September/October
2010 Issue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
___________________
Manitoba Food Network
Survey
Please consider taking 15 minutes of your time to help strengthen
Food Maters Manitoba by helping us to collect information on food
networking in the province.
A survey by researches at the University of Toronto in affiliation
with Food Matters Manitoba, is aimed at all organizations and
groups in Manitoba working on food related issues.
Please have one representative of your group or organization fill
in this survey.
|
____________________
Please Join Us September 29th, 2010
For the 2009-2010 Food Matters
Manitoba Annual General Meeting, and Manitoba Food Security Network
meeting.
Venue:
Multi-purpose Room,
St. Matthew's Church,
641 St. Matthew's Ave
Time:
AGM 12:00-12:30pm
Share and Learn 12:30-3:00pm
Come learn about what we
have been up to this year and then join us as members of the
Manitoba Food Security Network and share what you have been
doing!
Lunch is provided. If you are unable to attend in person, but would
like to be involved, conference call options are available.
Please RSVP by September 22nd, 2010 by e-mail, or call (204) 743-0822.
|
|
Greetings!
Welcome to the first edition of
Food Matters Manitoba's new (more environmentally friendly!)
E-Newsletter! Don't forget to check out our Upcoming Events section
to see what's going on in your community!
If you would like to submit a story or an event to be included in
future issues of FMM E-News, please e-mail our communications team. The content submission
deadline for the November/December E-News issue will be Friday,
October 29th.
Thanks for reading!
Start off by reminding your members why their membership is
important and what their efforts have achieved. Thank them for
their support and commitment.
|
|
Polishing up our Golden
Carrots
Everyone likes a good
carrot, especially when it's made of gold. Gold carrots aren't as
rare as you'd think either, at least not in Manitoba. This years
Golden Carrot Awards have received more than 30 nominations,
proving that there are several food champions in our
province.
The Golden Carrot Awards is one of Food
Matters Manitoba's largest events. This year, for the first time,
we've partnered with the Winnipeg Humane Society to produce a
promotional commercial for the awards; look for it on our YouTube channel in
September.
FMM hopes to see everyone at the 2010
Golden Carrot Awards, October 15th at the Manitoba
Legislative, 9:30 to 11:30 am. Come out and cheer on everyone who
has been working behind the scenes to get good food to Manitoba
tables, schools and community centres!
For more information on the 2010 Golden
Carrot Awards, and for a list of last year's winners, check out our
website.
|
FMM
2.0: The Search for Hits on the New Internet
You may have seen
it, and we're certainly proud of it! We're talking of course about
our online home: the newly revamped Foodmattersmanitoba.ca, which
launched in August. Our sleek new site is just one of the ways
we're reaching out over the World Wide Web.
We're also expanding
our presence in different online social media sites, like Facebook
and Twitter. Like many organizations, FMM has had a website for
several years now; however an organization's web presence has to
evolve to keep up with the way that people are using the
Internet.
Benefits for
all
The Internet used
to be a one-sided way to share information, where the website
owners controlled the content and users had a read-only access to
the global information system. The Web 2.0 movement has made the
Internet interactive, and users can now submit content, ask
questions, and open a dialogue with organizations. Internet users
expect a more collaborative experience now when they use the
Internet, and just having
a website is no longer enough.
A more interactive
Internet has benefits for everyone. Users get to feel more
involved, and a sense of community; this makes for more loyal
relationships with businesses and other organizations. For all
business or non-profit, an interactive web presence means new ways
to engage clients that you might not otherwise be able to
reach.
"We don't always have
the resources to get our messaging out there," explains Kreesta
Doucette, Executive Director of Food Matters Manitoba. "Manitoba is
a big province, and our staff can only be in so many places at
once. But these online tools really help us to connect, and they
make it easier for the general public to get information even if
they can't come to one of our events, or stop by our
office."
Starting
small
The reality for small
businesses and non-profits is that maintaining an online presence
can be a strain on resources that are already spread too thin. The
good news is that you don't have to be doing everything to be doing something.
Every organization
needs a good website, but that doesn't have to mean an expensive
site that is hard to update. Free (or next to free) hosting
services like WordPress and Blogger allow you to build a
professional looking site in under an hour, and updates are as fast
as sending an email.
As for social media
sites, it's usually best to start small and pick one or two tools
that best suit your organizations needs. The Big Three sites for
non-profits are usually Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but the
secret is really to knowing what your organization can offer to
users. Do you have a lot of dynamic pictures that show off your
projects? Consider a Flickr account to share those pictures with
the world. Have a videographer on staff? A YouTube channel would
open your videos up to millions of users.
