As more and more Islanders are finding ways to support local farmers, increase our food security and explore all the flavours produced in B.C., it was timely and rewarding to see the article “Support Island Farmers” featured in seniors101.ca’s January newsletter.
I was raised on Quadra Island, where growing food, raising animals and harvesting from the sea was our way of life, and I share the connection so many people on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands have for our food, neighbours and communities. In fact, my early experiences and connections to food and farming led me to start the Island’s first organic vineyard in 1996. Now as B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries I am so pleased that I can help local farms and food businesses develop and grow.
The B.C. government has been working with British Columbians to build our province’s food security and food economy since 2017. The extreme climate-related weather events of 2021, from heat domes to fires to flooding, coupled with the pandemic brought home the importance of our collective efforts, and shone a spotlight on what we have achieved. But there is more to do.
There are now four Food Hubs operating or in development on Vancouver Island, helping small and medium businesses and entrepreneurs succeed by giving them access to shared food processing and innovation space, equipment and resources. Food hubs in Port Alberni, Bowser, the Cowichan Valley and Victoria each serve the unique needs of its community with the focus ranging from seafood to value-added products made from local produce and ingredients.
The Hubs have helped dozens of Island companies grow their businesses, including Effingham Oysters, which processes oysters and other seafood. The opening of The Dock + in Port Alberni reduced their commute to a licenced processing facility from over 10 hours to just a few minutes. The reduced travel time has let them focus on other aspects of their business, including developing an online seafood store with new products at eatcanadianseafood.com that offers delivery to Vancouver Island & Lower Mainland. Their expansion in the online marketplace has increased their customer base and made it easier for British Columbians to access local seafood.
Feed BC is another program that supports BC farmers. It works to increase B.C. grown and processed foods and beverages served in healthcare facilities and post-secondary institutions around B.C., including hospitals, residential care homes, and the four universities and colleges on Vancouver Island. Everyone deserves healthy, nutritious and locally grown food, whether they are recovering from a surgical procedure in hospital or embarking on an academic career on campus. We are leveraging these opportunities for local farmers in our public institutions.
We are also working to help young and new entrant farmers access unused farmland. The B.C. Land Matching Program has helped put 33 different parcels of Island farmland into production, with young farmers growing vegetables, livestock, honey and niche products like medicinal herbs on land that previously laid fallow. I am so proud to see the next generation of farmers on the Island and the passion they are bringing to food production. We will continue to support them by using creative solutions to help get farmland back into production.
The government has also been working to support farmers’ markets across the province, including helping 28 on the Island launch online markets to supplement the physical markets they ran, as part of our pandemic response. As a result, they have continued to provide fresh fruit, vegetables and produce directly to our homes, and continued to be a centrepoint of so many of our neighbourhoods.
These results show the impact we can make when we support local farms and help keep our communities vibrant, resilient and strong. I thank all of you who continue to support farmers and food production in our province and urge you to continue your support of farming businesses on the Island and to Buy BC!
Sincerely,
Lana Popham
Minister of Agriculture and Food
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