Last year, the Lillooet Agriculture and Food Society applied for funding to create promotional videos for our local food and agriculture scene.

LAFS hired Brad Kasselman of Coast Mountain Photography to create four segments, each with a different theme. We are very excited to be launching this amazing work this spring!

The videos really do speak for themselves, and each have a slightly different variation on the Lillooet Grown theme – Taste, Discover and Grow are shorter edits, which you can find on our website at About > Lillooet.

On our main page, you will find the full length video, Destination Lillooet: www.lillooetagricultureandfood.org

When you have time, sit down, take a moment, and appreciate this wonderful place that we get to grow and share food.

Here’s a list provided by Lillooet Food Matters (via Farm Folk City Folk) of BC Seed companies who grow their own seeds.

• BC Eco Seed Co-op
• Good Earth Farm
• Laughing Swan Farm
• Omega Blue Farms
• Planting Seeds Project 
• RavenSong Seeds
• Rebecca’s Garden
• Saanich Organics
• Small Island Seed Co.
• Sunshine Farm Seeds
• Naramata Seeds
• Full Circle Seeds
• Salt Spring Seeds

Another excellent source for seeds companies, though it is Canada-wide, is Seeds of Diversity www.seeds.ca. Their website includes an easy-to-use search engine. And of course there are seeds available in Lillooet! Timber Mart and True Value carry West Coast Seeds and Pacific Northwest Seeds.

We encourage you to order seeds soon as there is a high demand this year due to the increased interest in food security.

Friday, September 18th

Lillooet Farmers’ Market 8:30am to 1pm

Seed to Culture ~ Open 1pm to 6pm

Fort Berens Winery ~ Open 10am to 6pm

Riley Creek Farm ~ drop-ins welcome from 12pm to 5pm

Cliff and Gorge Vineyards ~ call to book a tour 250-256-8000


Saturday, September 19th

Fort Berens Winery ~ Open 10am to 6pm
Concert at 6:30pm!  Book tickets in advance.

Riley Creek Farm ~ drop-ins welcome from 12pm to 5pm
1 hour guided tour starts at 11am
Spray Creek Ranch ~ drop-ins welcome 10:00 - 17:00 
1.5 hour guided tour starts at 2pm!

Cliff and Gorge Vineyards ~ call to book a tour 250-256-8000


Sunday, September 20th

Fort Berens Winery ~ Open 10am to 6pm

Riley Creek Farm ~ drop-ins welcome from 12pm to 5pm
1 hour guided tour starts at 11am!

Spray Creek Ranch ~ drop-ins welcome 10:00 - 17:00 
1.5 hour guided tour starts at 2pm!

Cliff and Gorge Vineyards ~ call to book a tour 250-256-8000

The Lillooet Agriculture & Food Society, a non-profit society supporting local farmers, ranchers and growers, needs a LILLOOET GROWN VIDEO MARKETING CAMPAIGN and is accepting proposals in response to this Request for Proposal (this “RFP,” or this “Request for Proposal”) to find a qualified source to provide a LILLOOET GROWN VIDEO MARKETING CAMPAIGN. Our goal with the LILLOOET GROWN VIDEO MARKETING CAMPAIGN is to:

Assist the agricultural community with the development of a common local identity or brand.  This video series will continue building brand recognition and trust with our target audiences by producing and deploying a series of short promotional videos. 

The objective of this Request for Proposal is to locate a contractor or professional that will provide the best overall plan to the LILLOOET AGRICULTURE & FOOD SOCIETY. While price is a significant factor, other criteria will form the basis of our award decision, as more fully described in the Evaluation Factors section of this Request for Proposal here.

Proposals must be received prior to July 22, 2020 to be considered.