Always remember that
the online world evolves rapidly, and that even if you don't get it
right the first time, you'll always get another shot. To check out
Food Matters Manitoba's new online presence, visit us at www.foodmattersmanitoba.ca. You can also find us on at
facebook.com/foodmattersmanitoba, or under foodmattersmb on
Twitter.
|
Brown
Bag Lunches: BYO Sandwich
On August 17th, Food Matters Manitoba hosted the first in an
ongoing series of Brown Bag Lunch information sessions. On the
menu: Social Marketing and Design 101.
Presenters Ashlee Espenell and Kailey Kroeker of FMM, and Stefan
Epp of the Manitoba Alternative Food Research Alliance (MAFRA), led
the crowd in a discussion about target audiences, the handy spy
features of Google Analytics, and how to avoid a cringe-worthy font
choice.
The Brown Bag Lunch sessions are open to everyone, and are designed
to be an informal venue to encourage an exchange of ideas between
the local Food Security Network partners. Next up in the lunch
series: Permaculture Cuba, featuring presenters Kelly Janz (FMM)
and Colin Anderson (Harvest Moon Society), on October 26th, at noon
at our office.
Presentation notes and handouts from the Social Marketing and
Design 101 session are available on our website.
|
Going
Green(er)
The Winnipeg Green Lifestyle &
Organic Living Show will
plant its roots in Winnipeg this weekend, and many food groups,
including Food Matters Manitoba, will be there. Stop by our booth
this Saturday and Sunday at the Convention Centre, and learn more
about how you can help build a greener, more sustainable food
system right here in Manitoba.
The Green Lifestyle & Organic
Living Show features more than 90 exhibits that cater to almost
everyone. Sample mouth-watering gourmet cooking
demonstrations and get your earth-friendly fashion on at the same
time. There are toys for children of all ages, from the Eco Play
Zone to the newest models of hybrid and alternative fuel
vehicles.
For a bit of futuristic nostalgia, don't miss the "Jetsons" Home
of the Future display.
|
Moksha
Yoga's Karma Charity of the month
It's official: Food Matters Manitoba has been appointed Moksha
Yoga's Karma Charity for the month of October!
We're so grateful to everyone at Moksha Yoga for all of the
positive work that their Karma program does for our community, and
we are honoured to be working with them.
Thanks to the Karma Charity program, and the participation of
Winnipeggers, Karma classes have raised over $60,000 for local
Winnipeg charities, and Global Initiatives.
Karma Classes are a minimum $5 donation, and are held:
Wed @ 1:30 PM | Fri @ 7:30 PM & 9 PM [60 MINS]
To learn more about Moksha Yoga Winnipeg, and their Karma Charity
program, please check out their website.
|
|
Upcoming Events
Ciclovia
Get ready to once again join thousands of Winnipeggers at the
city's Ciclovia festival on Sunday, September 12th. Now in its
second year, Ciclovia will close down Broadway from Main Street to
Osborne in an effort to invite people to come out and enjoy the
festivities.
Guests can enjoy free music, fitness classes, bike demos, and even
browse the farmers' and craft markets. The goal of Ciclovia is to
promote community building, physical activity, and the
environmental activities of using non-motorized forms of
transportation. Ciclovia is hosted by the Winnipeg Downtown
Biz.
Starting
Your Urban Farm - A Workshop
Getting serious about starting your own
urban farm business? Planning to be up and running for 2011? This
workshop is for you!
Monday, September 13th, from 6-9PM
Rudolph Rocker, 3rd floor of 91 Albert Street
Cost: $10
Please RSVP to thelandlessfarmers@gmail.com by Saturday, September
10th (workshop will be canceled if there are not enough
participants)
The Landless Farmers Collective is a small group of farmers
transitioning to a pedal-powered, chemical-free urban farming
practice at the Pan Am Forest Gardens. They currently operate a
26-share vegetable CSA and sell to local restaurants and grocers
and are in their second year of urban
farming.
Farmers' Feast
Food Matters Manitoba is proud to be a part of Farmers' Feast, the
annual celebration of local chefs and local food. This year's event
will once again be dishing up plates of culinary delights to local
food lovers. Farmers' Feast takes place Thursday, September 16th,
2010 at 6:30pm at the St. Norbert Farmers' Market.
This popular event will feature culinary treats from a sampling of
local restaurants and chefs. A complete list of participating
businesses can be found at farmersfeastmanitoba.com.
Bon Appetit!
Garden
Feast
The University of Manitoba Student Garden is holding a Garden
Feast. The film Growing Hope will also be screening.
September 16th, 2010
Feast at 6:00 pm
Film at 7:30 pm
Location: Degrees (3rd floor of University Centre).
