The Food Action Network of the One Straw Society has a great idea and needs community support to make it happen.
"In our mission to help the Sunshine Coast become food secure, we realize that we need to re-create an important missing link in our food distribution system - a facility that can be used for food storage, food processing and a distribution and training centre," said Nadi Fleschhut, co-ordinator of the Food Action Network.
"What we're talking about here is known as a Community Food Hub - a place for commercial producers and backyard growers alike to expand the potential of their operations for the benefit of us all, making local food more accessible."
Fleschhut said this hub will include a commercial kitchen, a warehouse storage room and a public use room for hosting skill building workshops and community meetings. The site will feature demonstration edible gardens and composting systems and will act as a training ground for farmers and food producers.
"We'll also be able to host regular farmers' markets all year," she added. "Our goals are to increase the economic viability of food production on the Coast, provide more venues for the distribution of local food, decrease food waste and help build skills in food growing and processing."
She said the Community Food Hub project is designed as a social enterprise - a business run by a non-profit that fulfills their mission, while also becoming economically self-sufficient and ideally supporting other Food Action projects.
Fleschhut said the Food Action Network has submitted their idea to the Aviva Community Fund, where if they get enough votes, they can potentially win a grant towards start-up costs for the hub. Check out www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf9511 and vote.
Not only can you gain a great new facility for the community, but by voting and inviting five friends to vote, you'll be entered into a draw to win great prizes. Sign in, vote, and go to "my supported ideas." Click on "email this page" and type in your five friends' emails as well as foodhub@onestraw.ca. Prize winners will be drawn on Dec. 15.
To find out more about the project, email foodhub@onestraw.ca or call Nadi at 604-741-9859.
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