The Town of Oliver is applying for funding to establish a community food action plan.
The Town of Oliver is getting behind a community food action plan with the goal of giving everyone year-round access to healthy food.
Last week council passed a motion to take advantage of multi-year funding through Interior Health to develop a food security plan. The hope is to partner with Area C and the Osoyoos Indian Band if the Town’s application is successful.
“We pride ourselves in being an agricultural area, so let’s back up what we say we are,” said Councillor Maureen Doerr.
The initiative was outlined by Carol Sheridan, representing the Okanagan-Similkameen Healthy Living Coalition.
She explained that food is a local government issue, noting that other communities in BC have established food security strategies.
“Oliver has an opportunity to be a leader in BC . . . this could be a Town of Oliver success story.”
Sheridan said Interior Health will fund the Town up to $15,000 per year (for three years) to implement a plan.
The coalition held a stakeholder meeting on October 30 to discuss ideas, such as:
– Increasing the days of operation at the food bank
– Increasing the use of soup kitchens
– Offering workshops on canning and preserving
– Create community cold storage (food lockers) for people
– Establish a 12-month farmers’ co-op
– Investigate a food charter
Mayor Ron Hovanes said he supports the plan, noting that Oliver doesn’t take advantage of the local food scene, adding that 90 per cent of what you see in grocery stores is not local food.
Doerr reiterated that Oliver can’t say no because of its strong ties to agriculture.
But Area C director Terry Schafer commented that building trails through farmland (the regional district’s KVR trail plan) is “ludicrous in terms of food security.”
Council agreed to apply for the food plan funding through a letter of intent.
By Lyonel Doherty
