Citizens interested in developing community Agriculture & Organic Systems gathered on the first day of Spring to listen to an expert panel discuss challenges and solutions around Agriculture in our local community. With about 30 attendees who braved the great spring driveway melt (and a number who actually got stuck in their driveways) it was a thoughtful event. Featuring Stony Mountain Ham pizzas produced by the team at Rolling Hills.
Check out the re-broadcast of the lively panel discussion at First We Eat!
The book referenced in the opening of the panel is called “Secewepemc People Land, and Laws” by Ignace & Ignace.
Gracious Panelists Included:
Sophia from Timothy Lake : has a new produce farm taking hold in the region, she shared with us about the power of the intention of being “famous for 5 miles”. She was also able to introduce the concept of the Hedge School for children.
Cameron from Rolling Hills was able to convey the need for a community Systems approach as we navigate “the big shift” occurring in our world.
Tracy from Stony Mountain Farm was able to convey the necessary stamina required of small scale producers to overcome the challenges, and the truth that most farms have at least one person working full time off farm to “make ends meet” in the rest of the world.
Video Production & event AV generously donated by Gene Media Productions.
The participants at the event were also introduced to Jess of Revelry Studio who lead us in the basic steps of the Boot Scootin’ Boogie a classic in the Cariboo back in the boomin’ 90’s. An entry draw for t-shirts and a goodie box from Timothy Lake Nursery was another highlight.
Stay tuned for the next event, likely a locally produced dinner & social mixer!
Unfortunately, one of the true “Sectoral Champions” - Robin from Big Rock Ranch - was unable to attend the panel event due to scheduling overlap, however we did have a chance to catch up with an excellent meeting-of-the-minds taking place a couple days afterwards.
Highlights of that discussion included: overcoming “perceived” differences (division) in order to work together as a community, the success and power of the Garden Parties (3 hours a week community contribution model), sectoral funding sources, the ongoing threat of polarized or insular people (or groups) who derail a developmental conversation and turn it into an argument or fragment the community.
We were able to swap some insights around the development potential which could be unlocked through social enterprise and a community (creative & food) hub in the region. We discussed the good works of the Young Agrarian’s and their network community engagement model which engages “expertise” from within a network. We discussed some of the work and developments happening in both Forest Grove and Williams Lake and Robin’s involvement and cross-pollination between the two regions. We also heard many sentiments echoed from the panel discussion around labor, costs and the real challenges of producing food.
We also discussed the emerging need for development across Sectors: from Logistics and Transport Systems, Housing & Community Building Systems as well as the potential around unlocking Ethical Food & Therapeutic Systems.
Robin has truly become a local champion in the sector and Big Rock Ranch has become a well developed small Social Enterprise leading the way in the Agriculture and Organic Sector in our region. We are excited to continue to engage with all growers (from hobbyists to full scale producers) in the region to get the conversations and necessary synergistic developments happening across the Sectors mentioned above.
And a huge and special thanks to the volunteers!
Anna Maria Schroevers - bar
Christine Lewis - cuisine
Zebedee Cummins - cuisine
Annette Meade - coffee/tea & welcome
First We Eat!