Wednesday January 13, 2010

Food Action Centre
171 Wilson St.

POTLUCK
From 5:30-7:00 pm

Minutes from November’s meeting:

In attendance: Paula Rubinson, Mendel Rubinson, Jackie Jones, Alexis Blueschke, Vera Doell, Heather Brandon, Trevor Gagnon, Diane Parker, Jen Zacher, Lenard Signats, Deanna and Sam, Leslie Dale, Marla Ronquist, Christina Guidici, Elaine Sedgemen

1)      Round Table and Introductions

2)      Community Liaison Updates

• Community Gardens
• Started a new advisory group
• looking at developing policies to help running of the gardens
• New River Street garden – fencing and irrigation before winter
• Wilson House potential new site for garden
• Looking at a Teaching garden at TRU
• Currently ~ 200 plots in Kamloops
  • Community Kitchens
  • RBC $10,000 donation – 20 kitchens for Metis
  • 0-6 kitchen – have child minding $3/meal

• Foodbank/ Food Action Centre and Kamloops Foodshare
• 50,000 hampers/year (37% were produce from FoodShare)
• Basics for Babies – breakfast to raise $ for baby supplies throughout the year
• Connect with La Leche league re: Breast pumps for moms and the development of info packages for pregnant mom’s.
  • Farmer’s Market
  • All wrapped up
  • Musicians play and donations buy food from a farmer and the food gets donated to the Food Bank
    • STOPA
    • Would like to encourage everyone to buy and eat local organic
      • Heartland Foods Co-op
      • First Nations Agriculture (FNA) buying Heartlands – no longer a Co-op of farmers but still will have local grower’s produce. Looking at sourcing further than 100 miles – still open for business.
        • First Nations Agriculture
        • Education Society offering grants for CG
        • Food Fair in March
        • working on Food Processing/Training centre
          • Breastfeeding Matters in Kamloops
          • BF Celebration went very well (54 moms and babes) broke record in Kamloops
          • Over $1200 in prizes
          • Working on mapping project of BF friendly businesses
          • Trying to get La Leche League going again
            • Master Gardeners
            • Lots of workshops have been given by MG as part of their volunteer time
            • involved in schools and community gardens
            • Training for MG coming in the fall

3)      Roundtable

• Nov 6^th & 7^th Fields of Walking – Friday evening TRU gallery/ Saturday guided walking                                                 tours starting at 9:30am at the Old Courthouse
• Nov 7^th Sat              Clear the Air Dance at the Ukrainian Hall 7:30pm $15 tickets. For more                                      information www.savekamloops.ca
• Nov 14^th Sat            Let’s Talk Local Food & Local Solutions 9am-5pm Neskonlith Hall (5km                                      west of Chase)  Suggested donation $2  Contact Judy 250-679-3082 or                                                    Elona 250-679-8421
• BC Agriculture Plan through the Ministry of Agriculture  Regional 1-888-221-7141                                                                    http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/Agriculture_Plan/
• Arnica Artist Run Centre Exhibition & Town Hall mtg “Produce: Produce” – urban sustainability. Looking for committee members for brainstorming ideas – please contact Elaine Sedgman at esedgman@telus.net