The group that brought you FoodX this past June is organizing another community gathering to continue the discussion around Cochrane’s food system.
Karla Cox from Provisions Permaculture said they would be inviting everyone who attended the original FoodX event, and that newcomers were welcome.
Cox said the date of the event would be Sept. 18 and begin at 7 p.m. at Mitford Park.
The original FoodX event was held June 6 at St. Andrew’s Church and connected over 100 members of the community. The Cochrane CookHouse, Provisions Permaculture and the Cochrane Environmental Action Committee (CEAC) worked to put the event together.
Cox said the original event was to teach about food systems in the community and to be part of developing a system that could be more sustainable within the community, rather than relying on a corporate system.
The event had three speakers with various specialties and an open forum for people to ask questions. After the forum, people could cast their votes on various topics and speak about their concerns.
“We are really aware of where everybody’s interests lie and what they feel about most strongly,” said Cox.
They are now ready to move forward and put those items into action, according to Cox. The upcoming event will see the organizing of committees and action items based on the feedback they received during the first meeting.
Cox mentioned that one of the hottest topics was urban hen keeping, which has been well talked about and has seen pilot projects popping up all over Alberta. A recent online survey on urban agriculture activities in Airdrie showed that nearly 60 per cent of people surveyed were in favour of urban hen keeping.
Cox explained that the important thing is for these focus groups to be organized and educated so that when they do present items to town council, they will be knowledgeable of potential issues and therefore more reputable.
Cox said that the reason this issue is particularly important to Cochrane is because the community is (never say ‘we’) surrounded by “fantastic producers and some of the best farmland in the world” – meaning we can be sustainable as a community.
“When we go to Safeway, we’re not making a choice. We’re letting the large corporations make that choice for us,” said Cox. “It’s not sustainable because those products come from hundreds of miles away.”
Cox teaches permaculture design, showing people how to install food-bearing systems. She pointed out that there is no (don’t use the word ‘you’) need for an enormous amount of space in order to provide food for a family.
“Teaching people about that is really important and empowering,” she said. “Every time you purchase food, you cast a vote, so being aware of where it is coming from is really important.”
Cox said to check FoodX’s Facebook page for updates on the event.
