summary report of the Vancouver Urban Farming Forum - Vancouver ...

Vancouver Urban Farming Forum 2011

Summary Report

Vancouver Urban Farming Forum 2011 Summary Report

Contributors Vancouver’s urban farmers Forum participants City of Vancouver Staff

Produced by Joanna Clark Wes Regan Chris Thoreau

Cover Photos: Vancouver Urban Farms (From left to right): Market Vegetables from The Orchard Garden, UBC; Hen from UBC Farm; Hen, Farmer from Inner City Farms, Vancouver; Tomatoes from Fresh Roots Urban Farm, Vancouver; Market Pie, Seeds from The Orchard Garden, Vancouver.

VANCOUVER URBAN FARMING FORUM │ Summary Report │March, 2012

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Executive Summary Urban farming is a rapidly growing practice in cities throughout the World. Vancouver is no exception with many urban farms emerging over the past five years. These urban farms exhibit unique entrepreneurial approaches to commercial food production which contribute to social, ecological and economic aspects of urban sustainability The City of Vancouver has the goal of being the Greenest City in the World by 2020. Local Food and Green Economy are two of ten areas of focus for achieving the greenest city goals. Urban farming is in a unique position to contribute to both of these goals. The number of urban farms in Vancouver is increasing and these green businesses are leading the way in developing economically-viable food production models for the urban environment. With urban commercial food production being a relatively new occurrence in Vancouver, it is not accounted for in current city policy. There are a number of factors affecting urban farms’ ability to operate as legitimate businesses in Vancouver including land zoning and business licensing. The Vancouver Urban Farming Forum (VUFF) comes out of an interest from both the City of Vancouver and Urban Farmers to work together toward policy, best practice, and land-use decisions that can support urban farming practices now and into the future. In spring 2011 the Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association (HxBIA) started planning the VUFF with a goal to bring together city and farmers and create a platform to identify the opportunities and barriers to urban farming with a goal to create support systems for urban farmers and develop recommendations for planners who are wanting to till the way for future urban farming endeavors. The forum drew greatly from two years of work urban farmers had already completed to bring legitimacy to urban farming in Vancouver. This forum drew on policy precedents from other West Coast cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Victoria, and Lantzville. Each of these cities has implemented urban farming policies over the past several years and can offer insight into developing our own policies here in Vancouver. It was also greatly informed by previous urban farmer gathering. Invites went out to urban farmers and advocates, city mayor & council, city planners, and academics. The response was very positive with 102 attendees from Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Victoria, The Okanagan, Seattle and Oregon. An urban farming social gathering was hosted by SOLEfood and Boneta restaurant the evening before the forum. There were 70 plus people in attendance to socialize over refreshments and watch a talk given by Michael Ableman, author, urban farmer and advocate who has been involved in the urban farming movement for over 20 years. The forum took place on November 26th, 2011. The day was a considerable success and was well attended with a diversity of interest groups. Participants were engaged and provided a depth of insight into a broad range of urban farming issues and opportunities that will help inform governance and best practices at a time when urban farming has become increasingly relevant, in Vancouver and around the globe.


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Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS.............................................................................................................................................. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................................... 4 DEFINITIONS .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 THE GROWTH OF URBAN FARMING ...................................................................................................................................6 URBAN FARMING AND THE FOOD SYSTEM...........................................................................................................................6 URBAN FARMING IN VANCOUVER ......................................................................................................................................7 THE CITY OF VANCOUVER: PLANS AND STRATEGIES IN SUPPORT OF URBAN FARMING ...................................................................8 VANCOUVER URBAN FARMING NETWORK...........................................................................................................................9 THE FORUM ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 FORUM GOALS ............................................................................................................................................................12 MEDIA .......................................................................................................................................................................12 PARTICIPANTS..............................................................................................................................................................13 FORUM PRESENTATIONS ................................................................................................................................................14 WORKSHOP – GROUP DISCUSSIONS ................................................................................................................................15 WHAT WE LEARNED ............................................................................................................................................. 17 KEY RECOMMENDATIONS MOVING FORWARD ................................................................................................... 18 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CITY ..................................................................................................................................18 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR URBAN FARMERS ......................................................................................................................21 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................... 24 REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................... 26 APPENDIX A: LOWER MAINLAND URBAN FARMERS 2011 .................................................................................... 27 APPENDIX B: NOV. 2010 INAUGURAL URBAN FARMING MEETING ...................................................................... 28 APPENDIX C: JAN. 2011 URBAN FARMER GATHERING FEEDBACK ........................................................................ 29 APPENDIX D: URBAN FARMING ANALYSIS FLOWCHART ...................................................................................... 30 APPENDIX E: QUESTIONS DERIVED FROM URBAN FARMING FLOWCHART .......................................................... 31 APPENDIX F: VANCOUVER URBAN FARMING CENSUS ......................................................................................... 32 APPENDIX G: VPSN SYNOPSIS .............................................................................................................................. 34


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Acknowledgements

This forum would not have been possible without the hard work of all those who put the event together, recorded and facilitated discussions, presented, and provided the funding and in-kind support for the venue and logistics of the day and all those who participated with their thoughts and insights.

Contributors

Funders

Speakers

Urban Farmers

City of Vancouver

Micheal Ableman

Seann Dory

Real Estate Foundation

Nicole Capizzi

Wendy Mendes

HXBIA

Philippe Lucas

Andrew Pask

Building Opportunities with Business

Wendy Mendes

Janine de la Salle Forum participants Potluck Cafe

SOLEfood

Volunteer facilitator

Andrew Mostad

Boneta Restaurant

Joyce Murray, Liberal MP

Simon Fraser University

Wes Regan (MC) Marc Schutzbank Chris Thoreau Volunteer notetaker

Volunteers Erin Bett

Elia Zanon

Amy Tran

Claudia Bialostozky

Lauren McGuire-Wood

Jenn Upham

Liz Blakeway

Thomas Moore

Sam Walker

Veronik Campbell

Cassie Plotnikoff

Anelyse Weiler

Liz Charyna

Brian Smith

Kera Willis

Lani Johnson

Mel Sylvestre

Sasha Faminoff

Janine de la Salle

Zsuzsi Fodor

Ngaio Hotte

Sharon de Souza

Emme Lee


Forum Participant

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Definitions “Urban agriculture”: The practice of cultivating, processing and subsequently distributing food in, or around, a village, town or city. “Urban farming” (working definition): A type of urban agriculture that produces food primarily to generate revenue. Revenue generating urban agriculture has also been termed commercial urban agriculture and entrepreneurial urban agriculture. “Urban farm” (working definition): A portion of urban land where food is grown primarily for sale, or where the food is primarily consumed by someone other than the grower(s). Characteristics of a typical urban farm (in Vancouver): 

Is revenue generating



Utilizes organic/sustainable practices



Utilizes spatially and temporally intensive growing methods



Often takes place on multiple sites



Often collaborative in nature - between individuals, farms, and organizations



Often electronically documented via website, blog or other social media tools



Is, by definition if selling food, a business.

“Community Garden”: A shared garden on public or private land which: 

Offers garden plots to the public on an application basis and usually for a nominal fee



Food is mostly consumed by the grower and family/friends



Food is typically not sold (or not allowed to be sold)



Has a shared maintenance aspect (e.g., to maintain non-gardening space, tools, etc.)


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Background The Growth of Urban Farming Urban farming is a nascent and growing practice in cities throughout the World. The types of urban farms are as diverse as the cities they are in and each city’s context offers its own challenges and successes from land values to available open space. Urban farming has seen phenomenal growth over the past 10-15 years in the United States where the decline of many American cities has resulted in tens of thousands of parcels of vacant land being utilized by communities and entrepreneurs for commercial urban food production. Detroit, Michigan has become a haven for urban farmers with literally hundreds of farms scattered throughout the city and dozens of community Vancouver farm Produce ready to be distributed to clients. initiatives which utilize urban farming as a social justice and community-building tool. th (Farmers on 57 , Vancouver) Other American cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Seattle, and San Francisco are also seeing growth in urban farming and a change in the way they are regulating the practice. Each of these cities has reviewed its bylaws and zoning rules and made amendments to allow for urban farming activities.

