursuing funding for start up
and gathering volunteers from church.
AGM is Sun, Jan 24 at 1 pm at Kitsilano Community Center 1:00pm

Max, UBC Food Security Research

• 400 level Human Geography Research methods course with a community
service learning project that requires the students to partner with a
community organization to conduct research.
• Students have decided on two food security topics: 1) community gardens 2)
programs, services, agencies and will look into the demographics of who are
using these resources, what the barriers are in accessing these resources
and mapping the resources once all the data has been compiled.
• Will stay in touch with KNH and WFSC throughout the research process and
the group will present their findings in a report for the WFSC.

Winter Response Initiative: Lisa McCune

• The City planned to meet with the Mount Pleasant, West End and Kitsilano
neighbourhoods to discuss the opportunities to provide overnight shelters,
daytime warming places, and new or enhanced services to homeless and
vulnerable populations during the winter months (Jan-Apr).
• A group of members of the WFSC met in December to create a list of assets
and needs for responding to the winter initiative on the Westside. We focused
on vulnerable populations of homeless, newly homeless, seniors who are
isolated and/or homebound, low income, students, new comers and those
with mental health issues.
• Attached are the notes from that meeting, with a list of our assets, needs and
action items for the group.
• A ‘shopping list’ was created with a short blurb describing the purpose of the
Winter Response. Spring will complete it and send a draft to the group for
revision before sending it to the Courier.
Next Meeting:
Tuesday Feb 16th