Fall is the time of harvest festivals, sharing food and giving thanks for the summer’s abundance – and it’s been a big one, with bumper crops of fruit and vegetables growing in local gardens and at the many farms in the Cowichan Region. For the team at Cowichan Green Community (CGC) it’s also a time to reflect on what has been achieved so far this year – although CGC’s many programs are, by no means, slowing down.
The mission to increase food security in the Cowichan Region has been guiding CGC’s work this summer, especially since the cost of food has risen so much in recent months. The Government of Canada defines Food Insecurity as “the inability to acquire or consume an adequate diet quality or sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways, or the uncertainty that one will be able to do so”. In turn, the concept of Food Security is based on four pillars: Availability, Access, Utilization, and Stability. Food Insecurity often disproportionately affects marginalized groups, children, seniors, and low-income households.
CGC has been working to improve all aspects of food security, creating a variety of programs and initiatives to strengthen not only availability of food, but also the accessibility to those who need it. Another important aspect is the nutritional dimension of food. CGC is committed to increasing access to fresh, local, organically grown and nutrient dense foods. Food Security is a work in progress. In fact, our entire food system, from seed back to seed, is in need of reimagining. CGC is working to fill the gaps of this broken system, one initiative at a time. From connecting farmers to a wider customer base, to creating pathways of access for un-housed community members.
The organization works out of 4 separate locations: The Station building on Duncan Street is home to the reFRESH Food Recovery Program and reFRESH Marketplace, as well as Meals on Wheels and the local fruit gleaning program FruitSave. The Kinsmen Community Gardens, Kinpark Youth Urban Farm and Kinpark Kid’s Camp are located in a public park on Alderlea Street. The Cowichan Farm and Food Hub on Beverly Street has established itself as a beautiful and productive local farm over the last 2 years, offering not only produce and plants for purchase, but also a variety of educational and communal programs. Last but not least, CGC is also facilitating the Community Cob Oven, located at Centennial Park, which is offering free pizza to precariously housed youth on Thursdays, as well as to the wider local community.
With all these important initiatives in mind, we want to highlight 3 programs and activities that work to increase food security in different ways.
reFRESH Cowichan
Every week, the reFRESH Food Recovery Program collects thousands of pounds of excess produce from local grocery stores and redistributes the donations to partners such as food banks, daycares, shelters and community groups. This not only reduces food waste, but also increases access to food for vulnerable community members.
A small portion of produce from select stores is made available for purchase at reFRESH Marketplace at a reduced cost. Shopping here supports all of CGC’s food security initiatives. In an effort to help to increase stable access to food, CGC is currently fundraising for the reFRESH Coupon Program that supports low income families with a coupon to shop in the store each week. Funding for this program has been a big challenge over the last year – often leaving participants in uncertainty about the future of the program.
CGC Kitchen
The CGC Kitchen is busy as ever, producing upwards of 1800 hot meals a month as well as products and baked goods for reFRESH Marketplace. Using food received through the Food Recovery Program, the team is quick on their feet to figure out best uses for what is available each day. The CGC Kitchen makes daily meals for Meals on Wheels, the Trunk Road Village, as well as the Island Health Youth Outreach team.
Elders Gathering Garden
The Elders Gathering Garden Food Program supports food insecure seniors by providing them with an affordable, supported community garden space that enables them to grow their own food. This year, CGC was able to provide additional farm produce to these seniors, many of whom are on a fixed income, and struggling with the rising cost of living. Realizing the importance of this program, the team is currently looking for more funding and fundraising so that this service can be offered to a wider community of seniors, including Quw’utsun elders.
The Elders Garden is located at the Cowichan Farm Hub (2431 Beverly Street). Visiting the farm gives a sense of what a healthy local food system can look like. The ways we relate to the land, the seeds that we plant, the choices we make about soil and water, what we do with the harvest, and who we share the food with, all reflect the commitment to learning more harmonious ways of feeding the community.
After a wonderfully busy summer, one thing is for sure: the work to increase food security is not yet done, and support for initiatives like these is always needed.
by Julika Pape