Urban Farming and the Food System The food system includes food production, processing, distribution, marketing, consumption and food waste. Cities are beginning to create policies and strategies to work toward implementing a more sustainable food system in their communities. Urban farming can play a key role in a more sustainable and resilient food system. Production:  Provides local fresh food grown within the city limits  Increased visibility of food production can raise awareness about where our food comes from  Urban farms are typically managed using organic methods  Urban farms can enhance underutilized urban landscapes  Farms increase biodiversity attracting pollinators including those species currently in decline Processing, Distribution, and Marketing:  Urban-grown produce can be processed into value-added products generating revenue, enhancing the local economy, and decreasing food waste.  Urban farming supports the local economy through the retail produce sales retail and direct-toconsumer venues (CSA, farmers markets, restaurants and grocers).  Foods distributed from local urban farms can be delivered the same day, increasing freshness and decreasing nutrient loss through travel.  Decreased shipping distances can mean use of alternative modes of distribution such as bicycles, a common method of distribution for urban farmers.


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

Restaurants and grocers can support their sustainability mandate by offering locally-grown food from urban farmers.

Consumption:  Consumers can meet their farmers and know where their food is coming from  Urban and peri-urban farms provide an important food source and improve a city’s resiliency.  Low overhead and shorter transport distances can produce a competitive product  Farms have the potential to be social spaces themselves, if aided by things like legalizing farm gate sales, and can contribute to building social capital in communities Waste Recovery  Urban farms can compost organic waste for food production, effectively closing the loop at the local scale  Processing local food for value-added products can recover unsold food that would otherwise be discarded  Urban farms can be a venue for educating the public about composting and waste reduction/diversion  Restaurants and grocers can also form a relationship with the farmers, who will then be able to grow products to order, creating a long-term market.

Urban Farming in Vancouver Vancouver is in a unique position relative to urban farming due to the continued growth and densification of the city. While Many American cities are deteriorating as residents move from the inner city neighbourhoods to the suburbs, Vancouver continues to grow and densify, reducing open space and increasing land values . While such conditions make urban farming a challenge, many Vancouverites have taken up the challenge by finding innovative ways to farm and run their businesses. Many are utilizing residential yard space, a practice which not only converts lawns to lettuce but also encourages community engagement with urban farmers and neighbours. Other urban farmers are using brownfield sites, developing models that allow them to grow food safely on otherwise potentially toxic land; school yards, which provide opportunities for food growing and educating children and teachers; rooftops, where the sun shines just that little bit stronger; and on public land, where they contribute to the landscape and the public good. Urban farmers have engaged in a number of activities over the last two years to advance urban farming in Vancouver – many of which will be described in this document. In 2010 there were approximately 24 urban farms operating in Metro Vancouver and in 2011 those numbers grew to approximately 28 farms - 16 of which are located in Vancouver proper.


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The City of Vancouver: plans and strategies in support of urban farming The City of Vancouver is currently engaged in a number of initiatives that support urban farming and a sustainable food system. Vancouver Food Policy Council “The Vancouver Food Policy Council” (VFPC) is comprised of individuals from all sectors of our local food system, including food production, processing, access, distribution, consumption and waste management. Membership includes people with a variety of different backgrounds such as, nutritionists, food wholesalers and distributors, food retailers and grocers, managers of non-profit organizations and academics engaged in the food system. This multi-disciplinary group creates an innovative forum for discussion and action towards building a food system that is ecologically sustainable, economically viable and socially just. It is built upon collaboration between citizens and government officials who come together to work together on food policy initiatives. The primary goal of the Food Policy Council is to examine the operation of a local food system and provide ideas and policy recommendations for how it can be improved.” (City of Vancouver, 2012a) The Food Policy Council has recognized urban farming as an important contributor to the local food system and has been supportive of urban farming initiatives in an official capacity since November 2010. Greenest City 2020 Vancouver has the goal of being the Greenest City in the World by 2020. Local Food and Green Economy are two of ten areas of focus in this plan. The Local Food goal is to Increase city and neighbourhood food assets by a minimum of 50% over 2010 levels while the Green Economy goal is to double the number of green jobs in the City by 2020, over 2010 levels (City of Vancouver, 2012b). In the draft action plan, Local Food in the Greenest City, urban farming is recognized as a neighbourhood food asset with the goal of increasing the number of urban farms by 400% by 2020. Vancouver Food Strategy The City of Vancouver is currently developing a food strategy. The strategy will “help Vancouver focus on specific goals and actions to improve our food system. It will look at policies that affect how food is produced, processed, distributed, accessed, consumed and recycled. The strategy will build on policies that already exist and address gaps where needed. The City is currently soliciting feedback for its plan on their “Talk Food With Us” website: http://vancouverfoodpolicy.tumblr.com/” City of Vancouver Backyard Hens Bylaw In March 2009, City Council instructed staff to develop policy guidelines for the keeping of backyard chickens in Vancouver. In June of 2010, these guidelines were enacted as amendments to the Animal Control Bylaw and Zoning and Development Land use and zoning bylaw 2. Subject to following the approved bylaws and regulations (City of Vancouver, 2012c). City of Vancouver Beekeeping Guidelines In 2005, The City of Vancouver amended the health and safety bylaw to allow hobby beekeeping. Beekeeping guidelines set out by the city include limiting the number of beehives per residential property to 2 (City of Vancouver, 2012d).


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Metro Vancouver Regional Food System Strategy In February 2011 Metro Vancouver released its Regional Food System Strategy. This comprehensive document covered a wide range of food related topics including commercial urban food production (urban farming). The report recognizes the global trend of the increasing corporate concentration of our food system and suggests looking closer to home for solutions. The Regional Food System Strategy’s first goal is Increased Capacity to Produce Food Close to Home: “Expanding the amount of food that can be efficiently and sustainably produced locally is an important step in reducing the vulnerability of Metro Vancouver residents to uncertainties in the global food system.” This includes Strategy 1.5: Expand commercial food production in urban areas. Along with this strategy come the recommendations for municipalities to (Metro Vancouver, 2012): • • •

Review bylaws, zoning and business licenses requirements to enable the development of urban agriculture enterprises. Develop zoning by-laws and guidelines for commercial urban agriculture. Develop a professional association to educate, support and encourage commercial food production in urban areas

Vancouver Urban Farming Network The Vancouver Urban Farming Network is an informal group of urban farmers, urban farming supporters, and food security advocates dedicated to increasing the sustainability of urban farming in Vancouver and throughout BC (for a list of urban farmers see Appendix A). In November 2010 The Network was unofficially started at the inaugural meeting of urban farmers in Vancouver with the support and funding from Building Opportunities with Business (BOB) and the Vancouver Food Policy Council (VFPC). This meeting was the first time urban farmer in Vancouver Vancouver Urban Farming Network meeting at a local urban farm had gathered together to introduce themselves and their projects to each other and to discuss the opportunities and challenges with farming in the City. Policy barriers were a big topic of conversation at this meeting (see Appendix B for results). Following this initial gathering BOB was able to utilize $18,000 in funding from the Real Estate Foundation of BC (REF) and $3000 from Carrot Cache Community Resources to continue to grow this network of urban farmers. A listserv was started which now boasts over 210 members; a monthly newsletter was started which currently boasts close to 200 subscribers; and several follow up events were planned. In January 2011, Vancouver’s urban farmers hosted Will Allen of Growing Power for an intimate Q and A session which was an inspiring event for our local growers. Will Allen turned the tables quickly on an eager crowd waiting to hear him speak by asking urban farmers to introduce themselves to him (!) before he talked about his experience with Growing Power in Milwaukee. He then followed up this event with meetings at City Hall, the Richmond Sharing Farm, and a talk to an audience of 700 attendees at the Croatian Cultural Centre.


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The Will Allen visit was followed up a week later with a day-long urban farmer brainstorming meeting to gather more ideas and insight into the role of the urban farming network. This meeting was meant to help shape a more formal urban farming organization which could work on behalf of urban farmers – giving them more time to, well, grow food. While this was meant to be a precursor to the formation of a society, the fast-approaching growing season, and a still-evolving network of urban farmers were not quite ready for this step (See Appendix C for a summary of key topics). In April 2011, in lieu of a more formal organization, urban farmers started holding monthly gatherings at urban farms throughout the city with an average of close to 20 people at each meeting. This allowed urban farmers to get a better look at what others were doing and offered further opportunities for public outreach, community building, idea sharing, and eating good food. These gatherings allowed farmers to discuss some of the challenges and barriers they were facing with farming in the city. Some of the key issues, including farming and selling products legally, had a direct link to policy and regulations. One of the suggestions for exploring these issues was to create a platform for both the city and farmers to explore how best to regulate and approach land use so that farmers could access and farm more easily. This led to the Urban Farming Forum.In June 2011 the Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association (HXBIA) received a $10,000 grant from The City of Vancouver to host an urban farming forum to more formally discuss many of these issues and bring urban farmers and city staff and officials together to collaboratively address barriers to urban farming. Just prior to the forum urban farmers met on several occasions to brainstorm their priority topics for discussion at the forum. The process started with a basic flow chart identifying the main components of urban farming (Farmer  Land  Production  Sales) from which participants explored and listed the interactions/considerations between these components. The group then clustered the ideas from the flowchart into themes and chose priority items from each of these themes, resulting in a list of questions which could be used to identify and prioritize strategies for moving forward. See Appendix D for a graphic of the flow chart and Appendix E for the list of questions generated through the process.


