Growth Report2012

The Edible Garden Project is a place where people can engage with their food and their neighbours and learn to sow seeds of change in their communities. For the past 7 years we have been working to build a community around growing and sharing food to create a place where people have sufficient access to fresh, healthy, and sustainably grown fruits and vegetables. We have worked to build acommunity where gardeners have access to space to grow and everyone can build and share skills.

When the EGP was first established, we started with 50 square meters of garden space and set ourselves a goal of recruiting 10 active volunteers. Today we proudly tend 2,789 square meters of garden space with 407 volunteers who contributed 3,767 hours of learning and growing time last year. Citizen participation continues to deepen as we develop new programs and gardens each season. We are proud to have grown, collected, and donated over 13,700 lbs of food since 2006 - that is 6.2 tonnes of food!

The EGP is a valued part of the North Shore Neighbourhood House. When we were just a start-up, NSNH provided us with non-profit status and occasional office space. Since then we’ve become a key program area at the House and looking to infuse all the programming with our vision of growing food and building community. We have big plans for childcare gardens in 2012, and lots of dreams for the future.

None of this would be possible without the amazing support of citizens, funders and local business. We hope you will join us too.

Letter from the Edible Garden Project Team

Heather Johnstone, PROGRAM MANAGER, EDIBLE GARDEN PROJECT

Lisa Hubbard, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NORTH SHORE NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE

Margaret Broughton, COMMUNITY NUTRITIONIST, POPULATION HEALTH, VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH

Cristina Rucci, SOCIAL PLANNER, DISTRICT OF NORTH VANCOUVER

Tricia Edgar, COMMUNITY MEMBER

Karen Wikerson, FAMILY COUNSELLOR, HOLLYBURN FAMILY SERVICES

Jennifer Meilleur, PROJECTS & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS COORDINATOR, NORTH SHORE RECYCLING PROGRAM

Natalie Siewert, PROGRAMS COORDINATOR, HARVEST PROJECT

Wendy Muir, COMMUNITY MEMBER

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“The Edible Garden Project is the motivator for movement and is making things happen.”

- Lianne Shyry, volunteer

Table of ContentsLetter from the Edible Garden Project Team 1What Difference Does the Edible Garden Project Make? 3Our Growth 5Our Roots 7Policy Plays an Important Role 8Our Supporters 10Your Can Be Part of It Too! 11Staff Profiles 12

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What difference does the

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1013VOLUNTEERS

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We have volunteers of all skill levels and strive to create a welcoming and supportive environment. We take the time to build relationships with our

volunteers and find a place for them that fits their skills and serves their personal goals.

In a few short years we have expanded the depth and breadth of the community we connect with. The thousands of hours, energy, and enthusiasm that volunteers bring to the EGP inspire us and speak to the important role we’re playing on the

North Shore.

We build capacity, connect with peoples’ passions, deepen community & knowledge, connect to what feeds us and

what is meaningful in our lives.

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Edible Garden Project make?

“As a longtime landscaper, I saw that most homeowners don’t interact with their gardens creatively, leaving our urban landscape bland and very ecologically irresponsible. The EGP is building culture that is vital to our safety and sparks our souls.”Lance Peterson

“The EGP provides the North Shore community with great meeting places for gardeners of all levels. It provides opportunities to meet others who enjoy not only gardening but also learning and sharing together.I feel a great deal of satisfaction volunteering with the EGP. Not only is it relaxing and therapeutic to get your hands into the dirt and plant the seeds…but nothing beats the pleasure of a successful harvest or making new friends.”Evonne Strohwald

“The EGP is an initiative that helps me make a difference and live a more purposeful life by being able to give back to my community as well as theenvironment. Often have I been troubled about our impact on the Earth and how off balance our current food systems are. With EGP I found an opportunity to work hands on with nature, with people and learn new skills and feel good knowing the scope of my current contributions. You don’t need to take on the world to make a difference...you just need to look around you and make GREAT with what you have! And that’s what the EGP does!”Dalerina D’Silva

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“ The EGP gives the opportunity for momentum. People want to make a difference in their lives, and maybe the lives of others. How does one do that? Well, with direction and guidance EGP makes the difference between doing and not doing. EGP rocks, EGP rocks, (I’m pumping my fist in the air!).... You are the motivators for movement and making things happen.”Lianne Shyry

2005 2007 2008

A publicboulevard became the home of

the first EGP Sharing Garden . Over 700lbs of produce was grown,

collected, and donated from this garden and the community.

