WRFoodNews February 26, 2010

Please find below the latest update on Waterloo Region's food system as described on the website of the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable at www.wrfoodsystem.ca.  Join discussions of the topics below and many more on our Discussion Forum. 

1. Food Summit Follow-up Action Meeting 
Want to share ideas and develop resources for more grassroots, community efforts around food issues such as accessing healthy food, community gardening and food education?   
Then come to this meeting on Tuesday, March 2, at 9am at the Downtown Community Centre in Kitchener, 35B Weber St W.  The meeting will give people a chance to create more awareness of some of the initiatives already under way. It is also an opportunity to share experience of how best to engage the interest and participation of neighbourhoods, schools and community groups and how to secure funding, donations, volunteers, space and other resources.  The outcomes and continuation of this action group will be determined by the members.  If you have any questions, please contact Laura Gorman gorman_laura@hotmail.com. 

2. New Funding for Farmers to use Green Energy 
The federal government is offering financing to agriculture producers and agribusiness operators who want to use renewable energy sources in their businesses.  Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says there are energy sources "all around Canadian farmyards" and Ottawa wants to help farmers invest in the technologies needed to tap those opportunities. See more details and a link to the full story on the Roundtable's Discussion Forum. 

3. Gravel Pits and the Threat to Agriculture 
About forty people came to the Kitchener Public Library on February 23rd to hear from three different speakers involved in campaigns to oppose the establishment of gravel pits on prime agricultural land.  Kate Armstrong of the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce described the threat to over 7,500 acres of Ontario's best potato farmland which has been bought up by a company intending to mine it for aggregate.  Tony Dowling of Bridgekeepers described a similar campaign against a proposed pit in Woolwich Township, right beside the West Montrose covered bridge.  View pictures from the event, view two of the presentations, and link to discussion of the event on the Roundtable's website. 

4. Toronto Food Strategy Unveiled 
Toronto’s Board of Health unveiled a consultation report last week dealing with the city’s food system. The report, entitled “Food Connections: Toward a Healthy and Sustainable Food System for Toronto”, proposes the following six directions for food system renewal: Grow food-friendly neighbourhoods; Make food a centerpiece of the new green economy; Eliminate hunger; Empower residents with food skills and information; Connect city and countryside through food; and Embed food system thinking in City government. The feedback from the consultation report will be used to develop a broader food strategy for Toronto, which is expected to be released this summer.  For links to the full report and media coverage, see the Roundtable's Discussion Forum. 

5. Urban Gardening Club 
Roundtable members Dominic Ellis and Meredith Weldon are starting a small Urban Gardening Club. They hope to attract a small group of community members who would be interested in starting a garden on an unused piece of land somewhere in the urban areas of Waterloo. Dominic, who is a chef, will teach the gardeners how to cook with what they've grown! If you want to join, or know of any vacant land or have tips on how they can access some land, please contact them through the Roundtable's website. 

6. Upcoming Food Events
Full details on upcoming food-related events in Waterloo Region can be viewed under Upcoming Events on the Roundtable's website.  To share news of your event, email details to the Roundtable's Site Administrator, who will post it to the website.  Some upcoming highlights include:

        Food Summit Follow-up Action meeting, March 2, 9-11am, downtown Kitchener 
        Rural Social Enterprise webinar, March 3, 10:30-11:30am 
        Bring Food Home conference, March 4-6, Delta Hotel, Kitchener 
        Soup workshop, St John's Kitchen, March 6, 9am-noon, Kitchener 
        Cooking Class, March 9, 7-9pm, Oakridge Acres, Ayr 
        Local Food and the Environment, March 9, 7-9pm, Waterloo 
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