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Letter: Buy from Island farmers

Vancouver Island produces only about 10 per cent of the food we consume
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Buy from Island farmers

During 2021 we witnessed floods and fire of biblical proportions and a world plagued by COVID.

One of many issues it exposed, yet again, is how fragile our food and power supply is.

The most current figures I could find regarding how much of the food we consume is actually produced here on the Island can be found on the Food ECO District Victoria on their web site: https://www.get-fed.ca

They stated (March 3, 2019), “Up until the 1950s, 85 per cent of our food supply was grown locally here on the island (1). Today in 2019, our local food supply has dwindled to roughly 10 per cent”

I contacted the Ministry of Agriculture in Victoria to see if they had any current figures and although they did not have any they were incredibly approachable. They were polite, prompt in returning phone calls and supplied me with a list of the current programs in place to assist and promote food growing and processing here on the Island.

In the meantime there is a lot we can do to encourage and support Island farmers and processors and it is very easy to do. Buy local and support Island farmers.

To further support and assist Island farmers, processors and vendors there is an Island Farmers and Farmers Markets page on Seniors 101: https://seniors101.ca/markets

All Island farmers are invited to send their location, products they have and their contact information to seniors101@shaw.ca

Let’s all do what we can to support Island farmers and in doing so strengthen our food supply security.

Roy Summerhayes

Chemainus