Become a Just Food Board Member!
Just Food seeks volunteers to serve on its Board of Directors!
Just Food seeks dedicated food systems volunteers to serve on our Board of Directors (terms are typically 3 years in duration, and can be renewed once to a 6-year maximum).
We welcome people from diverse backgrounds, and in this call, we are looking for one to three new Board members with some combination of the following:
- Fundraising experience
- Knowledge and expertise regarding food access among low-income communities
- Advocacy experience related to food and/or agricultural policy
Just Food is led by a volunteer Board of Directors (“the Board”). We are a working Board with the mandate to determine Just Food’s mission and policies, provide strategic direction and oversight of its activities, and ensure organizational accountability, to support our staff – who manage and perform the operations of the organization. Please read the Just Food Policies and Procedures for detailed information on the role and responsibilities of Directors, and the Just Food Constitution and our Vision, Mission and Mandate for more information on Just Food and how it is governed.
All Board members must have:
- Commitment to Just Food’s goals and values;
- Ability to commit a minimum of 6 hours per month to Just Food (more for Executive Committee members); and,
- Knowledge of local context (important).
Ideally, the new Board members will also have:
- Experience in community-based non-profit organizational management;
- Food system issues knowledge/analysis (desirable);
- Background in one or another of Just Food areas of work; and,
- Experience with Just Food (e.g., as a member, volunteer, and/or in another capacity).
Interested? Please send us a paragraph (maximum 350 words) introducing yourself and your experience, and telling us why you think you could make a positive contribution as one of Just Food’s Board of Directors, along with a current CV, to: mlbender@alumni.sfu.ca by February 7, 2018. Interviews will occur shortly thereafter.
In your submission, be sure to create the subject line: Just Food Board of Directors – Expression of Interest. All interested parties will be contacted. The selected candidates would be presented as a recommended slate to Just Food members for election at the upcoming Annual General Meeting this March 7, 2018.
We look forward to hearing from you!
CGN Blog: Senior Organic Gardeners
This is the third piece in an ongoing CGN blog. This blog will be filled with snapshots of the network, garden activities, garden profiles, coordinator profiles & more!
This post is about the fantastic Canadian Organic Growers program Senior Organic Gardeners. The post is written by Nancy Moir at her blog Grown In My BackYard.
SOG Article for Just FoodCGN Blog: Woodpark Common Ground Garden
This is the second piece in an ongoing CGN’s blog. This blog will be filled with snapshots of the network, garden activities, garden profiles, coordinator profiles & more!
This post is about the Woodpark Common Ground Garden, located on NCC Urban Lands close to the Lincoln Fields’ Station in Wood Park. The post is written by Nancy Moir at her blog Grown In My BackYard.
common ground final (1)September 2017 Newsletter
September 2017 Newsletter
Food News and Events in the Ottawa Region
Just Food News and Events
2. Sept 16 – 24 | Celebrate Organic Week
3. Sept 24 | Enviro Cycle Tour
4. Sept 24 | Seed Saving at the Ottawa Tool Library
5. Sept 30 | Seed Cleaning Workshop
Other Community News and Events
7. Sept 19 | The à la carte Food Film Festival
8. Sept 24 | Farm Dream Design Workshop at the Kula Farm
9. Sept 30 | Permaculture Farm & Edible Landscape Design
10. Oct 12 | Eco Fest with Ecology Ottawa
If you received this monthly newsletter from someone else and would like to receive it directly, sign up here. If you have a food or farm-related event or issue that you would like posted on this newsletter, send a request to info@justfood.ca.
Although all volunteers and community partners of Just Food want to ensure Ottawa has a vibrant, accessible, sustainable food system, we have many diverse perspectives on how to get there. Just Food welcomes this diversity and believes that it is through working collaboratively with different opinions that we will arrive at a healthy food system for all. Any information that Just Food sends can include information from different community members and community partners and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Just Food. If you ever have a question about any information listed here, please do not hesitate to e-mail info@justfood.ca or call 613-699-6850 x10.
Just Food News and Events
1. Sept 14 – 17, Sept 21 – 24, and Sept 28 – Oct 1 | Three More Rural Fairs
Just Food in partnership with Ottawa 2017 as a part of the Agri 150 program would like to promote the following fairs.
