Community Food Open House: A Neighborhood Response

community food imageSaturday January 21, 11-3 pm

What do food and community mean to you?

Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association seeks to build a thriving community and food hub beginning 2012. As a community, we want to know what is important to you when it comes to food and what community based food security might look like.

Join us for an interactive day filled with invigorating presentations, workshops, food and fun. Learn about different perspectives of food security and what that might mean to you. Help us to discover what is possible, what inspires and what is necessary.

Itinerary

Discussion: what do food and community mean to you? — All day!

Snacks begin at 11

Build your own terrarium (while supplies last) — 11am

Presentation by ABC Bees — 11:45 pm

Build your own global bucket–12:30pm

Feature Film: Fresh! The Movie — 1 pm Watch the Trailer

Presentation by Blue Mountain Dynamic Farms –2 pm

This is a FREE AND PUBLIC event. Everyone is welcome!

Presentations & Collaborations By:

Kris Vester, Blue Mountain Dynamic Farms & President of Slow    Food Calgary
Bio Dynamic Farmer, Slow Food President and Food Activist, Kris has a deep knowledge of food systems from many angles. Not only is he passionate about food, he is also passionate about community which is apparent in his open and welcoming presence. Kris holds a whole system perspective when it comes to food being from earth to table. His presentation style is straight forward and surely will expand our horizons on how we relate to food and community. Blue Mountain Dynamic Farms; Slow Food Calgary

Elise Watson, Apraries Bees and Communities
Founder of ABC Bees, Elise is the queen bee of urban bee keeping. With her buzzing energy, wit and passion, one cannot help but be inspired by her presence and stories. Some of her work includes urban bee keeping courses, collective purchase of bees, foster care and rescue, public speaking and education. Her knowledge and experience bring a unique and critical perspective to community food and local food security. You won’t want to miss out on this opportunity to engage with Elise. ABC BeesAnd: Explore current programs, future programs and engage with the City of Calgary Food Commitee and learn about the city food assessment.

All at: Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association  –1320 5th Ave NW

Thanks to our sponsors The Calgary Foundation, for their amazing support!

The Calgary Foundation

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We're hiring

(cross posted at Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association)

The Opportunity: Farmer’s Market Coordinator (Part-time, 12 months)

About the Opportunity
The Farmer’s Market Coordinator is a contract part-time position requiring approximately 10 hrs/wk with potentially up to full-time hours during the Farmer’s Market Open Season. The position’s primary function is to develop and direct HSCA’s seasonal outdoor Farmer’s Market in accordance with the market’s guiding principles and with a view of fostering a sense of community around food. Specific responsibilities include:

  • Vendor and facility management (communications, bookings, set-up/take-down)
  • Volunteer Management;
  • Advertising and Marketing
  • Licensing, Registrations and Reporting
  • Program growth and development
  • Grant writing

The HSCA is also currently exploring opportunities for expanding its role in addressing food security issues in the community, in particular for those residents who face the greatest barriers to accessing wholesome, locally grown food. The HSCA Farmer’s Market Coordinator will be responsible for leading new initiatives as they emerge.

About You
You ideally have 2 years related experience as well as some post-secondary education in any one of the following areas: business, community development, non-profit or volunteer management, education or sustainable agriculture. As a strategic thinker, you are able to deliver on social, environmental and financial desired outcomes by employing your skills in program, people and issues management. Your flexibility to work a fluctuating schedule, especially should HSCA expand its programming around addressing Food Security issues in the community, will enable you to grow this portfolio to become a permanent full-time responsibility. You are highly organized and a strong communicator, and you love to be surrounded by people like yourself who are passionate about community development and making a difference.

You do not want to miss out on this opportunity. If you agree, then please forward your resume and cover letter to Quentin at mydreamjobis@hillhurstsunnyside.org.

We will continue to receive applications until the right person is found!

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Community Potluck and Film Night

After a long haul of the holidays, how about coming down to to HSCA for a community meal and a family friendly film? Don’t worry, it wont interfere with your post holiday budgeting plans, and we will host! so you can kick back and relax.

Thursday, January 12, 2012
5-10pm
Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association
1320 5 Avenue NW

The film is free, and so is the fire place. We love local foods, though anything that can feed yourself and another is just fantastic!

This event is part of our exploration in possibilities for community food programing at HSCA in 2012. We also are excited to hear your plans for the new year and too, your experience over the holiday season.

**Film begins at 6 pm. Hope you to see you there :)

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Harvest Fair and Last Market Awesomeness

And the season ended like this:

Biggest Pumpkin

Thanks to the Calgary Horticultural Society, our special judges, volunteers, The Calgary Foundation, our vendors, and you, the patrons, for making this market season something special. See you all at the Holiday Market in December!

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Judges, Prizes and Giant Vegetables

Our Harvest Market is fast approaching, and all the pieces are falling into place.
We are excited to let you know about our line up of judges:

Scott Gedak, President of the Calgary Horticultural Society
Quentin Sinclair: HSCA Executive Director
Donna Balzar: CBC Gardening Expert,author of ‘No Guff Gardening’
Julie Van Rosendaal: Author and CBC Food columnist
Shelley Smith: River Cafe General Manager
Andrew Winfield: River Cafe Head Chef

And of course we need to mention our line up of fabulous prizes! Winners get a blue ribbon and bragging rights. There will also be prizes drawn from amongst all the entries. A $100 gift certificate from the River Cafe, a $125 couples membership package for Slow Food Calgary, Gift Certificates to Pages Books and Sunnyside and Greengate Garden Centres, a free bouncy castle rental from the HSCA, and a food basket from the vendors at our market, are just some of the fabulous prizes available to be won!

A reminder that entries need to be in by 7 pm on Tuesday October 4th, and will be judged that same night. All entries will be on display during market hours Oct 5th, and need to be picked up by 7:30 that night if you want to reclaim them.

Children's harvest fair fun

See you at the Fair!

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Hillhurst-Sunnyside Harvest Fair

The Hillhurst/Sunnyside Farmers’ Market, along with the Community Gardens Resource Network (a Project of the Calgary Horticultural Society) and the Calgary Permaculture Guild are excited to announce the inaugural Harvest Fair, to be held during the last Farmers’ Market of the season on October 5th (3:30-7:30).

An urban agriculture fair, it is based on the classic harvest fairs hosted in many rural communities.   This event presents an opportunity to admire what has been grown in this most unlikely source of bounty: the city.  With categories across the spectrum, from best tasting tomato to largest pumpkin, and special entries for children, (such as best vegetable sculpture) and teens (best chocolate chip cookie for example) it will definitely be a sight (and taste) to behold.

With a growing interest in local foods, community gardens, and lowering our food carbon footprint, this will be a showcase of what Calgary’s urban farmers can do … in their own backyards!  There will be a panel of celebrity and horticultural expert judges, and plenty of red ribbons to go around.

Check out the rules, dress up your veggies, and we’ll see you at the Fair!Giant pumpkin, small child

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