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Kitsilano Growers Market 2010

A part of the Westside Food Recovery

Pilot Project

End of season Wrap-up:

A summary of our first market seasonAugust to September 2010

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Our first season of the Kits Growers Market has come to an end after 8 wonderful

markets through August and September at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. We are nowentering the fall reflective phase of our first market season and what follows is a brief summary of our 2010 market experience. Included is the background of the project,market planning and vendors, and results of our surveys of growers and buyers on their KGM experience.

Background to the Kitsilano Growers Market (KGM)

The KGM is a component of the Westside Food Recovery Pilot program, funded by aGreenest City Grant from the City of Vancouver, supported by the Westside FoodSecurity Collaborative, and operated by Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. The pilot is

designed to increase community access to fresh food and to develop efficient systems todivert good healthy food on the Westside, that may otherwise end up in the land fill,towards vulnerable Westside populations.

As a part of the pilot, the market was established to contribute to the recovery of surplusfood on the Westside from urban farmers, community gardeners and backyard growersthrough the sale and donation of delicious, nutritious, local produce. In particular, themarket set out to:

•  increase capacity to support our local Westside growers and the local food economy•  to create the opportunity for the Westside community and Westside growers to come

together and share their experiences and love of local food

•  to make Kitsilano Neighbourhood House a food hub for various food security andeducational programs, and as a CSA depot for Kitsilano Farmer 

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Let’s Get Started!

As with many projects and visions, things don’t always start off quite as planned. Wereceived our grant for the pilot project in mid-July 2010 and by that time Westside UrbanFarmers, focused on supplying their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programsafter a cold, wet June, did not have enough surplus produce to sell at our market.However, some Westside community gardeners very keen to sell , and to support them,we chose to provide space for rural and urban farmers from outside of the Westside limitsin order to provide sufficient market supply. Later, another difficult decision was made toscale back the market to just urban farms in an effort to be closer to our original vision

2010 Kitsilano Growers Market Vendors:

•  World in a Garden, Jewish Family Services Agency: Kerrisdale•  Westside Garden Collaborative: Kitsilano•  Cherry Lane Farm: Richmond, BC.

•  Urban Peasant: East Vancouver •  Veganics: Langley•  Kitilano Farmer: Kitsilano•  Bee in Bloom: Kitsilano•  Arkenstein-Vogler Family Farm: Abbotsford•  Gary Davis Backyard grower: Langley

•  Beth Buchanan, Kitsilano•  SOLEfood Farm, Downtown Eastside

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Market and Survey Results We had a series of eight highly successful markets with strong community support for thegrowers. The farmers and growers felt well supported and on average each market hadover 275 sales, averaging between $1250-$1500. According to our survey with 27respondents:

•  80% of those attending were from the Westside•  90% felt it was very important to support local urban agriculture in their community•  Customers came to the market to support, in particular: local and urban agriculture, to

interact with the community, to reduce their carbon footprint, and to buy deliciouslocal food.

•  60% felt that vendors at the market offered reasonable prices•  35% did not attend other farmers markets•  50% of those who do go to other farmers markets, still bought the same amount at

those markets if they bought at the Kits Growers Market that same week •  63% would attend the market weekly next year, 37% sometimes.

Selected Highlights from Growers and Farmers:

•  The market is a great community experience! It allows us to connect with our community and educate people about The World in a Garden Urban agriculture project. It is a great experience for us to be able to talk about the importance of localfood systems and food security. People are so excited to be supporting local growersand excited to be eating food grown so close to home.

•  This Local Growers Market has a special feel and is a unique experience. Kits Househas managed to create an intimate setting that encourages community building,healthy food choices and sustainable food production.

•  We are thrilled to be a part of this and to be able to learn and share with each other with other growers.

•  Having the chance to interact with the neighbourhood and to explain our garden project to other farms and shoppers

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•  That I was able to break even! The flow of customers was always good and everyonewas very receptive to the products that I had to offer.”

•  Since we tried to step out of the “box” of a straight monetary transaction andencouraged people to give back what they could afford in return for the “gift” of food,it was interesting (and finally encouraging) to see the range of responses. A few people didn’t “get” it or found it annoying; a few people took advantage of it; most people went with the “suggested donation/price”; a surprising number of peopleresponded generously and with appreciation

Highlights from market customer surveys

•  I seriously felt that a stop at the market was contributing to my overall well-being becauseof: - the positive social interaction - the healthy food - the feeling of contribution to mycommunity and to a lower carbon society

•  The Kits Growers Market differs from other markets in the area, in that the relatively smallnumber of patrons and farmers provides and opportunity to converse amongst each other and develop personal relationships with the individuals who are providing our food. Thissimple fact is perhaps the most important seed to be sewn in the beginnings of muchneeded change in the way we choose our food.

•  I really enjoyed the sense of community and the feeling that we are all supporting eachother. The produce itself was excellient and i enjoyed hearing all of the farmers stories andknowing we were all helping to make each other healther 

•  The dedication of the farmers was apparent, and I think the Kits Growers Market is a greatresource for our community.

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What comments, recommendations, or questions do you have for the Kits Growers

Market? 

•  We need this in the community - particularly for those who are unable to access themarkets that are further away - this has a strong way of bringing the community together.

•  More apples!•  more growers, more selection, lower prices

•  Please come Back!!!•  Keep going!! Keep Growing!!

Recommendations for the Future

There are many opportunities for growth and improvement of future Kitsilano GrowersMarkets. These include:

•  increasing the number of local, Westside farmers•  making the market goods accessible to vulnerable populations in the community

through creating ‘market dollar’s’ that would be provided at Westside serviceagencies to those in need.

•  These can be generated through donations, grants, and a percentage of market sales•  More advertising

•  Music•  Baked goods and eggs

•  Educational opportunities for food growing, preservation, and food security issues.

Keep growing and we’ll see you at the market next year!

Gord McGee and Alex Fairbairn

Kitsilano Neighbourhood House Food Security Facilitator and Assistant Coordinator