The Lillooet Agriculture & Food Society, a non-profit society supporting local farmers, ranchers and growers, needs a STORAGE FACILITY STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN and is accepting proposals in response to this Request for Proposal (this “RFP,” or this “Request for Proposal”) to find a qualified source to provide a COLD STORAGE FACILITY STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN. Our goal with the COLD STORAGE BUSINESS PLAN is to:

Allow stakeholders to align their business activities with the vision of the venture and to set realistic goals, as well as keep them on track and benchmark progress. The plan will allow the business enterprise to adapt quickly to a changing environment, both internally and externally, and overcome potential problems by looking to the future. The business strategy will help build consensus with stakeholders on venture direction, financial projections and building costs. 

After the completion of the business plan, stakeholders would leverage this business plan to implement necessary steps and to attract more funders and partners in the enterprise.

The objective of this Request for Proposal is to locate a contractor or professional that will provide the best overall plan to the LILLOOET AGRICULTURE & FOOD SOCIETY. While price is a significant factor, other criteria will form the basis of our award decision, as more fully described in the Evaluation Factors section of this Request for Proposal here.

While Farmers’ Markets have been deemed an essential service, they will be very limited both in vendors and access. At least for a while longer.

In light of this predicament for farmers and producers, the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets is helping markets across the province go online this year!  Thanks to the generous support of the Ministry of Agriculture Buy BC program and Vancity, the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets will cover the fees for the 2020 season.

The Lillooet Market will be online on the Local Line platform.
Here, you will be able to order from lots of your favourite farmers, and have your food delivered to a pick up location that is convenient for you!

Here is the link to our online market:
https://www.localline.ca/lillooet-farmers-market

With the support of Area B Director Vivian Birch-Jones, the Lillooet Agriculture and Food Society applied to the SLRD for funding to support having a staff person for pick-up and delivery.  

Starting May 22nd, Seed to Culture will be open on Fridays from 1pm – 6pm for Local Line order deliveries and pickup.

(Don’t forget that you are welcome to order from our online store starting today!  You can specify pick-up or delivery details with each vendor.)

The Farmers’ Market board of directors will be re-assessing having a physical market at the end of the month, so keep an eye out for more info about our physical market.

Don’t hesitate to email us at lillooetagricultureandfood@gmail.com or call 778-887-2027 if you have any questions about your local, online shopping experience!

Good Agriculture Practices seem to be the topic of the moment.

Governments have found that, “There is little or no legislation that refers to “safe food.” However, there is Legislation that prohibits selling “unsafe food.” This would include the sale of any unsafe food being sold from a farm…. There are no specific standards in legislation for every type of commodity that may be produced on farm.”

A few health scares, including several cases of BSE, salmonella and E.Coli have made both consumers and governments aware of the risks of mass-production and long-distance shipping.  With goods being dispersed in all directions from a single farm, at times globally, when something goes wrong it can result in massive recalls and a huge impact both on the consumers as well as producers.  Good agricultural practices have therefore been put in place as a way to try and create more comprehensive guidelines for food and beverages produced on farm.

It is noted on the B.C. government website that the document, “…includes good practices for food safety purposes only governing the use of agricultural inputs, identification and labelling, storage, loading and transportation of the plant or animal product on the farm and to the farm gate.  It does not detail practices that apply to the animal after it leaves the farm.”
This, however, is the first step in increased traceability of goods, and a way to ensure that producers and consumers alike are protected.  “Establishing a food safety plan helps identify the policies and practices in place on the farm and who is responsible for ensuring they occur” – uwyo.ed.
“Some farms may be required to be certified for having GAPs in place and may have developed a farm food safety plan (perhaps by a buyer such as a wholesaler, retailer, restaurant or institution). But no matter whether you sell food or not, or are required to have a plan or not, be sure to take reasonable measure to reduce the risks” –uwyo.ed.

However, this is no easy certification for a producer.  It is extremely involved, and costly both in time and fees. The good news is that there are two GAPs workshops planned for this winter/early spring – one in Pemberton and one here in Lillooet.