An exciting year! Ground was broken on the Queen Mary

Demonstration Garden, and the North Shore Community

Garden Society was established to expand and support

community garden initiatives.

The founding coalition formed, and the EGP was created! The coalition

included:Vancouver Coastal HealthCity of North Vancouver

District of North VancouverNorth Shore Neighbourhood House

North Shore Recycling ProgramCommunity Members

2006

SHARING THE BOUNTY HARVEST DONATIONS2006 - 2011

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We expanded to offer workshops, access to the Sharing Backyards Map, and

worked our way into the public school system with our Fed Up program.

20122009 2010 2011

The City of North Van built the Queen Mary Community garden, we

planted the Community Orchard, and the first Table Matters event was organized to bring the North Shore “food community” together.

We worked with the community to build the first community garden in the District of North Vancouver at Lillooet Park, and

the EGP added two new Sharing Gardens.

The “growth spurt” year! We broke ground on the first urban farm on the North Shore at Loutet Park. Another community garden was built in the City of

North Van, and we opened our eighth Sharing Garden in the alley behind SecondWave surf shop.

We went from 4,458 sq. feet of garden space to over 30,000 sq feet!

This timeline captures the Edible Garden Project’s path over the last seven years and highlights our key accomplishments and growth.

Our Growth

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Ann Pentland for contributing an extraordinary amount of time volunteering for an incredibly broad range of projects.

Mark Raasch for thinking quickly and solving more problems then we thought we would even encounter in building Loutet Farm. Not to mention his amazing garden!

Neil Callahan for establishing the SecondWave Garden - an example of a local business restoring the land in an innovative and inspiring way.

Evonne Strowhald broke new ground in 2011 with Building Urban Garden Blitzes using a perfect mix of passion and practical skills to initiate and follow through on starting a whole new project.

Our Roots

Ann

Mark

Neil

Evonne

Bonnie Kelly for her genuine curiosity and enthusiasm as a new gardener - she really kept us on our toes with thoughtful questions over the year!

Bonnie

EGP Award Winning Volunteers of 2011

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Policy Plays an Important Role

The most direct way to increase food production in urban areas is to grow intensively in our front and back-yards. Did you realize that it is often illegal for urban farmers to sell their products? That it’s also illegal to raise a couple of backyard chickens? Not to mention that we live in a region with some of the highest land values in the world - most would-be growers simply don’t have the resources to get growing. In addition, many people in our community simply don’t have access to fresh healthy food. Further, because food is a commodity, as prices rise it can get out of reach for those struggling to make ends meet.

“Somewhere in the ‘50s we adopted... a strategy that said: let’s extinguish agriculture in the bounds of municipalities” acknowledges City of North Vancouver Councillor Craig Keating “[Agriculture] is part of our past, part of our present, and I’d like to see it be part of our future.” he said at a recent council meeting in the City of North Vancouver. “I can’t wait to see chickens come to North Vancouver”.

A resilient food system can adapt to changing conditions and circumstances and sustain the population and environment. The law evolves and changes to suit the times through the organizing efforts of citizens, work-ing with politicians and municipal staff. That’s why the EGP is joining with a wide range of community groups in working towards the development of a North Shore Food Charter and the creation of a Food Policy Council. A Food Charter will clearly express the vision of working towards a more resilient food system. A Food Policy Council comprised of citizens, organization representatives, politicians and municipal staff will support North Shore municipalities to create policy that encourages and regulates the ways that we can achieve that resil-ience in our community.

We’ve built momentum through the Table Matters Network. For the past 3 years the EGP has worked with Vancouver Coastal Health and community members to organize the annual Table Matters forum which brings hundreds of citizens and municipal leaders together to share ideas on our local food system. The Table Matters Network meets monthly and is galvanizing community action around things like backyard chickens and organic waste diversion.

