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Food Hub Model Presentation & Input

Network Meeting Summary
November 6, 2019

Secwepemc Word of the Month

k̓wséltkten (k-wuh-sel-t-n)= Family

Board Update
– KFPC Board and Contractors attended a workshop facilitated by Dawn Morrison, Founder and Research Curator of the Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty. This workshop started the discussion to decolonize the food system by shifting from the production paradigm to more integration with the ecosystem and traditional land management systems. Discussions around cross-cultural protocol, as well as points of complementarity and tension were also started.
– Within the Interior Health Community Food Action Initiative, a theory of change is being developed that will help to frame ways to impact our food system.

Staff Update
– December’s network meeting will be a presentation of the above-mentioned theory of change, which is based on a metaphor of mycelium, and illustrates how we’re going to strengthen our food system.
– The Gleaning Abundance Program was a challenging season with very little of the fruit that we are used to seeing in Kamloops. Mariana did a great job taking on the Coordinator role this year! GAP has applied for funding for a new van for next season. Wish us luck!
– KFPC has joined a Food Policy Council Communications Working Group meeting monthly that is hosted by the John Hopkins Communications Centre.

Community Spotlight ~ Food Hub Model Presentation
For the background information related to the Food Innovation and Processing Hub, please visit the Food Hub web page. Here are some highlights from the Food Hub presentation:

  • Assets in the community: strong market for local food, interest in diversified and green economy, appetite for innovation.
  • Gaps in the community: lack of facilities/infrastructure, shortage of abattoirs, high costs, barriers to selling and scaling up, limited capacity to do value-added.
  • Potential partnerships: Gardengate, TRU Culinary Arts and more
  • Working on how local is defined for this project. It could mean Kamloops and region, TNRD, Secwepemcul’ecw.
  • Proposed model: distributed food hub network would have coordinator support, partnerships and multi-purpose facilities, balancing economic development with social and community outcomes.
  • Phased approach: Phase I – Coordination and mentorship; Phase II – Partnerships for facilities; Phase III – Larger, dedicated processing facilities.

The rest of the discussion was related to key questions that the food hub pilot project is still working out. Folks who attended the network meeting were able to provide their input to the food hub vision through small table conversations, each table having their own area of focus.

Announcements
– The Big E latest edition is War, Peace, Immigration. December’s issue will focus on Food & Beverage.
– Indoor Winter Market is running on Wednesdays from 10 – 2 at St. Andrew’s on the Square until December 18. It will resume on January 22 and go until the end of March. Applications are available on the Kamloops Farmers Market website.
– Kamloops Permaculture is hosting November’s Films for Change screening of Need to Grow at Barber Centre (HOL 190) on November 27, 7 PM.

Upcoming Events
Check out our Events Calendar on the KFPC website.

Next Meeting: December 4, 2019, 5:30 – 7:30
@ Mount Paul Community Food Centre
140 Laburnum Street

Chair: Jesse
Set Up: Mike K.
Clean Up: Shelaigh, Bonnie

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