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The Forum

Planning for the Urban Farming Forum began in May 2011, even before funding was secured! The HXBIA hired Joanna Clark to coordinate the event with support from urban farmer Chris Thoreau and Wes Regan, who had both worked with BOB to organize several previous events, and with valuable input from Wendy Mendes from the City of Vancouver’s Social Planning Department. Urban farmers were also actively engaged in the forum with many attending the pre-forum brainstorming sessions to identify the key barriers to, and opportunities for, urban farming in Vancouver. Further to the generous financial support from the City of Vancouver the HXBIA also received funding and in-kind support from the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia (REF), Building Opportunities with Business (BOB), SOLEfood, Boneta Restaurant and Simon Fraser University (SFU). Invites for the forum were sent to urban farmers, city representatives, academics and local food advocates. Within three weeks of the forum announcement the event was sold out at 102 people with 20 people on the waiting list. Presenters from Victoria, Seattle and Lantzville presented their cities as case studies and Andrew Pask from the Vancouver Public Space Network was the workshop facilitator. Along with urban farmers, Wendy Mendes, City of Vancouver Planner and Janine de la Salle, Manager of Food System Planning at HB Lanarc, were consulted on content and themes to ensure the needs of the City and urban farmers were being addressed.

“Socializing” at the pre-forum gathering at Boneta Restaurant

To open the forum and provide an opportunity for participants to meet informally, SOLEood hosted a social gathering for participants the night before the forum at Boneta restaurant, 12 Water Street. Joyce Murray, Federal Member of Parliament introduced Michael Ableman as the keynote speaker who presented his work advocating for urban farming around North America and his partnership with SOLEfood in Vancouver. The forum was held at SFU Woodwards, 149 West Hastings Street.


Keynote speaker Michael Ableman at Forum Social

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Forum Goals 1. To deepen an understanding of the issues, opportunities and complexities of urban farming through an exchange of stories, research, and best practices information. Related to this, the forum will enable a diversity of perspectives to be exchanged – forging linkages between the work of farmers, policy makers, food advocates and academics. 2. To utilize the expertise present to collaboratively identify opportunities for urban farming to be advanced in Vancouver, and to name the associated priorities for action over the next few years. Ways We’ll Get There… 

Gather together Vancouver’s urban farming stakeholders to further strengthen this growing network of urban food producers



Share stories from other municipalities which have developed or are developing urban farming policies of their own



Share results of the 2010 Vancouver Urban Farming Census



Engage stakeholders in discussions of topics related to policy, land use, and best practices as they pertain to urban farming



Generate appropriate and useful feedback to inform urban farming policy development for the City of Vancouver regarding urban farming

Media The forum drew media attention from CBC Radio’s Early Edition, CBC French TV, and Fire and Light Media Group which filmed segments of the forum for an urban farming documentary. There was also a volunteer in charge of social media and spent the day tweeting about the forum. At one point during the day the forum was trending in Vancouver on Twitter, meaning many folks outside of the forum were also talking urban farming!

Social Media expert, Amy Tran tweeting during the forum


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Participants As one of the main goals of the forum was to gather expert feedback, promotion of the event was primarily through invite or word of mouth through urban farming organizations. Participants came from a range of backgrounds and travelled from as far as Kelowna, Vancouver Island, and Washington State. Total Participants: 80 (Volunteers, speakers and organizers are not included in this number) Constituent Categories Farmers

27

Advocacy & NGOs

14

Government/Planners/Policy-makers

15

Business & Finance

8

Academics

6

Other

10

Representatives from the City of Vancouver: Councilor Andrea Reimer Mary Clare Zak; Director, Social Policy Terra Kaethler, Social Planner Wendy Mendes, Social Planner Zsuzsi Fodor, Social Planning Intern Erin Bett, Social Planning Intern


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Forum Presentations Presentations started with the Vancouver context, followed by a presentation of case studies from Victoria, Lantzville and Seattle. Speakers highlighted urban farming policy issues in each case study.

Speakers summaries (in order of appearance) Chris Thoreau, My Urban Farm, Vancouver BC Chris summarized the many urban farming events of the last year in Vancouver as the urban farming network was coming to fruition. He also used the time to justify his handlebar moustache and celebrate Movember by giving the audience some important facts about prostate cancer. Marc Schutzbank, Master of Science candidate; UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems: Marc presented an overview of his recently conducted Vancouver Urban Farming Census. The presentation showed employment trends, economic indicators and the size of the emerging urban farming sector. Vancouver urban farmers show unique traits that position them for a trajectory of economic sustainability given the innovative business models and revenue per scale compared to rural large scale farms. For a graphic summary of the census see Appendix F.

Mark Schutzbank presenting his census results

Wendy Mendes, Food Policy, Social Policy & Community Services, City of Vancouver: Wendy offered a brief overview of emerging food policies including milestones in sustainability and urban agriculture within Vancouver and a synopsis of how urban farming fits into the bigger food system. Wendy Mendes presenting from Nicole Capizzi, Seattle WA- Commissioner-Elect, King County Agriculture the City of Vancouver Commission: Nicole spoke about urban farming policy and process in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle urban farming community still requires skill development and professional assistance in building capacity in their emerging sector, but policies in Seattle have created a good environment in which urban farming can grow and be successful.

Andrew Mostad, Lantzville BC - Lantzville Councilor and member, Friends of Urban Agriculture (Lantzville): Andrew spoke about the controversy surrounding urban farming in Lantzville and how Mayor and Council could have worked more proactively with Lantzville urban farmers to better address the tensions with local urban farmers at Compassion Farm and create well-informed policies or conflict resolution mechanisms. Philippe Lucas, Victoria BC – Victoria City Councilor/CRD Director and Chair of the Victoria Downtown Public Market Society: By taking actions like making urban farming a legitimate home business, allowing for certain forms of animal husbandry, apiaries, protecting watersheds from effluents, and Philippe Lucas presenting Urban Farming from the City of Victoria's perspective


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integrating food system planning in various other scalar concerns in the city, Victoria aims to become a city with a strong focus on the local food economy.

Workshop – Group Discussions The Vancouver Public Space Network (VPSN) assisted in the development of a workshop program and facilitation. Participants worked together to identify the main themes based on the nature of their involvement of urban farming. Groups were then formed to discuss and identify the opportunities and ideas associated with urban farming in Vancouver. Facilitators were used to moderate each discussion group and used the questions generated by urban farmers prior to the forum as the context and content for the discussions.

Participants used sticky notes used to identify the workshop theme: Community

Workshop Themes A total of 174 separate ideas were gathered from participants and noted and clustered into a series of eight high-level ‘umbrella’ themes which emerged: (for a complete synopsis refer to Appendix G) Category

# of ideas % of total ideas

Government supports – including policy, by-laws, licensing

34

19.5%

Business supports

33

19.0%

Farm infrastructure and operations

28

16.1%

Land utilization and land quality

23

13.2%

Community (urban farming community and broader community considerations)

9

10.9%

Land access

19

10.9%

Financing and risk management

14

8.0%

The big picture (how urban farming relates to food systems, global issues, etc.)

