Country Garden Greenhouse cgarden@mail.ocis.net
Country Garden Greenhouse has been doing business in the Kamloops area since 1982 when the farm in Monte Lake was purchased. Dalton and Anita Strong began growing bedding plants and selling them at the Kamloops Farmers’ Market which had itself been in existence for only four years at that time. The change from mixed farming with pigs, cattle, chickens, etc to bedding plant production occurred gradually, with each greenhouse being added as finances permitted. For a time the plants were retailed at the two Canadian Tire stores in Kamloops and the one in Salmon Arm and in 1999 the garden Centre location on Victoria St. was opened in conjunction with the Smorgasbord Deli. This pairing combines the best of both possibilities, with the Deli taking up the slack in the offseason and the Garden Centre providing a lovely ambiance for a leisurely lunch among the greenery. People are always amazed at the beauty and diversity of plant materials which are fitted into this small space in downtown Kamloops- trees, shrubs, and vines mingle with (continued on page 4 )
“Women helping Women” www.cafefemeninofoundation.org
Photo by Michael Crawford
LOOK is a group of independent, Kamloops business owner/operators who work together to raise public awareness about the economic, social and aesthetic benefits of supporting local business. LOOK provides a voice for local business to reach out to the community and a forum for mutual support and encouragement. In addition, LOOK seeks to foster a sense of community between businesses and the general public through positive projects designed to increase familiarity and build a neighbourly, caring community.
Out of Peru comes a story of strength, unity, and hope. A new coffee, Café Femenino Peru, has evolved and is changing the role of women in rural coffee communities. Female coffee growers have become better educated, organized, and for the first time are producing women’s coffee as a special commodity. This Fair Trade and organic certified coffee is grown, processed, and traded exclusively by women. The women then decide how to use additional funds to better their lives and those of their children. Café Femenino Peru is a mediumbodied coffee with a fine acidity, sweet aroma, and hint of baker’s chocolate that is accentuated by a slow, dark roast. We know that you will enjoy this unique coffee for its wonderful taste as well as the special story that underlies its production. We now have Café Femenino beans from Columbia, Mexico, and Guatemala! (continued on page 7 )
Positive Projects Alternative Gifts Kamloops Alternative Gifts 2
Wednesday start at 8:00 Am. to 1:00 Pm. April to October Between 4th Ave and 5 th Ave Victoria Street ( downtown ) Saturday start at 8.00 Am. To 1.00 Pm. April to October Between 2nd. Ave. and 3rd Ave. St. Paul St. ( downtown )
The Farmers’ Market is a tradition in Kamloops, with roots that extend far back in time as well as firmly into the fabric of the community. In 1914 Kamloops city council set up a market area complete with wooden stalls on the current site of the Plaza Heritage Hotel at Fourth Avenue and Victoria Street. There were sixteen vendors and most were sold out in the first hour. The market continued through the years of the First World War and closed in 1919 when interest waned. It was nearly 60 years before the market was revived through Ten Days for World Development, a community education project sponsored by local Christian churches. With support from City Council and the School Board, the first market was held in 1978. Thirty years later the market is thriving and continues to be an inspiration - a great gathering place to make and /or meet friends and exchange ideas - a place to share your passion for food and community. It’s a family place with a festival atmosphere, often complete with clowns and musical entertainment. Markets take place on Wednesday and Saturday and vendors offer a huge and growing variety of products, from bedding plants to fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, baking, eggs, and dairy products. There are also specialty items such as locally made noodles, salsa, condiments and even dog treats. The Kamloops Farmers’ Market strives to make everyone feel welcome. On Saturday, we set up our information and compliments booth at the entrance of the Stuart Wood Elementary School grounds. This is a good place for market customers to meet, get information about the market and our products, or just to relax. The Market welcomes home producers as well as farmers who want to become vendors. Community artisans, home-based businesses, and special music and other events also find a place at the market. The Kamloops Farmers’ Market is a non-profit society which supports and strives to strengthen the bonds of community by supporting the Food Bank and providing bursaries to three students every year who are enrolled in horticulture or agriculture courses at TRU. We would like others to join us, share the abundance of our surroundings and inspire and nurture those around us. This is where peace begins. By Linda Wrightson,
kfm@lookkamloops.ca
What Is Real Value ? There is something to be said for finding the lowest possible price for an item – “getting the best value for your dollar”. But is getting an item at the lowest possible price really getting the best value? Consider the following… When you buy an item – say a carrot or a petunia plant – from a big box store, you may be getting it at the lowest possible price– but is it the best value? The people who produce these items in your community now have no sale for their product (assuming everyone is doing the same) and must go out of business. The consequences of this happening on a larger scale are impoverished communities or ghost towns. Secondly, there are the environmental considerations to take into account. The cost to the air we breathe in exhaust from millions of trucks hauling tons of produce over thousands of miles is incalculable and not considered in the price of an item at a supermarket. There is also the cost to the environment in the untold numbers of used tires and other parts in landfills – again, a cost not considered in the price. ( continued page 4 ) 3
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colourful planters, perennials and flowering annuals. Vegetable starts and herbs contribute their savoury aromas to blend with those of roses and other fragrant blooms. And there is always help and friendly advice from knowledgeable staff who will sit down with you and help you plan your dream garden. Dalton and Anita have always held the philosophy that it is important to help others as you are able and to that end CGG has every year provided a bursary for a UCC student in agriculture or horticulture. Various fundraisers have helped local schools realize their financial objectives, the most important being the sale of hanging baskets They have also always believed in the importance of taking care of the environment and started the recycle your hanging basket program in 1989, well before such ideas were in vogue. A big part of taking care of the environment is buying local and at CGG anything which isn’t grown at Monte Lake is sourced as close to home as possible so customers can always be assured that plants are suited to local growing conditions and have the advantage of being appropriate to Kamloops climate. Also, customers can be assured that if they return the containers which they bought their plants in, that they will be reused rather than added to the landfill. In addition to all the usual variety of garden centre accessories, CGG also carries a great selection of locally made bird feeders and bird houses. Canadian wild bird feed is also on the menu as well as First Mate dog and cat food which are manufactured in Chilliwack from all Canadian ingredients. Garden seeds from West Coast Seeds (Delta) and Pacific Northwest Seeds (Vernon) provide local flavour in the spring. It is indeed a pleasant surprise to come across this interesting little oasis in downtown Kamloops and visitors are invariably impressed with its character, variety and abundance, and the friendly helpfulness of the staff.