The Pemberton Farmer’s Institute is hosting a two-day CanadaGAP workshop February 4-5, sponsored by Feed BC and the BC Ministry of Agriculture. This two-day workshop is for fruit and vegetable producers interested in growing their business by selling into the retail, wholesale or food service markets, or who are already selling through these channels and require certification under the CanadaGAP Program.

Benefits of attending the workshop:
– You will learn how to prepare and implement a Good Agricultural Practices program for fruit and vegetable handling, washing and packing, that aligns with the CanadaGAP voluntary food safety certification program
– Start your CanadaGAP record keeping documentation at the workshop
– Learn how a Traceability program supports your mock recall
– Learn how to apply for funding opportunities through the Canadian Agricultural – Partnership programs to support your on-farm food safety practices

The workshop is restricted to a maximum of 20 participants and is free of charge (lunch is provided). Please register by contacting Anna Helmer, President of the Pemberton Farmer’s Institute, at 604-966-8460 or by email at annahelmer@hotmail.com

The Lillooet workshop dates are TBD, but if you would like to put your name on the list, you can email lillooetagricultureandfood@gmail.com or call 778-887-2027. It will likely take place in late February or early March – we will put the word out as soon as dates are confirmed.

 

Have you heard?! Lillooet Grown is now on Instagram!

  We’re excited to be connected in on one of today’s most-used social media platforms. Bi-weekly posts of locally grown goodness and recipes, as well as a “Friday Feature” of local businesses – growers, producers and makers.  Hop on over to Insta and give us a follow now @lillooet_grown to keep up with the amazing things that are grown, hand-crafted, and created right here in Lillooet.

If you’re a business and have a really great post that you would like to have featured, don’t hesitate to send us a DM with your request. Our aim is to support the food system, but artisanal goods available at the market or around town are also welcome additions to the feed. Happy to share events to get the word out, as we are aiming to connect with business locally as well as regionally in order to strengthen networks and knowledge.

What would you like to see on our Insta? Drop us a line! Facebook, Instagram or email – lillooetagricultureandfood@gmail.com – are all options for reaching out and making suggestions or asking questions.

Looking forward to a year of discovering Lillooet Grown products, produce and people!

This past March, the Lillooet Agriculture and Food Society (LAFS) took on the Lillooet Hops and Grapes Society as a committee, with the intention of continuing to hold an annual Fall Fair/Harvest Festival Event. The Harvest Festival has been held at Fort Berens Winery for the past few years, and expanded last year to include several workshops put on by LAFS. The event has been a big draw for people along the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, and has had up to 600 attendees. The goal of the Harvest Festival has been to showcase the growing wine and beer industry in the area, foods grown and prepared by local businesses, and arts and crafts made by regional artisans. Lillooet Agriculture and Food Society would like to continue these traditions, and to focus on local produce, farmers, agriculture and fun! Activities for people of all ages will continue to be mainstays, from the very popular Logger Sports competition, to games for the whole family to enjoy. Entertainment such as musical acts, hand drumming and dancing, and salmon cutting demonstrations by Xwisten will also continue to be a part of the event. We are hoping to expand the food options, and to hold some traditional fall-fair competitions, such as “Most Interesting Apricot Preserve” and Largest Zucchini. Our aim is to collaborate with as many local non-profits and small businesses as we can in order to create a successful and sustainable event celebrating local agriculture and Lillooet livelihoods for years to come. LAFS has chosen to postpone the event this year until 2020, in the hopes of being able to gather more support from other local non-profits, businesses. We hope to build connections at the Lillooet Fall Festival, to increase the amount of people growing and eating local, Lillooet food, and to celebrate the beautiful diversity and resilience of our small town. Do you have ideas for what you would like to see at a Fall Festival event? Would the non-profit or charity you’re involved with want to help out?  We will be holding a Community Conversation in partnership with our Community Coordinator, Kim North, on November 2nd, at the Rec Centre in Room 203.  All ideas, thoughts and contributions welcome. Contact LAFS at lillooetagricultureandfood@gmail.com or 778-887-2027 with any questions, concerns or comments regarding the Fall Festival 2020!