Richmond Fair – September 14 to 17
Fun for the whole family! The Richmond Fair showcases agriculture through arts, crafts, animals and more. Plus, enjoy live music shows, aerial shows, rock climbing, reptile shows and BMX Bike shows!
More info – Click here
Carp Fair – Sept 21 to 24
154th Annual Carp Fair – where rural meets the City! There’s something for everyone: many livestock exhibitors, heavy horses parade, antique display, local artisans, petting zoo, pony rides, live entertainment and more! Bring your family out for a true agricultural experience!
More info – Click here
Metcalfe – September 28 to October 1
2017 will mark the 161st anniversary of this fall tradition, held annually in the Village of Metcalfe. Participate in a variety of events such as the demolition derby, the classic car show and the Fiddling & Step Dancing Competition.
More info – Click here
2. Sept 16 – 24 | Celebrate Organic Week
What is Organic Week? Canada’s National Organic Week is the largest annual celebration of organic food, farming and products across the country. Hundreds of individual events showcase the benefits of organic agriculture and its positive impact on the environment. Organic represents a vibrant alternative food system and an alternative option for clothing, personal care and cleaning products.
Wondering how you can celebrate Organic Week?
- Check out our Buy Local Food Guide, find a local farmer/farmers market and purchase their organic produce.
- Learn what organic means for farming.
- Volunteer, join us at the Just Food Farm on Sept 21 for a work day on our Plant-a-Row, Donate-a-Row Project.
- Grow your own vegetables, check out this great guide created by Ottawa’s Community Gardening Network.
3. Sept 24 | Enviro Cycle Tour
Come experience the countryside by bicycle, and visit some of the eco-friendly businesses and public spaces in Ottawa’s rural area.
There are two options: tackle the entire 72 km route with your own bike, or bus part way and cycle the 21 km route with a bike provided by RentABike. Whichever route you choose, all attendees will get the pleasure of visiting Castor River Farm, a sustainable off-grid farm, SunTech Greenhouses, where vegetables are grown year-round, and W.A. Taylor Conservation area for a rest between, as you sample Savour Ottawa treats.
So, hop on and let your RentABike guides and local farmers bring you on a day full of fun, learning, and exercise!
This Agri 150 event is brought to you by Ottawa 2017, Ottawa RentABike, and Just Food.
Click here for more information.
4. Sept 24 | Seed Saving at the Ottawa Tool Library
Join CGN Coordinator Jordan Bouchard and connect with other makers at the Ottawa Tool Library. Learn foundational concepts to seed saving, with some specific instruction on some good beginner vegetables, as well as how you can contribute to your local seed libraries each year!
Click here for more information.
5. Sept 30 | Seed Cleaning Workshop
So you’ve figured out how to produce good quality seed, but now how do you clean it so that it looks like it does in a seed pack? Join us on September 30 from 10:00 – 1:00 at Greta’s Organic Gardens and learn how to clean vegetable seed from resident expert Greta Kryger. As part of this workshop Greta will demonstrate what she uses to clean her seeds & you will get an idea of what will work at your scale. This workshop is primarily for those producing vegetable seeds, but anyone interested in learning what goes into seed cleaning & production will learn a lot. Save your spot.
New Roots & Plant-a-Row, Donate-A-Row Gardening
Interested in trying gardening at a larger scale while contributing to a local emergency food cupboard. Just Food has a volunteer-driven garden on our site in Blackburn Hamlet. Come help harvest & weed the garden on every other Thursday in September (next up is September 21st) at 6:00 pm in Blackburn Hamlet at 2389 Pépin Court.
Let us know you’re coming by emailing us at info@justfood.ca
Experienced Tool Users Needed!
Two experienced people on cordless drills are needed to screw down the metal sheets at the base of the barn [ground level]—to assist with Just Food’s efforts to animal-proof the new barn reno!
CONTACT: Christine at administration@justfood.ca
Barn Raising!
To assist with roof construction using pre-fab trusses. Looking for volunteers with or without construction experience to assist. Date in the next couple of weeks to be confirmed.
