September 25 - Annual General Meeting 2007

September 25th 6pm - 9:30pm at the Italian Cultural Centre Library.

Open to all people interested in the Slow Food Movement. The Vancouver convivium is holding its Annual General Meeting.  While we have business we will have a guest speaker followed by a catered reception. 
For your voice to be heard for the election of officers and other business of Slow Food Vancouver, you must be a member in good standing.  Membership is available by emaling

Our Guest Speaker is Kim Sutherland, Slow Food Member and regional Agrologist, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.  She will speak about the Agriculture Production System in the Fraser Valley. 

The Fraser Valley is one of the best agriculture areas in North America and the world. So much so, that if the United Nations ever put together a list of world heritage sites for agriculture--places that ranked as the very best and most important agriculture areas, the Fraser Valley would be high on the list.  It is very small in size, yet, due to its wonderful climate, great soils, great water supply, expert and ethnically diverse farmers and close proximity to a diverse and large urban population, it ranks as a vital food producing region.  Rarely do the areas that we depend on for food have so many agricultural attributes as the Fraser Valley.  The main threat to this area is urbanization and Kim’s motivation is to inform the urban public on what they have, as it is difficult to make a decision on protecting that which you do not understand. 

The 120,000 hectares of farmland within the Fraser Valley - a tiny patch by agriculture standards, is the most important single area in the world for the production of high bush blueberry.  The accolades go on and on… it is one of the very best natural areas in the world for dairy production, with some of the best dairy herds found anywhere. The Fraser Valley has a tremendous capacity for growing a very wide variety of crops producing over 200 commercial commodities and counting.  It is the top growing area in Canada for blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and greenhouse peppers. 

The purpose of Kim’s talk is to reveal this remarkable, unique agriculture area, and to give an uninitiated urban listener a framework by which to understand and appreciate the agriculture that is right in Vancouver’s back yard.  She will also give the listener a bit of insight into the impact of peak oil and climate change on the North American agriculture production system, which is even more reason to appreciate what we now have, and the stability in food supply that the Fraser Valley offers.

Join us on September 25. Register to receive email updates.