4

2.3%

174

100.0

Totals

Top Priorities for each theme

Once these themes were identified, participants worked in small group facilitated discussion to identify Ideas and opportunities associated with these themes. Below is a summary of the top priorities that participants identified under each theme. Government relations and support (Including policy, bylaws, licensing)  Clear Business licensing for urban farmers,  Inventory and revise bylaws and zoning  Recognize the social benefits of UF and ensure public engagement in the policy process.  Create incentives for landowners to make land available using community amenities system  Research best practices  Reduce barriers to entry and use accessible language  Synergy between departments


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Business Supports  Start up: Micro-loans, market analysis, business training, business plans  Revenue generation – e.g., off-season consultancy opportunities and teaching  Infrastructure – commercial kitchens, remove barriers for value-added sales, enhance network of farmers to increase knowledge in all areas and share resources  City involvement - City could hire farmers to farm city land as landscapers, support visibility of farmers, by-law review Farm Infrastructure and Operations  Collaboration – Collaborate with urban farmers, builders and community partners to share resource, information, skills, materials, design and fabrication of farming systems  Energy inputs and waste – Integrated design of energy inputs and waste systems applicable to urban farming that strive towards becoming closed loop  Facilities storage and structures - workshops, kitchens, storage and for education. Land Utilization and land quality  Build up soil in the city  Attain longer and more secure leases for land  Supporting temporary uses for food production  Capitalize on “other spaces”  Best practices for approaching soil contamination Community  Formal community/school education about farming  Build a formal urban farming organization  Support systems - Helping farmers make a living, city staff resource person, mentorships  Building urban-rural farming linkages Land Access  Create a truly sustainable food production system within the city  Inventory underutilized city, provincial land and make land available to urban farmers Financing and Managing Risk  Work with insurance companies and financial institutions to develop packages for urban farmers  Explore cooperative models and create labour swaps  Provide training opportunities for individuals and volunteers The Big Picture  Food System – Create network of seeds savers, nutrition, health accessibility, transparency in the food system, training control of over health and wellness at the local level.  Climate Change – Food resilience, local food access, reduce impacts of inputs to urban agriculture (energy, water)  Public and Environmental Health – Link increase in fruit and vegetable consumption to reduction in obesity, bring kids closer to healthy food.


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What We Learned After 6 months of research, meetings and a forum we were able to gather some key findings we hope will help both cities and farmers grow urban farming as a viable, accessible and sustainable business practice. One of the major findings was that urban farming is a multi-faceted, complex topic that deserves further exploration. It is also a timely issue. For the first time in decades supportive city policies are paralleled with a growing movement of urban farmers, and a public interest in local food. The forum was proof that this synergy has gathered momentum with a sold-out attendance, the media attention and overwhelming support from funders, organizations and the City of Vancouver.

Key findings: 

 





   

Both the City of Vancouver and urban farmers have important roles to play for urban farming to be successful in Vancouver. The City can take valuable actions in regards to policy and regulation amendments and by providing support structures, while farmers are responsible for running a business, and acquiring business skills and best practices to produce and distribute quality products in a responsible way What came up repeatedly in the forum was the importance of collaboration between urban farmers and the city, between urban farmers themselves, and between city departments. The urban farming movement is growing in the City of Vancouver. As of the date of the forum (November, 2011) there were 16 urban farmers in Vancouver and 28 in the lower mainland (see Appendix E). In only 5 months two more urban farms have been established. In Vancouver, urban farms can happen almost anywhere there is land and sun. Urban farms are found in residential yards, rooftops, brownfield sites, the ALR, University campuses, parking lots, vacant lots and city-owned boulevards. Vancouver Urban farmers sell primarily through Community Shared Agriculture programs (CSAs) and Farmers Markets. Some urban farms sell to grocers and restaurants while others only donate their harvests. Urban farmers at the forum would like to explore more avenues for sales and for selling value-added products. Vancouver urban farming crops are primarily vegetables. Many farms sell multiple crops; some specialize in one or two crops. A few farms also raise chickens. Many urban farmers are committed to their craft and along with tending their crops, have become urban farming advocates and educators. Vancouver Urban farmers are innovative and constantly experiment with various growing methods including vertical farming, SPIN farming, and permaculture. The urban farming movement is gathering momentum in North America. Throughout the day, participant and speakers referred to local, national and international plans and policies, urban farmers and organizations that are putting urban farming on the map.


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Key Recommendations Moving Forward While the range of potential recommendation for both the City and urban farmers is quite extensive, these recommendations were based on the issues that were seen as priorities in legitimizing urban farming in Vancouver and would serve as stepping stones for future recommendations. These recommendations come from input by urban farmers and participants at the urban farming forum and the many meetings that took place leading up to and informing the forum.

Recommendations for the City Although there are many ways the City could support urban farming as a practice, what many urban farmers are saying is that there are two immediate barriers that are preventing urban farms from becoming viable businesses in Vancouver: land access and business licensing. Once these are amended other policies can be addressed.

1. Land Access and Approved Land Use Access to appropriate land for food production and tenure on that land has been an important topic for urban farmers. With so much of a farmer’s investment being in the soil, long-term stability of a production site is crucial for ongoing success. Given that open space is often contested in an urban environment, it can be difficult to find productive locations for farming. Farmers currently utilize parking lots, brownfields, residential yards, Vancouver Coastal Health grounds, schoolyards, and rooftops throughout the city to successfully and safely grow food on otherwise underutilized land. A common theme that occurs on many urban farms is that they create an interface for urban farmers to engage with the community and both teach and learn from the many people they interact with while engaged in farming activities.

Recommendations 

Review and amend existing zoning and land use bylaws, in consultation with urban farmers and the public, to allow for urban commercial food production and supporting activities in appropriate areas, including residential, as requested in the Metro Vancouver Regional Food System Strategy (2011).



Explore options to allow urban farmers to sell produce directly from an urban farm (farm gate sales) with appropriate limitations which acknowledge other community members’ interests.



Explore retail models such as pocket markets and distribution hubs (New City Market for example) and pre-approved CSA distribution sites in community locations such as recreation centres and neighbourhood houses.



Support land inventory research to identify lands suitable for Urban Ag. use as recommended by the Union of BC Municipalities resolution 2011- B101


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What the Urban Farming Community is Already Doing 

Taking entrepreneurial approaches to finding innovative ways to use urban land for commercial food production: ○

SOLEfood - use of raised beds and vertical farming in parking lot

○

My Urban Farm - use of imported soil in unique urban microgreens production which delivers by bicycle

○

Shifting Growth - exploring ways to utilize vacant city lots (e.g., former service stations)

○

Farmers on 57th - converted one acre of lawn at George Pearson Centre into an urban farm while offering programs to the Centre’s residents

○

Other farms: utilizing dozens of residential yards throughout Vancouver for production



Researching urban farming land use policy precedents in other Canadian and American cities



Supporting an urban farming census which includes land use data



Exploring the development of urban farming Best Practices to ensure appropriate and responsible land use by urban farmers

Precedents 

The City of Seattle, Washington Ordinance 123378 allows urban farms in all residential zones with limitations, but not prohibitions, on: mechanized equipment use, on-farm sales, deliveries, vehicle parking, signs, and structures.



The City of San Francisco, California Ordinance 66-11 allows urban farming in residential districts, neighbourhood commercial districts and other districts with limitations, but not prohibitions, on: compost area placement, fencing, mechanized equipment use, site upkeep, sales, drop-offs, and pick-ups.



In the City of Kelowna, BC Urban Agriculture is a “Principal Use” in all of the single and two family dwelling zones, public & institutional zones and a “Secondary Use” in the multi-family, commercial and industrial zones.



The City of Victoria, BC allows urban agriculture as a home-based business with a prohibition on on-site sales and with the same limitations applicable to other home-based businesses.

Possible Outcomes 

Bylaws and zoning regulations amended to allow urban farming in appropriate areas



Inventory of land developed which can be an asset to current and new urban farmers, communities and government policy makers



Beautification of city by turning vacant and neglected land into productive food gardens



Increase urban farming’s potential to contribute to Greenest City goals


19

2. Bylaws and Licensing To sell any product or offer any service in the City of Vancouver requires a business license under City of Vancouver bylaw #4450. Several urban farms are currently operating in the City of Vancouver yet are not recognized by current business license designations. Urban farmers recognize the requirements for operating a business in Vancouver and look forward to working with the City to find solutions to these gaps in the current business license bylaw.

Recommendations 

Review and amend business licensing and/or home-based business licensing options, to recognize and allow urban farming as recommended by the Metro Vancouver Regional Food System Strategy


Investing in, or exploring options relating to, business plans, insurance, WorkSafe, and other business-support services



Completing training through workshops such as record-keeping, crop planning, business development, and safe food handling to increase skills and demonstrate professionalism



Developing Best Practices in recognition of potential impacts, both positive and negative, of urban farming and farm gate sales on communities

Precedents 

The City of Chicago requires urban farms to have a business license as determined by the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and offers a Limited Business License (LBL) for urban farms and other businesses that do not fall under a designated category.



The City of Seattle does not specifically require a business license to operate an urban farm. However, any business generating more than $12,000 in revenues or has employees in Washington State requires a State-issued Master Business License.



Loutet Farm, in North Vancouver, is a ½-acre farm which conducts sales directly from the farm. Although they do not have a business license the city is aware of the sales and will be working with Loutet Farm to review zoning bylaws in the coming year.