CONTACT: Christine at administration@justfood.ca if interested.
Other Community News and Events
7. Sept 19 | The à la carte Food Film Festival
As part of the Ottawa Public Library’s food literacy and Canada 150 programming is presenting the à la carte Food Film Festival on Tuesday, September 19 at the Bytowne Cinema (325 Rideau Street). The event is free and no registration is required.
Please visit the food literacy webpage for more information.
8. Sept 24 | Farm Dream Design Workshop at the Kula Farm
If you’ve ever thought of moving to the country or you already own a rural property and you want to get back to the land, grow some of your own food and start building your vision – big or small
- Take an in-depth tour of organic farm and a step-by-step look at how Kula Farm got to where they are today from a bare piece of land 8 years ago
- Get a view into all of the time, money and energy saving lessons they’ve learned along the way
- Get custom advice to properly scale your unique dream to your unique resources for success, including land, finance and environment; where you should be prioritizing your time, money and energy right now
Click here for more information.
9. Sept 30 | Permaculture Farm & Edible Landscape Design
Join a detailed tour of two sites with two local authors. We’ll start the day with a quick intro on “what is permaculture?”. The tour will visit Kula Permaculture Farm and Aster Lane Edibles. Cost: $59, includes HST.
Click here for more information.
10. Oct 12 | Eco Fest with Ecology Ottawa
On October 12th 2017, at the Aberdeen Pavilion in Lansdowne Park, Ecology Ottawa will be celebrating their 10th anniversary by hosting EcoFest – Ottawa’s biggest gathering of the environmental community. Come celebrate! Hear from inspiring speakers, enjoy vegetarian/vegan food from local restaurants, sip on beer from Ottawa’s finest craft breweries, watch live art installations, bid on exciting auction prizes, network with like-minded Ottawa residents and explore all the innovative green businesses, organizations and initiatives Ottawa has to offer.
Click here for more information.
If you received this monthly newsletter from someone else and would like to receive it directly, sign up here. If you have a food or farm-related event or issue that you would like posted on this newsletter, send a request to info@justfood.ca.
Although all volunteers and community partners of Just Food want to ensure Ottawa has a vibrant, accessible, sustainable food system, we have many diverse perspectives on how to get there. Just Food welcomes this diversity and believes that it is through working collaboratively with different opinions that we will arrive at a healthy food system for all. Any information that Just Food sends can include information from different community members and community partners and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Just Food. If you ever have a question about any information listed here, please do not hesitate to e-mail info@justfood.ca or call 613-699-6850 x10.
Bring Food Home 2017 – October 26 – 29!
Bring Food Home 2017: Upstream Collaboration will be held at the University of Ottawa on October 26th to October 29th, 2017.
Visit bringfoodhome.com for all the juicy details on this awesome four-day event!
The conference will include inspiring speakers, local tours, engaging panels, hands-on workshops, and action-planning sessions in addition to networking opportunities and a Feast of Local Flavours. Bring Food Home offers a forum to share experience and expertise, build the capacity and cohesiveness of Ontario’s local food network, and plan and coordinate actions that will direct us in building a better food system in Ontario and beyond.
Upstream Collaboration, the 2017 conference theme will acknowledge the work and innovation being done in local food systems in Ontario. This theme recognizes our collective need to bring together diverse sectors to generate action on food and farm issues, as well as the need to ask and answer tough questions about these issues. We will collaborate as an Ontario community to work on issues and grow stronger together. From food policy and food access to business support and the environment, the 2017 program will cover a diverse range of topics and make space for new and ongoing conversations. Over the three days, we will break down barriers, forge new alliances and support each other in working together for a better future.
Fall Harvest Art Exhibition – Now Accepting Submissions!
We are thrilled to announce the first-ever art show to be held at Just Food Farm! Just Food is seeking artists of all backgrounds and levels of expertise to submit their work for consideration in the Fall 2017 exhibition. Those whose pieces are selected will have the opportunity to showcase their art in the newly renovated barn on-site, with the grand-opening occurring on hOctober 14t
For more detailed information about the venue and how to submit work, please see the submission form below
If you are interested in submitting your original art please send a photo of your work and a completed submission form to justfoodart@gmail.com