At the Table Matters Forum in 2011, Mayor Walton of the District of North Vancouver encouraged citizens to take the lead. “ If you’re really keen in getting government support in this area... Talk to your local politicians. It amazes me how few groups ever turn up for the 2 minutes at the beginning of council meetings.... Come regularly, tell us what you’re up to.... Fill the council chambers if you want to see change. “ (Table Matters Forum, October 25 2011)

Over this past year, the EGP has mentored grassroots groups like North Shore CLUCK (Canadian Liberated Urban Chicken Klub) in bringing their vision before council and taking steps to see regulations changed. We’re helping to connect politicians and city staff across jurisdictions to support the development of harmonious policy and bylaws.

Want to get involved and make change happen? Join the Table Matters Network! You can subscribe to the monthly newsletter, find out about monthly meet-ups and get involved in the next forum, coming Fall 2012.

www.tablematters.ca8

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Loutet Farm, a sustainable social enterprise that facilitates educational benefits for the community is the first step in building a plant to plate local food system on the North Shore.

Founded as a unique partnership between the North Shore Neighbourhood House, the City of North Vancouver and the University of British Columbia, Loutet Farm is an exciting project designed for local folks to become involved in and better understand food production and to have greater access tolocally grown produce.

Our Supporters

Tony Nardi, Vice President Logistics and Community at Neptune Terminals invests time, enthusiasm and resources in the Edible Garden Project:

Thank you to all our generous supporters who fund the Edible Garden

Project’s work. We think of you all as investors in our collective goal to build a resilient food

system on the North Shore while creating a vibrant and connected

community.

“I really value the time spent with the EGP staff and volunteers in the garden. I remember the garden at my kindergarten and how it gave our play a focus. We knew we were contributing when

we were in the garden. I feel the same way about my work now with the EGP...

They are wise stewards of resources; there is no waste, they invest energy into other organizations and grassroots initiatives.”

EGP Supporters of over $1000 since 2006. Join us: www.ediblegardenproject.com

Charros Foundation

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You can be part of it too!We invite you to invest in the Edible Garden Project! Sign up for a monthly contribution and help us grow direct support from North Shore citizens. Invite your friends and family to volunteer with us, visit Loutet Farm, or sign up to donate monthly too.

100 Monthly Donors of $5 will:

90% of the EGP budget goes directly to EGP staff, programs and operations. 10% contributes back to North Shore Neighbourhood House operations and administration.

Build garden infrastructure – think worm composters, native bee boxes, and

educational signage

Plant and design two incredible food forests – featuring perennial edible plants,

berries, and fruit trees

Teach kids how to grow food and eat healthy snacks!

Grow the network, spread the word, and get all you amazing people together to

celebrate

How to Donate:The Edible Garden Project is a program of the North Shore Neighbourhood House (NSNH); all donations will receive a charitable tax receipt from the NSNH. Go to our website to find out how to make your contribution.

Where our funding comes from:

Where our funding goes:

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Gavin Wright, Loutet FarmerIf I sat down and wrote a description of my dream job a year ago it would look like this one!

I got interested in community food systems while I was at school. This led to my first job at UBC Farm where I did outreach, coordinated volunteers and events. On the side I got excited about cob-building and discovered how much I loved learning and teaching hands-on skills. Eventually I jumped in and started farming near Pemberton. Two years later we’d built a successful farm but I was missing the community connection. Back in the city I’ve discovered the perfect blend: I’m an urban farmer.

Emily Jubenvill, Community Coordinator“I was in school and we were challenged by our professor to bring a “good news story” to class. We all balked, there was no good news! But I dug in and started researching and discovered the amazing world of urban agriculture. Here it was, a way to make a difference. I started my first garden at a community garden, started volunteering a lot. I still volunteer a lot.

Most of our volunteers start out wanting to learn more about growing food- it’s about learning how to take care of them-selves. But many people discover it’s fun to work with others. They have this really positive experience of community and how rewarding it can feel to contribute back. That’s the juice for me.”

Heather Johnstone, Manager“I started out with an office job and quickly realized it wasn’t feeding me. That summer I volunteered on an organic farm on Vancouver Island. I loved the hands-on work, I loved selling at the market and talking to people. Really, I never laughed so hard. That’s what got me.

There’s so much dire news and it can feel futile to take action. But growing food is a great way to engage people, and is such a tangible way to make change. I see it happen again and again at the Edible Garden Project. Growing and sharing food is fun. That’s at the centre of what we do and how we make a difference.”

Staff Profiles

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Growing Food - Growing Community

www.ediblegardenproject.com