For more information: uofmstudentgarden@gmail.com
The 9th Annual
Harvest Moon Festival
"Manitoba's perennial farm festival" is on again! The Harvest Moon
Society (HMS) and the town of Clearwater will host the 9th Annual
Harvest Moon Festival September 17th-19th, 2010. Surrounded by the
beauty of the Pembina Valley, this unique three-day festival is
a celebration of music, landscapes and linkages between rural and
urban people.
Harvestmoonsociety.org
Supper from the
Field
Celebrate our regional cuisine prepared by a team of Chefs with The
Canadian Culinary Federation while enjoying the '50s, '60s, and
70's musical styling's of Grant Milliner, "the singing
troubadour."
Sunday, September 19th
Doors open at 5:00 pm
Mennonite Village Livery Barn
For inquiries and supper tickets call: 392-7268
Open Farm Day
Over 35 participating host farm families are ready to welcome you
at the first annual Open Farm Day on September 19th, 2010. Open
Farm Day is an opportunity to learn more about farm products, see
demonstrations, take walking tours and ask questions about farm
life. Buy local products direct from the farmer and enjoy some
recreational activities with your family.
Download the map of participating farms at their website.
Shop Outside the
Box: Ethical Purchasing Expo
LITE's ethical purchasing expo brings together a variety of
retailers and service providers who support worker and community
ownership, fair trade principles, environmental sustainability,
local employment, organic products and locally produced
goods.
Stop by to browse, sample, shop and learn how you can make a
difference with your dollar!
Date: Friday, September 24, 2010
Location: Manitoba Hydro Lobby, 371 Portage Avenue
http://www.lite.mb.ca/
Food Matters
Manitoba Annual General Meeting
Come learn about what we have been up to this year and then
join us as members of the Manitoba Food Security Network and share
what you have been doing!
Lunch is provided. If you are unable to attend in person, but would
like to be involved, conference call options are available.
Please RSVP by September 22nd, 2010 by e-mail, or call (204)
743-0822.
Multi-purpose Room,
St. Matthew's Church,
641 St. Matthew's Ave
AGM 12:00-12:30pm
Share and Learn 12:30-3:00pm
National Organic
Week
Celebrate national Organic Week
(October 9th-16th) with the Organic Food Council of Manitoba, COG
and Manitoba Farm Mentorship. Come out to the Park Theatre (698
Osborne St South, Winnipeg) on Wednesday, October 13th at 7:00 p.m.
for the premiere of the film "Fresh".
For more information about the event or to purchase tickets in
advance, visit www.organicfoodcouncil.org/fresh
InFARMation (and
Beer!)
The inaugural InFARMation (and Beer!) will focus on building a more
sustainable and local food system in Winnipeg and beyond. Topics
discussed will include connecting eaters with farmers, community
gardens, urban agriculture, responsible purchasing policy, and food
policy councils.
Tuesday, October 19th at 7:30 pm
Venue: The Academy - 437 Stradbrook Ave
Admission for InFARMation (and Beer!) is always FREE.
Exploring Your Small Farm Dream course
Manitoba Farm Mentorship (MFM), a program of the Organic Food
Council of Manitoba-COG, is pleased to offer the six week Exploring
Your Small Farm Dream course in Brandon this Autumn!
The course runs for six Wednesdays in Brandon starting on October
27, 2010 from 6:30-9:30pm. Registration has started. The aim of
this 6-session course developed by the New England Small Farm
Institute is to help those thinking about small-scale commercial
farming answer the very important question: "Is starting an
agricultural business right for me?" And the best part...you need
not have any previous farming experience!
Please visit click herefor more information
and to download an application form or call Sheri at
204.239.7170
Can Change Really
Happen? What the Busy Health Professional Needs to Know: An
Interactive Workshop with Marla Benjamin
What promotes and what hinders change? Learn tangible skills and
take away practical tips to use in your work with patients or
clients-at all stages of readiness to change.
Friday, October 29th, from 8:45 am to 12:00 pm at the Wellness
Institute. Visit the website to
register.
MarketSafe Course
The Farmers' Markets Association of Manitoba (FMAM), Manitoba
Health and Healthy Living and Assiniboine Community College (ACC)
are partnering to offer the MarketSafe course in a one-day workshop
format beginning in November 2010.
This one-day workshop focuses on the safety and security of a food
product being sold. Topics include foodborne illness, risk,
packaging, transporting and hygiene.
For information:
Agriculture Extension
Assiniboine Community College
1430 Victoria Avenue East
Brandon Manitoba R7A 2A9
204.725.8712
ag&enviro@assiniboine.net
Food Secure Canada
Assembly 2010
Weaving together food policy and
community action: an agenda for change.
November 26-28th
Universit� de Montr�al
Early bird registration Sept. 15 - Oct. 15
$200 for members
For more information: http://foodsecurecanada.org
|
|
|