Development of business license designations will allow for legal sales of products from urban farming



Increased participation and investment in urban farming in Vancouver



Urban farmers can acquire insurance, which is not currently available to them without a business license, and be better eligible for loans and the raising of capital


20

Recommendations for Urban Farmers Urban farmers recognize that while the City plays a significant role in the further development and growth of urban farming in Vancouver, most of the onus lies on urban farmers themselves to make change. In the past year and a half urban farmers have taken on this challenge whole-heartedly and have gained significant positive exposure and response for their efforts.

1. Collaborate With the City Both urban farmers and the City have roles to play in increasing the sustainability of urban farming in Vancouver. Both will be more successful in meeting their needs by working together to develop solutions to urban farming barriers and capitalizing on opportunities not only to support urban farming but also other urban food and environmental initiatives.

Recommendations for Urban Farmers 

Stay up to date on City strategies and planning processes and continue to submit input on issues related to urban food production and food security



Work to develop a more formal partnership with the city through such vehicles as the Food Policy Council and the Vancouver Urban Farming Network


Urban farmers are attending Food Policy Council meetings, local food events, and Citysponsored events around the Greenest City Action Plan.



Urban farmers have researched policy precedents in several other North American cities

Precedents 

In the past year and half several urban farmers and advocates have been working with City staff to better understand issues of urban farming



In 2011 the City of Vancouver collaborated with the HxBIA to host the Urban Farming Forum



The Vancouver Food Policy Council has formally put its support behind urban farming and the further development of an urban farming network


Increased collaboration between urban farmers and the City



Policy that works with the day-to-day issues and opportunities experienced by farmers



Policy that complies with the urban context and community needs



Urban design strategies that support urban farming in development and new neighbourhoods



Policy that responsibly accommodates urban farming in relation to other commercial, industrial or private and public land uses


21

2. Organize and Engage The February 2011 Metro Vancouver Regional Food System Strategy recommends the establishment of a “professional association to educate, support and encourage commercial food production in urban areas.” Urban farmers have also discussed such an organization to help maintain the momentum that has been gained over the past several years in urban farming in Vancouver. Such an organization can also solicit for grants to help develop and support urban farming initiatives and build a membership base to strengthen the voice of the urban farming community.

Recommendations for Urban Farmers 

Establish a formal organization to support existing and potential urban farmers



Demonstrate commitment to such an organization through initial and ongoing organizational development, membership drives, volunteering, and fundraising


Following the Urban Farming Forum urban farmers and advocates started meeting to discuss the formation of a society; this working group is currently developing purposes and reviewing bylaws in preparation for incorporating as a society



Meeting formally and online to discuss important urban farming issues and share resources

Precedents 

Many urban agriculture organizations currently exists in BC and throughout North America: o City Farmer – Vancouver o Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF)- International o Toronto Urban Growers (TUG) – Toronto o Edible Garden Project – North Vancouver o Friends of Urban Agriculture – Lantzville


An urban farming society will help increase the sustainability of urban farming in Vancouver and: o

Help increase funding for urban farming initiatives

o

Increase exposure and credibility for urban farming

o

Strengthen collective voice for urban farmers

o

Provide ongoing training opportunities for urban farmers and gardeners

o

Become eligible for group insurance coverage


22

3. Build Capacity and Professionalism Urban farming in Vancouver has attracted a wide range of participants with diverse skills and experience. Some urban farmers come from rural farming backgrounds; others have outgrown their backyard garden and want to scale up; while others have little or no food growing experience at all. But growing food in the city has challenges different than those in the rural environment and this difference needs to be accounted for in urban farming practices.

Recommendations for Urban Farmers  

Explore the development of a Code of Best Practices for Urban Farming in Vancouver Draw from existing standards to develop best practices that work for Vancouver


Following the urban farming forum urban farmers have been informally discussing the development of best practices

Precedents 

British Columbia has long had standards for organic growing which have now developed into a national organic standard - with many aspects being applicable to the urban environment



The Canadian Horticultural Council administers the CanadaGAP (good agricultural practices) program – an on-farm food safety program to help farmers implement effective food safety procedures in their operations



The BC Association for Regenerative Agriculture (BCARA), a local organic certifying body, is interested in supporting the development of urban-appropriate growing standards.



Fair trade standards the world over address social and economic issues not covered by other food safety and food quality programs


Development and ongoing growth of best practices for existing and potential urban farmers



Ongoing and increased support of urban farming from communities



Increased accountability for urban farmers following best practices



Development of neighbourhood-appropriate urban farms


23

Summary The past five years has seen significant growth of urban farming in Vancouver. With Vancouver looking to be the Greenest City in the World by 2020, the time is ripe for urban farming to be recognized as a legitimate contributor to the local food system and the local economy. Metro Vancouver is currently home to 28 urban farms utilizing a variety of food production models in numerous urban settings. From residential yards to brownfields to rooftops to parking lots, urban farmers have managed to bring agriculture to the most unlikely of places in the urban environment. These urban farms have been contributing their input, energy, and expertise to bring recognition to urban farming as a legitimate business venture and have identified many barriers and opportunities that exist in Vancouver. One of the key barriers to urban farming in Vancouver is municipal policy which restricts commercial food production due to gaps in business licensing and zoning regulations. The Urban Farming Forum was a great opportunity to bring together urban farmers, advocates, and city staff to explore what policy changes need to happen to legitimize urban faming in Vancouver. It is our hope that the recommendations made in this document, along with the impressive amount of work urban farmers have done in the past two years to gain recognition, will be adopted by the City and that City staff will work with urban farmers to implement policy changes that work for urban farmers, the City and our communities. This forum was just a stepping stone towards realizing urban farming as both a viable business model and an important contributor to a sustainable food system. Thank you again to all those participants, volunteers, presenters and funders who made it happen.


24

Forum Coordinators: Joanna Clark was fortunate enough to work with an amazing group of urban farmers, volunteers and participants as one of the “VUFF” coordinators. She is an urban planner who specializes in food system planning. She has farmed in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. She is very supportive of the urban farming movement and is looking forward to seeing how it will continue to grow in the City of Vancouver. Wes Regan is Executive Director of the Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association (HxBIA). HxBIA’s mandate focuses on inclusive and sustainable economic development within its catchment area in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Wes is also Vice-President of Urban Stream Innovation, a greentech company specializing in waste-to-food systems that utilize composting, hydroponics and aquaponics. Education: Langara College (2009) Associate of Arts, Geography, Simon Fraser University (2012) Geography (Urban Specialization) SFU Certificate in Urban Studies (2012) Chris Thoreau Chris is an active urban farmer and when he is not growing micro-greens with his company My Urban Farm, or delivering veggies by bike with his other company, Your Local Food Pedalers, he is advocating for changes in urban farming policy and educating communities and other farmers about growing food in the city. He sits on the Vancouver Food Policy Council and the Metro Vancouver Agricultural Advisory Committee and holds a BSc. in Agroecology from the University of British Columbia.


25

References

City of Vancouver. (2012a). Community Services Social Planning. Retrieved from Food Policy: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/foodpolicy/projects/beekeeping.htm City of Vancouver. (2012b). Food Policy. Retrieved from Community Services Social Planning: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/foodpolicy/projects/chickens.htm City of Vancouver. (2012c). Greenest City 2020. Retrieved from City of Vancouver: http://vancouver.ca/greenestcity/ City of Vancouver. (2012d). vancouver food policy council. Retrieved from http://www.vancouverfoodpolicycouncil.ca/ Metro Vancouver. (2012). Food and Agriculture. Retrieved from Metro Vancouver: http://www.metrovancouver.org/planning/development/AgricultureAndFood/Pages/default.aspx


26

Appendix A: Lower Mainland Urban Farmers 2011 Farm UBC Farm

Location UBC

Contact/website www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm

Yummy Yards

Vancouver

www.yummyyards.ca

World in a Garden

Vancouver

theworldinagarden.wordpress.com/

Farmers on 57th

Vancouver

http://farmerson57th.wikispaces.com

My Urban Farm

Vancouver

myurbanfarm.ca

CityFarmBoy

Vancouver

cityfarmboy.com

Inner City Farms

Vancouver

www.innercityfarms.com/

Fresh Roots Urban Farm

Vancouver

freshrootsurbancsa.wordpress.com

SOLEfood

Vancouver

1sole.wordpress.com

Urban Digs (NEW NAME)

