Save UBC farm

[Zucchini Mama]

UBC farm is being scrutinized for development by the current UBC administration. I am hoping to raise this issue with the communities off campus who want to keep the farm as it is. I will keep you posted about what is going on and at some point I'll probably organize some kind of event to gather signatures from people who want to support the farm. Any ideas on how to get media attention would be appreciated.

Many Thanks!

Lori

This is the latest development from the coalition to save the farm:

As you may have noted, we now have a new email address that is: savetheubcfarm@gmail.com

Please use this new email to contact us, as it is more in-line with our new directives.

We have split up the main group into 7 focus groups:

INFORMATION - researching other university farms & how they are surviving

EVENTS - creating and spreading information about farm events

VCP RESEARCH - finding transparency with the VCP

MEDIA - looking at methods of spreading news about the farm via a variety of media outlets

LETTERS - creating templates and ideas for a letter writing campaign

POLITICAL CHANNELS - ensuring that we are working with the appropriate groups

FUNDING/OUTREACH - looking into availability of funding from various sources

If you weren't able to attend last Tuesdays meeting, and want to be put in touch with any of these groups, please let me know.

We have also started up discussion groups on Vista. Send an email to is@landfood.ubc.ca to become a part of the discussion. All that is required is your CWL and the course name which is 'Climate Action Fee'. Please email Tegan (tegan_adams@yahoo.ca) if you would like a discussion group formed for your focus group.

[run2eat]

Thanks for this post. I've been following the developments and am worried. Hopefully the election of a FotF member to UBC's Board of Governors will help.

This is a link to FotF (Friends of the Farm):

http://www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/friendsubcfarm/Site/Home.html

(edited to fix a typo)

Edited March 12, 2008 by run2eat (log)

[Zucchini Mama]

Thanks run2eat,

Here is the latest info on what's happening at the Farm:

Important Food Security Workshop on the Future of UBC Farm -Please Register ASAP

Over the following weeks UBC will be making a decision about the future of Vancouver's last working farm - the UBC Farm (and Centre for Sustainable Food Systems.) The UBC Farm is a unique asset to the city and region. It provides students and the broader community the opportunity to learn hands-on about how changes in the way food is produced and distributed are a key piece in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating climate change, and in creating healthy local communities and economies.

To see the kind of innovative programs that UBC Farm offers from school garden programs, to an urban Aboriginal community kitchen, to a student-run farmer's market, to apprenticeships in organic agriculture, to a diverse array of research, please check out their website:

http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm

How to Get Involved:

UBC Campus Planning will be holding a workshop (possibly in April or May) on food security and South Campus (where UBC Farm is located). It appears that this will be the only opportunity for the public to have input on the future of UBC Farm before UBC Campus Planning releases proposed options for the future development of South Campus. The person to contact to register for the workshops ASAP is Joe Stott. His number is 604.827.5157. If they tell you that the workshops are full, you may want to suggest that they make them available to more people.

Friends of the Farm meetings take place every Tuesday night at 6 pm in the Student Union Building at UBC in room 211. All are encouraged to attend. You can check out the Friends of the Farm website at: http://www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/friendsubcfarm/Site/Home.html

Finally, if you would like to tell the President of UBC, the Board of Governors, Campus Planning and Metro Vancouver about your support for the UBC Farm, please write them a letter at:

Stephen J. Toope

President and Vice-Chancellor

Office of the President

The University of British Columbia

6328 Memorial Road

Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2

Nancy Knight

Associate Vice President Campus & Community Planning

The University of British Columbia

102 - 2210 West Mall

Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4

The UBC Board of Governors

c/o Reny Kahlon, Acting Secretary

6328 Memorial Road Vancouver, V6T 1Z2

UBC/GVRD Joint Committee

c/o Paulette Vetleson,

Corporate Secretary

4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, V5H 4G8

Dr Murray Isman

Dean & Professor, Faculty of Land and Food Systems

The University of British Columbia

2357 Main Mall

Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4

And it would be great if you could send one to the farm for their records, too:

UBC Farm

The University of British Columbia

2357 Main Mall

Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4

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[brokentelephone]

Good luck.

They developed church-grounds so what chance does a farm have?

[Zucchini Mama]

UBC Farm in March:

These are photos I took while volunteering for the Intergenerational Landed Learning Program which teaches elementary students where their food comes from.

Edited March 30, 2008 by Zucchini Mama (log)

[canucklehead]

I remember heading out to UBC Farm for the summer Feast of Fields wing ding. It was one of the highlights of the season.

Treats from John Bishop, Rob Feenie, Colleen Mclean, and Jeff Van Geest are just a sample of the food on offer. The venue itself was just as great as the food. Seeing little kids squeal with amazement at the live chickens, wandering among the sweat peas and sun flowers, and my first close up look at a bee hive (and I've got the sting to prove it!).

Thanks for keeping us in the loop Zuke.

[annanstee]

The year I volunteered with Zucchini Mama at Outstanding in the Field is a stand out food memory for me; standing in a farm field at dusk, wine in one hand and a chunk of duck breast in the other- a honey bee gently settling on my collarbone, the huge platters of blanched vegetables in sea salt and olive oil, chatting with Virginia Jacobsen, who raises some of the tastiest chickens in the valley ( I have one in the oven now).

I sincerely hope the farm makes it; its value to our community is huge. I can't wait to take my son up there this summer to buy eggs and visit with the chickens who laid them.

[Zucchini Mama]

The Farm now has a blog: http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/farmblog/. The first market is this Saturday.