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2019 National Farm to School Conference, Victoria BC
May 15, 2019 - May 17, 2019
PHABC is pleased to be the local host agency of the
Farm to Cafeteria Canada’s
2019 National Farm to School Conference
May 15th – 17th, 2019
Victoria Conference Centre
720 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC
Overview
Victoria, BC May 15 – 17, 2019 Join us as we INSPIRE, INNOVATE & organize for IMPACT to close the distance between farm and fork and bring more healthy, local & sustainable foods to the minds & plates of students, from pre-school to campus!
Building on Changing the Menu: 2015 School Food Conference, the first-ever national school food conference in Canada, with its focus on strengthening partnerships, and celebrating and inspiring action, the 2019 National Farm to School Conference will emphasize scaling-up efforts and evaluating impacts of farm and local food to school activities happening across Canada – putting more healthy, local and sustainable foods on the minds and plates of all students. This three-day event will feature field trips to inspirational projects in British Columbia, world-class keynote speakers, presentations, workshops and networking opportunities.
Who should attend?
The conference will gather over 400 expected participants from across Canada and beyond our borders, including representatives from:
- Pre-school, school and campus communities: Campus faculty and administrators, procurement officers, chefs, early childhood educators, teachers, principals, parents, students, school district and school board representatives; school food program coordinators and funders
- Non-governmental organizations:Farm to school, school food and student nutrition, after-school food programs, food security, sustainable food systems, healthy schools and communities, food literacy, and food sovereignty
- Indigenous communities: Elders, knowledge keepers, stewards of the land and students
- School food supply chains: Rural and urban farmers, fishers, pickers and harvesters; food processors, suppliers and distributors; caterers, chefs; school and community-based gardeners, and representatives from farmers’ markets and community food hubs
- Policy makers: Government officials at various jurisdictional levels, particularly from education, advanced education, health, agriculture and environmental sectors
- Researchers and evaluation staff: Studying school food, student nutrition, and sustainable food systems
- Health professionals: Dietitians, environmental health officers, public health inspectors, community developers, and school nurses
- And more: Anyone interested in the health and sustainability of people, place, and the planet is invited!
Featured Speakers
We are excited to announce our featured speakers and master of ceremonies for 2019, listed below.
Dr. Theresa Healy – Adjunct Professor, Environmental Planning, University of Northern BC, Master of Ceremonies
Carolyn Webb – Coordinator, Sustain Ontario’s Edible Education Network, Assistant Master of Ceremonies
Anupama Joshi – Executive Director, Blue Sky Funders Forum
Arzeena Hamir – Agronomist & Organic Farmer, Amara Farm
Dr. Kim Raine – Professor & Associate Dean (Research), School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Michael Ableman – Co-founder & Director, Sole Food Street Farms
Scott Graham – Credentialed Evaluator, Canadian Evaluation Society
Dr. Wayne Roberts – International Food Policy Consultant
to learn more about each speaker check out their speaker bios
Registration
Early bird rate: $250 + GST– no longer available
Standard rate: $325 + GST – available March 16, 2019 while quantities last!
Registration fees includes access to all sessions and workshops May 16th and 17th, lunch on both days, as well as snacks and coffee. Registration rate does not include any field trips.
Click here to register.
Field Trips
- Wild Harvest Foraging Workshop and Coastal School Visit – Sooke Area
Full day – $50 (SOLD OUT)
Focus: This trip will explore the linkages between student food literacy, wild foods and forest stewardship, including a visit to a school with a thriving local foods program and a foraging hike on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. - Salt Spring Island Farm to School Tour – Salt Spring Island
Full day – $100 (SOLD OUT)
Focus: This trip offers an opportunity to explore an island-wide approach to Farm to School, including tours of projects based in schools and in the farming community – each contributing to one of the most vibrant and inspiring sustainable food systems in B.C. We will stop in at two different unique farms, with guest speakers and lunch being catered by a farm-to-table focused chef. We are also excited to announce that Dan Jason, author and seed saver, will join us for a discussion over lunch. - Indigenous Foodscapes
Full day $50 (SOLD OUT)
Focus: This trip will highlight approaches to Indigenous food sovereignty and ecosystem restoration by exploring connections to the land and language. It will highlight Indigenous youth engagement in reclaiming spaces and growing the next generation of leaders. We are excited to be invited for a tour of PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ to start the day. - Urban Food Systems Walking Tour – Victoria
10 am – 2 pm $15 (SOLD OUT) – Expect to walk appx 3 km in total during the tour.
Focus:This walking tour will showcase sustainable food systems in urban schools and how youth can be empowered through food by exploring a number of innovative, urban school food initiatives including the value of partnerships between schools and with small-scale urban producers. This walking tour will be hosted by Farm to School BC, CRFAIR, and LifeCycles Project – leaders in food security and youth engagement in Victoria. - Integrated Sustainable Food Systems for Students – Cowichan Valley
9am – 4pm / $75 (Maximum Capacity: 45)
Focus:This trip will provide an opportunity to visit the incredibly unique and innovative OUR ECO Village in the Cowichan Valley to explore holistic approaches to education through applied permaculture, and integrated systems. This field trip will touch on topics such as farming in the face of climate change, cob construction, green technology and sustainable animal husbandry. - Growing in the City: Urban Farming and Campus Food Initiatives
9am – 1pm / $40 (Maximum Capacity: 40)
Focus: This trip will explore sustainable food systems in Victoria’s campus and urban settings; including the UVIC campus garden and food bank, procurement and food literacy initiatives, and urban farming for local businesses at TOPSOIL, an innovative urban agriculture model ideal for schools with limited space. Come explore the diverse ways in which community-based food procurement can transform our food systems! Oh, did we mention we will be driving around in an Eco-bus???
Draft Program
We are excited to release the program for the upcoming conference, follow the link below to see the full schedule
https://farmtoschoolconference2019.ca/program/