Growing urban agriculture on the North Shore

NORTH VANCOUVER, BC -- The local food movement is growing on the North Shore and Vancouver Coastal Health’s Food Security Program is helping sow the seeds by allocating $32,000 to 13 community projects through the Advancing Urban Agriculture grant program for 2011/12.

In its fourth year, the Advancing Urban Agriculture Program aims to increase residents’ access to vegetables and fruits. Studies show that people involved with growing vegetables and fruit consume a greater quantity of fresh produce.

“These grants are only one part of the Food Security program for the North Shore,” said Margaret Broughton, Community Nutritionist, VCH-North Shore. “We plan to produce a third Table Matters community networking event in the fall of 2011. Last year, this event sparked a number of the initiatives that received funding this year, as keen residents connected with their ideas and went to work.” 

The 2011/12 Advancing Urban Agriculture grant recipients include:

• Edible Garden Project www.ediblegardenproject.com which provides education on growing food in several demonstration gardens. Food produced in these gardens is donated to Harvest Project and Grant McNeil Housing complex. VCH-North Shore has provided substantial ongoing funding to this project.
• EcoUrbia Network www.ecourbia.org is launching a film series on food issues.
• North Shore Fruit Tree Project www.northshorefruittreeproject.ca is expanding after VCH helped them successfully launch last year. In addition to recovering more fruit at risk of falling unused in residents’ yards, they will hold two fruit-processing sessions and sell the product. Stay tuned for “Product of the North Shore” applesauce. 
• Ustlahn Social Society will be replanting the Capilano estuary with indigenous berry and fruit bushes.
• Four organizations will be funded to build food gardens and involve more vulnerable residents in learning to grow food. Takaya Family Centre, North Shore Neighbourhood House and Kiwanis Lynn Manor will involve young mothers, seniors, and those living on low incomes to increase their access to fresh produce.
• Food gardening is catching on in schools. West Vancouver Secondary will run an urban agriculture credit course in fall 2011 with support from VCH-North Shore for purchasing an apiary and supporting garden expansion. Students at the North Vancouver Outdoor School, Bowen Island Community School, Ecole Ross Road Elementary School and Lynn Valley Parent Participation Preschool will become involved in growing food this year with new school gardens.
• Two more North Vancouver recCentres (Harry Jerome and Willian Griffin) will join Delbrook RecCentre in creating food gardens. The food from these staff-run gardens will be donated to the Edible Garden Project/Harvest Project. 

VCH is responsible for the delivery of $2.9 billion in community, hospital and residential care to more than one million people in communities, including Richmond, Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.

Contact
Trudi Beutel
Public Affairs Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health
Tel: 604.708.5282  Cell: 604-812-1847
Email: Trudi.Beutel@VCH.ca