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Farmers put food hub on wish list Fields Forward Society advancing local opportunities in Kootenays


by TOM WALKER CRESTON – Fields Forward


Society in Creston is now in its third year of supporting Kootenay farmers, and an emerging priority is a food hub. “We held our third annual


forum and stakeholders’ meeting in March,” says Elizabeth Quinn, strategic planner with Fields Forward. “A lot of conversations centered on a food hub and how that can add value to the farmer.”


A top priority among the


five discussion groups at the forum was aggregation, distribution and marketing, says Quinn.


This led to the pilot this summer of an online marketplace for local farmers to reach consumers. She says it’s similar to the Cowichan Valley Co-operative Marketplace Cow-Op program in Duncan. “It’s an online ordering platform,” says Quinn.


“Farmers post what they want to promote on Sunday, the orders close and they are filled on Wednesday and it’s dropped off at a central location on Thursday.” While interest from


restaurants has been strong because it makes purchasing easier for them, Quinn says the pilot will determine just how many farmers will find it useful.


A meeting was held in late July to consider the formation of a Kootenay Farms Co-op. “[We’re] in a position to


support the development of a co-op, however the farmers would have to lead by forming a board,” notes Quinn. “As a non-profit society, we can’t do it on their behalf. We would help them with the administration and set up, and the mission statement, vision and business model, but they would ultimately have to lead.” Meanwhile, the Kootenay


mobile juice press is into its second season of full operation. The press was purchased last summer after the success of a contract juicer in 2016. “We processed over 500,000 lbs of cherries and apples last fall,” notes Quinn. “We have processed cherries for about 10 producers so far this year and will be moving on to culled cherries purchased from one of the valley’s largest growers.” The irony, Quinn notes, is that in previous years orchardists would have paid to send their culls to the landfill. Once Fields Forward established a value for the discarded fruit, the growers decided to charge the society for the culls. “We had originally hoped that this would be a revenue stream for us, but now the farmers have realized the value,” says Quinn. “We are keeping them out of the landfill, however, which is a good thing.”


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Some of the cherry juice goes to three distillers. What has yet to be found is a home for the pulp left over. “We have an idea for the


cherry mash; there is just so much of it,” says Quinn. “We have worked with a food scientist to establish the product, and applied for money to do a feasibility study.”


The problem, she notes, is that the nearest contract manufacturer is in Kelowna. “We have to determine if it


is feasible to ship all the way to Kelowna for our processing,” she says. “We have small commercial kitchens here in Creston but nothing [large].” The provincial government wants to see regional commissaries developed, says Quinn. “It would support people


who are interested in value- added processing by giving them access to equipment,” she notes. “So we are thinking about this.”


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • SEPTEMBER 2018


Farming matters


by MYRNA STARK LEADER


KELOWNA –


Agriculture is one of five sectors highlighted in the 2018 regional economic development profile the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (COEDC) released in mid-August. “The central


Okanagan has a strong and diverse business ecosystem,” notes COEDC director Corie Griffiths. Farm and food processing operations in the region continue to grow and provide a range of products that meet market changes in taste and preference, according to the report. It notes the region has 23,461 hectares of farmland. But of the region’s 194,882 residents, just 2.2% are employed in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting. The region has 1,300 farm operators employing 1,585 people. Another 100 workers support farm activities and 685 people work in beverage manufacturing. The region’s top five


employers include Sun- Rype Products Ltd., Canrim Packaging Ltd., Okanagan Tree Fruit Co-operative, Bylands Nurseries Ltd. and Quails’ Gate Vineyards Estate Winery Ltd. Agriculture in the


region is supported though food processing facilities, administration infrastructure, post- secondary horticulture and agriculture programs, reliable transportation routes, and proximity to dense population centres. There continues to be


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burgeoning interest in local agritourism experiences. COEDC provides economic development services to the communities of Lake Country, Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, West Kelowna, Peachland and east and west electoral areas within the regional district. Other industries singled out in the study include animation/film/ digital media, healthcare, information and communications technology (ICT) and manufacturing/ aerospace.


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