President's Report, January 2020
Events Attended
November 4: Squamish Valley Agriculture Plan meeting. The plan has been an ongoing project for the year, which includes representatives from DoS, farmers, real estate, food processing, Squamish CAN, Squamish Food Policy Council, Ashlu Creek Foundation, and BFI. We had a look at the ALR lands located within Squamish. 2 drafts of the plan have been presented with BFI being given a lion’s share of work involving communications and education. Look for the final Plan to be released within the next month.
November 13: DoS Economic Development office Agri - Foods workshop with the mandate of asking the who, what, why, where, and how of agriculture within the area. There is some great talent in this community who need support.
Stony Mountain Farm who produces eggs, turkey, pork. You can find them at the Squamish Farmers Market, Brackendale Fall Fair, Community Shared Agriculture subscriptions or the Industrial park in winter. www.stonymtnfarm.com
Nutrient Dense Farms and all the vegetables they grow. They can be bought at the Squamish Farmers Market, Brackendale Fall Fair, and Community Shared Agriculture subscriptions. www.nutrientdensefarms.net
Hop Creek Farms produce and sell lamb, chicken, pork, and beef. Look for online sales or farm stand location on Government Rd. hopcreekfarms.com
Lavendel Farm grows lavender and processes it into a variety of lovely products. Look for online sales or farm stand on Government Road. www.lavendelfarm.com
November 18: Cheakamus Center The Art of Grant Writing workshop - excellent words of advice from Sarah Bainbridge, Senior Development Officer at Cheakamus Center.
November 25: DoS Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy workshop. Reveal of the results of the survey and opportunity to bring various contemporaries together to discuss the next stage.
Thanks To Darcy McCrea for stepping up and attending.
November 29: BC Farmers Institute hosting FI from across the province for a full day of presentations and discussions from 45 various FI. The main topic presented was regarding ALR land rules and regulations. You may have noticed some changes along Government Road in Brackendale. ALR properties are now being farmed with an assortment of produce. Lavender, garlic, sheep and pigs are being raised on the properties. All can be bought at the farm gate stands. Buy BC!
December 5: Brackendale Elementary School, teacher Beth Smith meeting to discuss BFI support to two initiatives Ms. Smith will be doing with grade 3 & 4 class. 1. garden beds outside classroom. 2. Adopt a tree in park. BFI will provide support in terms of finding additional labour, funds, and sponsorships. Casual discussion with Rotary and Forestry has deemed additional support for the project.
December 17: DoS Arts, Culture and Heritage workshop. Continuation of the Strategy Development, the focus was on collaborating with all stakeholders to determine the big needs in the community. It was fairly conclusive that the D0S needs a dedicated facility, which can support Arts Culture & Heritage.
January 30 - Feb 1 2020: The Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford. www.agricultureshow.net
Should you want more details on any of this, please contact Glenne Campbell, brackendalefarmersinstitute@gmail.com