Vancouver

http://www.doggonefarm.ca/farm.html

Loutet Farm

City of North Vancouver

www.ediblegardenproject.com

Natural Urban Growers

Richmond

nuglands.blogspot.com

Southlands Farm

Vancouver

Duncan's Backyard Henhouses

Vancouver

http://southlandsfarms.farming.officelive.com/default. aspx http://dailyeggs.com/

Giddy Up and Grow

Fraser Valley

http://michellelusk3.vpweb.ca/

Terra Nova Sharing Farm

Richmond

http://www.richmondfruittree.com/

YWCA Rooftop Food Garden

Vancouver

Grant's Gourmet Gardens

Vancouver

http://www.ywcavan.org/content/YWCA_Metro_Vanco uver_Rooftop_Food_Garden_/605 http://www.gourmetgardens.ca/

FarmCity Food Garden Construction

Vancouver

http://www.farmcity.ca/

EYA Youth Garden

Vancouver

http://www.eya.ca/eya-gardens.html

Carrot Creek Urban Farm

Richmond, BC

http://carrotcreekurbanfarm.wordpress.com

Sun Dog Veggies

Surrey

http://sundogveggies.wordpress.com/

Urban Edibles Richmond

Richmond

http://www.urbanedibles.ca/

Your Local Food Pedalers

Vancouver

http://foodpedalers.ca

LFS Orchard Garden

UBC

http://blogs.landfood.ubc.ca/lfsog/

Victory Gardens

Vancouver

http://victorygardensvancouver.ca


27

Appendix B: Nov. 2010 Inaugural Urban Farming Meeting In November 2010, a group gathered to discuss urban farming in the City of Vancouver. This is a compilation of notes from that discussion. In answer to the question: “What do urban farmers need to be successful?”

1) Land Issues Mapping, rooftops, access (5), tenure (3), stewardship, inventory, soil (quality, contamination, access to) (3) aesthetics vs. practicality 2) City Support/Government Support Bylaws, zoning, business licenses, recognition (promotion), home owner and business incentives, land use policies, legitimacy, UF benefits, Parks Board support?, boulevard gardens/orchards (city fruit tree white paper) 3) Cooperation Social Justice (3), restaurant relationships, buying clubs, network or professional association?(3) Common challenges (2), sharing stories (3), knowledge sharing (4) extension officer or community liaison (6), website, listserv and online communication (14) CSA Sharing and other resource sharing (3), monthly meetings, registry (also appears in business dev) resource sourcing, community involvement (3) collaboration with other groups (3) 4) Business Development: Financing (4), marketing (9), municipal regulations, alternative economies, certification, best practices, events, legitimacy and public voice (marketing and communications), business planning program (2), agricultural benefits, legal advice, registry (also appears in cooperation) small farmers markets, limit bureaucracy, education (4) ‘dispelling the local food is expensive myth’, entrepreneurship, public image 5) Infrastructure & Systems: storage (3), warehouse (2), greenhouse, compost, tool storage/sharing, moveable gardens, distribution, centre, SPIN, issues of governance 6) Governance. What do we need governance for e.g., a network, a professional association, a co-op or another body. Full event summary available online at: http://www.cityfarmer.org/Nov22meeting.pdf


28

Appendix C: Jan. 2011 Urban Farmer Gathering Feedback Meeting Purpose: To bring into focus a shared vision and context for urban farmers with which to move forward and begin to collectively identify our priorities for increasing the sustainability of urban farming in Vancouver. 5 key themes from the day (in short): 1. Demonstrating Ecological and Environmental Value of Urban Farming • Develop web presence and link to farmers with skills to share o Repository of urban farming knowledge • Work parties and Workshops • UF Tours 2. Planning Body • Planning body for current project and for official UFN o What governing structure do people envision? o Working from shared values (discussed in Block 1) o Importance of communications -Internal and External 3. Policy/Advocacy • Nobody chose this topic, even though it came up as very important in many discussions! 4. Research and Education • Inventory o Skills; land available, education programs; markets; successful business models. • Workshops o Pro-D for farmers and workshops led by farmers • Best practices/skill sharing • Outreach - different languages//cultures 5. Communications • Internal and External o Protocol o Social Media and Web Presence • Branding - logo, stockers, signage • Newsletter • Fundraising • Raise $ with ads on blog/site/newsletter • Identify corporations we can advertise for (ethical issue?) Full event summary available online at: http://ufnforum.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/january-30urban-farmer-meeting-summary.pdf


29

Appendix D: Urban Farming Analysis Flowchart


30

Appendix E: Questions Derived from Urban Farming Flowchart Sales and Licensing: What is required for Urban Farmers to legally sell their food in the city in regard to: 1. Business licensing 2. FoodSafe/MarketSafe practices a. Hygiene b. Food handling best practices c. Post harvesting handling guidelines 3. Primary land use (zoning) Social: Labour “What labour resources are available to small businesses that can be accessed by urban farmers?” Living as Though we are Staying (Sustainability): “What factors need to be considered in order to keep urban farming sustainable and here to stay?” Land Use “What incentives could there be for land providers to make available their land for urban farming purposes?” Governance “Formalizing Urban Farming Network: where do we go from here?” Best Practices “What steps can Urban Farmers take to demonstrate accountability, professionalism, commitment and integrity (aka best practices) to the city, neighborhood, land providers? How can we get recognized as a legitimate small business, which can contribute to the local green economy? How can we provide safe and healthy food in the City of Vancouver?”


31

Appendix F: Vancouver Urban Farming Census Census conducted by UBC Masters student Marc Schutzbank


32


33

Appendix G: VPSN Synopsis Introduction The Vancouver Public Space Network (VPSN) was retained to assist in the development of a workshop program and facilitation for the Vancouver Urban Farming Forum, held Saturday, November 26, 2011 at SFU Woodwards. As part of this work, the VPSN prepared or assisted with the following items: • • • •

The development of workshop methodology and event planning Small group facilitation training and preparatory materials Lead facilitation for the event Post workshop write-up

Workshop Goals The workshop had two stated goals, which were developed with the planning team: (1) To deepen an understanding of the issues, opportunities, barriers and complexities of urban farming through an exchange of stories, research and best practice information. Related to this, the workshop will enable a diversity of perspectives to be exchanged - and forging linkages between the work of farmers, policy makers, food advocates and academics. (2) To utilize the expertise present to collaboratively identify opportunities for urban farming to be advanced in Vancouver, and to name the associated priorities for action over the next few years.

Process Summary The Forum was divided into two key parts. The morning session was built around a series of presentations from farming practitioners as well as representatives of government, academia and stakeholder organizations associated with urban farming. The afternoon session was devoted to small group discussion on theme issues associated with urban farming.

Process Details A total of five facilitated exercises were done with Workshop participants throughout the day. These were:


34

(1) Issue identification. Upon registration, participants were seated in one of six sets of tables based on the nature of their involvement with urban farming. These categories and the number of representatives in each, are outlined in Table 1. Table 1. Constituent categories and number of participants Farmers 27 representatives Advocacy & NGOs 14 representatives Government/Planners/Policy-makers 15 representatives Business & Finance 8 representatives Academics 6 representatives Others 10 representatives For the first exercise, participants were asked to identify up to three “top” items that they wanted to discuss in the workshop. While some planning work had been done to identify themes, the intent of this exercise was to identify any missing pieces, and also to determine what was top-of-mind for participants. Participants provided their input on stickie notes, which were gathered by small-group facilitators and scribes. A total of 174 separate ideas were noted. During the first few presentations these ideas were clustered and a series of eight high-level ‘umbrella’ themes emerged (see Table 2). These, in turn, were presented to participants during the coffee break and subsequently became the basis for the afternoon’s activities. Themes and stickie note “items” will be discussed momentarily. Table 2: Exercise #1 - High level “issue” themes 1 Category

# of ideas

Government supports – including policy, by-laws, licensing Business supports Farm infrastructure and operations Land utilization and land quality

34 33 28 23

% of total ideas 19.5% 19.0% 16.1% 13.2%

1

Note that the number of ideas associated with each are a reflection of the various interests and ideas associated with November 26 workshop and do not constitute a methodologically valid ranking of issues or priorities associated with urban farming.

VANCOUVER URBAN FARMING FORUM │ Summary Report

35

Community (urban farming community and broader community considerations) Land access Financing and risk management The big picture (how urban farming relates to food systems, global issues, etc.) Totals

19

10.9%

19 14 4

10.9% 8.0% 2.3%

174

100.0

A further breakdown of theme ideas by constituent group is found in Table 4 in Appendix A. A transcription of specific ideas generated – by theme and constituent group – is contained in Appendix B and Appendix C. The eight theme identified in the morning’s exercise (1) provided the basis for exercises (2) through (5). (2) Theme-based Identification of Opportunities – Idea Generation – Tables were divided up by the eight themes and participants were asked to identify the area that they felt they had the most to contribute to. Each table was assigned a small group facilitator and note-taker/scribe. Once seated, participants in this exercise were asked: What are the ISSUES and OPPORTUNITIES associated with Urban Farming in Vancouver…as it relates to your theme? Where possible, participants were encouraged to frame their ideas as “opportunities for positive change” and to identify solutions to any barriers or issues that they were aware of. (3) Theme-based Identification of Opportunities – Idea Addition – For the third exercise, participants were invited to change tables if they wished (though this was not required). Notes from the previous discussion were reviewed and participants were then asked: What OTHER ISSUES and OPPORTUNITIES are associated with Urban Farming in Vancouver…? Participants were invited to add to, or refine, the work of the first group? (4) Theme-based Identification of Opportunities – Idea Clarification – The fourth exercise also allowed participants to change tables if they wished. In this session, the intent was to review the work of the previous participants at the table and to add clarifying language where needed. Participants were asked to consider: How can we be as precise as possible in naming the opportunities for Urban Farms?


36

(5) Theme-based Identification of Opportunities – Idea Prioritization – The last exercise of the afternoon invited participants to select the topthree opportunities associated with each theme. It was noted that the identification of priorities was an exercise designed to provide additional clarity to the day’s work but should not be interpreted as priority setting for any action plan related to urban farming. At the conclusion of the priority setting exercise, participants at each table were invited to report out – as a 60 second elevator pitch – on the top idea that they had at their table. Content produced during the four afternoon discussions are being transcribed and analysed by the Forum Planning Team and are not part of this write-up. Table Participants As noted, participants were invited to switch tables during the afternoon’s exercises. The number of participants at each session are noted in Table 3. (The number in parentheses denotes the number of facilitators and note-takers). Note that the various exercises saw a decline in the number of participants throughout the afternoon (the small group discussions ran from 1:30-4:00pm) which is not uncommon on full day workshops. Table 3. Afternoon exercises, participant totals. Table # Theme Ideas Additions

Clarity

Priority

1 2

3 (2) 5 (2)

5 (2) 5 (2)

3 4 5 6 7

Land access Land utilization & quality Government support, regulations, etc. Financing, managing risk Business support & development Infrastructure & operations Community

# Participants

# Participants

10 (2)

10 (2)

7 (2)

7 (2)

2 (2)

8 (2)

2 (2)

1 (2)

9 (2)

11 (2)

3 (2)

1 (2)

9 (2)

6 (2)

8 (2)

10 (2)

15 (3)

5 (2)

9 (2)

8 (2)

6 (2) 10 (2)

6 (2) 6 (2)


# Participants

# Participants

37

8 9 10 11

The Big Picture

4 (2)

Government support

9 (2)

TOTAL PARTICIPANTS

74

6 (2) 7 (2) Vacant – overflow table Vacant – overflow table 6 (2) 4 (2)

64


48

6 (2) 7 (2)

50

38

APPENDIX A – ISSUE THEMES STATISTICS

Table 4: Exercise #1 – Issue Themes by Constituent Category. Absolute number and percentage of totals Land Access Land Utilization Business Support & Government Development Support

Farmers # % Grp Interest % Category Interest Advocacy/NGO #

Financing, Managing risk

Infrastructure & Operations

Community

Big Picture

TOTAL

4

0

57

10.5

7.0

0.0

100.0

21.4

21.1

0.0

32.8

4

11

15

11

6

6

7.0

19.3

26.3

19.3

10.5

21.1

47.8

45.5

32.4

42.9

3

5

2

6

1

6

1

2

26

% Grp Interest

11.5

19.2

7.7

23.1

3.8

23.1

3.8

7.7

100.0

% Category Interest

15.8

21.7

6.1

17.6

7.1

21.4

5.3

50.0

14.9

Gov't/Planners # % Grp Interest % Category Interest Business/Finance # % Grp Interest % Category Interest

3

4

6

9

2

3

4

0

31

9.7

12.9

19.4

29.0

6.5

9.7

12.9

0.0

100.0

15.8

17.4

18.2

26.5

14.3

10.7

21.1

0.0

17.8

2

2

4

1

4

6

2

1

22

9.1

9.1

18.2

4.5

18.2

27.3

9.1

4.5

100.0

10.5

8.7

12.1

2.9

28.6

21.4

10.5

25.0

12.6

Academics #

2

1

2

2

1

4

2

0

14

% Grp Interest

14.3

7.1

14.3

14.3

7.1

28.6

14.3

0.0

100.0

% Category Interest

10.5

4.3

6.1

5.9

7.1

14.3

10.5

0.0

8.0

Others #

5

0

4

5

0

3

6

1

24

% Grp Interest

20.8

0.0

16.7

20.8

0.0

12.5

25.0

4.2

100.0

% Category Interest

26.3

0.0

12.1

14.7

0.0

10.7

31.6

25.0

13.8

TOTAL # % Grp Interest % Category Interest

19

23

33

34

14

28

19

4

174

10.9

13.2

19.0

19.5

8.0

16.1

10.9

2.3

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0


39

APPENDIX B - Top Issues for the Workshop – By Constituent At the beginning of the day, participants were asked to take five minutes to answer the following question: What are the top-three things that you want to see covered in the Urban Farming Workshop? A Word Cloud diagram was created for each of the six constituent groups as a means of visually representing the ideas that they wanted to see included in the Forum. Word Clouds are infographics that scale each word in a given sequence (in this case, one or more series of stickie notes) according to the frequency of use. For example, the sum total of all ideas submitted during Exercise 1 is illustrated in this diagram:

This appendix breaks down the various submissions by constituent group (Farmers, NGO/Advocacy Group, Government, Business, Academic, Other) – first as a word cloud diagram and then as a transcription of each stickie note (in turn clustered by theme).


40

Farmers

Land Access    

Arable land availability land access land availability / tenure access to land

Land Utilization           

weed control contamination and testing permaculture as it relates to urban farm closing the nutrient and energy loop - how? water issue intentional inclusion of permaculture practices soil development land use land - big, affordable, uncontaminated water issues permaculture

Business Support & Development        

job creation opportunities connected with urban farming best practices / certification / recognition marketing visibility and availability of local food best practices for urban farmers recognition as a legitimate and beneficial profession urban farming society formation for-profit urban farming (entrepreneurial urban farming)


41

      

how to better connect producers and consumers cheap access to farmers markets markets assistance for new farmers. How to make it easier for entry. mexican labour marketing development and support of entrepreneurial urban farming

Government Support  policy barriers  legalizing sale of foods grown in city  legal issues  community and municipal support in making urban farming an economically viable profession  strategies for support from a municipal government level  tax incentives for land owners  municipal land use policies / zoning  bylaws  temporary zoning and use of open lots  ordinance barriers to doing the work  current policies for urban farming Financing, Managing risk      

what are the tricks to making urban farming economically, financially feasible can we make a living urban farming? issues around insurance and liability, particularly regarding sales of produce urban farm business licensing and insurance (collective?) financial viability / business planning how to raise initial capital

Infrastructure and Operations      

raised bed building education and technical support soil building in the city (materials, pick-up, drop-off) collective resources (tiller, truck, tools) urban compost production (how to produce, recycle enough nutrients in the city?) new / young farmer training

Community    

engaging interest and support from community provincial network of urban farmers building awareness of urban farming outside the "inside" community how to get the neighbours on board and supportive

Big Picture  No stickies


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Advocacy & NGO Groups

Land Access  Access to land for urban farmers  Access to land  Access to land Land Utilization    

use of public land for urban farming soil testing soil, soil, soil - composting in the city respect environmental concerns I.e. water contamination

Business Support & Development      

demonstrating capacity of urban farmers to produce food addressing barriers for aspiring urban farmers Farm-gate sales efficacy of different business models to start an urban farm adaptable business models for urban farming how to market urban farming product

Government Support  Financial incentives from all levels of government  bylaw development


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      

supportive bylaws how to legitimize urban farming (in eyes of public and government) how to affect policy changes at municipal level local government role in supporting urban farming municipal support (leases, land) for urban farming respectful consultation how to incentivize land-use policy for residential zones to promote urban farms

Financing, Managing risk  access to capital  determining metrics and indicators for success Infrastructure and Operations  access to compost  ways of creating processing and distribution networks to support farmers  food safety (and training) Community    

connection to rural farmers respect for neighbours conflicts among multiple users (including urban farmers) of public land how to engage public and food consumers



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Government / Planners

Land Access  Access to land for urban farmers  Access to land  Access to land Land Utilization    


Business Support & Development      


Government Support      

Financial incentives from all levels of government bylaw development supportive bylaws how to legitimize urban farming (in eyes of public and government) how to affect policy changes at municipal level local government role in supporting urban farming


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 municipal support (leases, land) for urban farming  respectful consultation  how to incentivize land-use policy for residential zones to promote urban farms Financing, Managing risk  access to capital  determining metrics and indicators for success Infrastructure and Operations  access to compost  ways of creating processing and distribution networks to support farmers  food safety (and training) Community    




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Business

Land Access  Land tenure challenges  Access to land Land Utilization  contamination  local food production counters climate change Business Support & Development  collective purchasing and sharing  growing the urban farming market  new city market concept  how can urban farms be self-sustaining? Not relying on grant funds Government Support  policies to encourage more backyard growing Financing, Managing risk    

affordable products for all income levels aggregation for small farmers to sell product urban farming models that are financially sustainable innovative financing to kick-start urban farming


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Infrastructure and Operations      

zero waste systems rooftop farming tools needed tools needing improvement containers mobile beds

Community  race  urban farming awareness in our communities Big Picture  how to fuel change around food


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Academics

Land Access  

How do we convince non-farmer land owners to make their land available to farmers Access to land

Land Utilization  soil building Business Support & Development  labour - how to make it work  building the business case within a community context Government Support  city of vancouver support / funding for urban agriculture  legalities Financing, Managing risk  economic viability Infrastructure and Operations    

education and knowledge sharing sharing resources in the city (tools, greenhouse for start, other ideas?) portable plots

Community  building social capital  connecting urban farm produce to food preservation and community kitchens Big Picture  No stickies


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Others

Land Access     

Mapping available land (city, park, school, private residences) LLAFF linking land and future farmers legal leases with land owners in urban setting institutionalized incentices for land owners to open land to farming land tenure, especially covenants Access (land)

Land Utilization  no stickies Business Support & Development    

market opportunities for urban farmers - connections to other food / farm businesses economics coordinated farms producing together microbusiness models, trade, barter models

Government Support     

getting urban agriculture recognized and supported by municipality laws legal support for farmers for creating lease agreements with landowners what to regulated and what not to emerging policy on urban farming - examples from other cities municipal policy that supports farm land


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Financing, Managing risk  no stickies Infrastructure and Operations   

mapping available farmland in Metro Vancouver (urban and suburban)… database support to link land and farmers explore advocacy and education to promote local organic food production (amongst consumers to increase market) start organizing a collective buying group for farming needs (compost, inputs, supplies)

Community   

  

urban / rural connections connections to rural farmers how to create full-circle regional systems - where farmers and consumers can work together to grow all food including protein, grains, oils etc. within a region… not just veggies collaboration how to connect to other food system goals walk away with urban farmers feeling agency with how they are represented

Big Picture 

climate change


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APPENDIX C - Stickie notes – by theme In this section, answers are organized by theme group and clustered in sub-categories by constituent.

Government Supports Farmers           

policy barriers legalizing sale of foods grown in city legal issues community and municipal support in making urban farming an economically viable profession strategies for support from a municipal government level tax incentives for land owners municipal land use policies / zoning bylaws temporary zoning and use of open lots ordinance barriers to doing the work current policies for urban farming

Advocacy / NGO      

how cities can actively attract urban farmers building codes - agriculture infrastructure policy changes policy development (refinement) to allow sale of local food in areas where people are food sovereignity - make Vancouver like Sedgewick, Maine bylaws - changes that will facilitate sale of fresh food by growers and non-profit organizations

Government         

Financial incentives from all levels of government bylaw development supportive bylaws how to legitimize urban farming (in eyes of public and government) how to affect policy changes at municipal level local government role in supporting urban farming municipal support (leases, land) for urban farming respectful consultation how to incentivize land-use policy for residential zones to promote urban farms

Business 

policies to encourage more backyard growing


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Academics  

city of vancouver support / funding for urban agriculture legalities

Others     

getting urban agriculture recognized and supported by municipality laws legal support for farmers for creating lease agreements with landowners what to regulated and what not to emerging policy on urban farming - examples from other cities municipal policy that supports farm land

Business Support and Development Farmers               

job creation opportunities connected with urban farming best practices / certification / recognition marketing visibility and availability of local food best practices for urban farmers recognition as a legitimate and beneficial profession urban farming society formation for-profit urban farming (entrepreneurial urban farming) how to better connect producers and consumers cheap access to farmers markets markets assistance for new farmers. How to make it easier for entry. mexican labour marketing development and support of entrepreneurial urban farming

Advocacy / NGO  

cooperative marketing and sales marketing

Government      



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Business    

collective purchasing and sharing growing the urban farming market new city market concept how can urban farms be self-sustaining? Not relying on grant funds

Academics  

labour - how to make it work building the business case within a community context

Others    

market opportunities for urban farmers - connections to other food / farm businesses economics coordinated farms producing together microbusiness models, trade, barter models

Infrastructure and Operations Farmers      

raised bed building education and technical support soil building in the city (materials, pick-up, drop-off) collective resources (tiller, truck, tools) urban compost production (how to produce, recycle enough nutrients in the city?) new / young farmer training

Advocacy / NGO      

aquaponics aquaponics indoor / apartment farming develop programs for free for people who then provide teaching and labour have website for site listing and registration (example permaculture and natural building) have online suggestions for people to see, steps to use (and that is not in use - e.g. guerrilla gardening with permission)

Government   

access to compost ways of creating processing and distribution networks to support farmers food safety (and training)


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Business      

zero waste systems rooftop farming tools needed tools needing improvement containers mobile beds

Academics    

education knowledge sharing sharing resources in the city (tools, greenhouse for start, other ideas?) portable plots

Others   

mapping available farmland in Metro Vancouver (urban and suburban)… database support to link land and farmers explore advocacy and education to promote local organic food production (amongst consumers to increase market) start organizing a collective buying group for farming needs (compost, inputs, supplies)

Land Utilization Farmers           

weed control contamination and testing permaculture as it relates to urban farm closing the nutrient and energy loop - how? water issue intentional inclusion of permaculture practices soil development land use land - big, affordable, uncontaminated water issues permaculture

Advocacy / NGO     

land quality what crops what should urban farmers be growing? develop free online handbook to teach how to regenerate polluted land (pollution, filtering plants) permaculture


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Government    


Business  

contamination local food production counters climate change

Academics 

soil building

Others 

no stickies

Community Farmers    

engaging interest and support from community provincial network of urban farmers building awareness of urban farming outside the "inside" community how to get the neighbours on board and supportive

Advocacy / NGO 

how to outreach to and teach surrounding community

Government    


Business  

race urban farming awareness in our communities

Academics 

building social capital


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

connecting urban farm produce to food preservation and community kitchens

Others   

  

urban / rural connections connections to rural farmers how to create full-circle regional systems - where farmers and consumers can work together to grow all food including protein, grains, oils etc. within a region… not just veggies collaboration how to connect to other food system goals walk away with urban farmers feeling agency with how they are represented.

Land access Farmers    

Arable land availability land access land availability / tenure access to land

Advocacy / NGO   

mechanisms for land access land access undeveloped land-use policy

Government   

Access to land for urban farmers Access to land Access to land

Business  

Land tenure challenges Access to land

Academics  

How do we convince non-farmer land owners to make their land available to farmers Access to land

Others   

Mapping available land (city, park, school, private residences) LLAFF linking land and future farmers legal leases with land owners in urban setting institutionalized incentices for land owners to open land to farming


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 

land tenure, especially covenants Access (land)

Financing & Managing Growth Farmers      

what are the tricks to making urban farming economically, financially feasible can we make a living urban farming? issues around insurance and liability, particularly regarding sales of produce urban farm business licensing and insurance (collective?) financial viability / business planning how to raise initial capital

Advocacy / NGO 

viability

Government  

access to capital determining metrics and indicators for success

Business    

affordable products for all income levels aggregation for small farmers to sell product urban farming models that are financially sustainable innovative financing to kick-start urban farming

Academics 

economic viability

Others 

no stickies


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Big Picture Farmers 

No stickies

Advocacy / NGO  

reality of urban farming future of urban farming

Government 

No stickies

Business 

how to fuel change around food

Academics 

No stickies

Others 

climate change


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