Support Your Local School Fundraiser Arthur Hatton Elementary Beattie Pineridge Campus Dallas Elementary Kamloops Christian School Lloyd George Elementary Marion Schilling Elementary Parkcrest Elementary R.L. Clemitson Elementary Sahali Secondary Dry Grad South Sahali Elementary Summit Elementary Westsyde Secondary Dry Grad
20 Years Recycle your Hanging Basket or
Container Event Bring in your OLD HANGING BASKETS or Other Container and we will REPOT THEM Based on a 10 -inch hanging basket $1.75 For Soil $1.75 For Labour * Plus the Cost Of Chosen Plants This year soil and labour cost will be donated to Country Garden Greenhouse Scholarship Sale Runs: May 1 to May 31/09 COUNTRY GARDEN GREENHOUSE LOCATIONS Monte Lake Farm 375-2241 715 VICTORIA ST. 377-0058 Thanks for supporting a local farmer
(continued from page 3 ) Thirdly, pesticide residues which adhere to produce are a cost not considered. Many pesticides which have been banned in Canada (or never licensed ) are still used in other countries, and because of ‘free trade’ agreements, we are forced to lower our standards and accept produce with higher levels of these residues. So when you purchase your produce at the farmers’ market, you can be assured that in at least these three ways, you are making the world a better place. 4
A Dogs Life Bakery
Gourmet (preservative free) Dog Cookies About Us! A Dogs Life Bakery is a locally owned and operated, home based business located in Kamloops, British Columbia. It began as a quest to find chemical and preservative free snacks for our own special dog “Bailey”. She’s a very happy, high energy, 10 year old, English Springer Spaniel. And she loves her treats!
NEW COPY & DESIGN As soon as you step into New Copy & Design you know this is a copy shop like no other you have been in before. Superior customer service, prompt turnaround and competitive pricing add to the personal, but professional mandate of New Copy & Design. Working closely with you, New Copy & Design can supply the creative services you need at a price you can afford. Whether you need a one-time design, or a fully developed creative platform to enhance your marketing and branding activities, New Copy & Design can be an important part of your team. New Copy & Design offers a full range of copy services, including colour or black laser copies, carbonless forms, business cards, brochures, customized funeral folders, bookmarks, cheques, and labels, as well as laminating and fax service. New Copy & Design has contributed to the Kiwanis Club of Kamloops, yearly auction for the past 5 years. They are always eager to support charity/non profit fundraisers that benefit the community. The outstanding batik artwork in the office was purchased in support of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood which assists in the construction of water wells in Tanzania. The Kamloops Art Gallery and the Kamloops Food Bank also received donations in December, 2008.
Through lots of experimentation, and a neighborhood full of willing testers, we have created a vast array of delicious dog cookies. Not one of these products contain refined sugars or salt, and are guaranteed to contain absolutely NO PRESERVATIVES. We buy locally, and our ingredients are all human grade (try one yourself), making them delectable to even the most discerning customer. We soon outgrew the family kitchen, and with the addition of some commercial equipment, production is growing rapidly. Our cookies are available locally at the Kamloops Farmers Market, as well as several local retailers. We ship to some very loyal out of town customers as well! And now they are available to you as well thanks to the convenience and exposure of the internet. To all of our loving furry friends, present and future, “Bone Apetit” To contact us or place an order call 250-573-2573 or e-mail moonens@telus.net
Council of Canadians Bursary 2008 The Kamloops Chapter of the Council of Canadians works hard to keep people informed and active on issues such as Peace, the Environment, Democracy and a variety of local issues. See our website at
www.kamloopscanadians.ca
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The Smorgasbord “ Smorgasbord” is a Scandinavian word which means the great cold table - an enormous variety of delectable hot and cold foods served as a buffet. The connotation of smorgasbord includes not only food items but any conglomeration of a great variety of things and as such, The Smorgasbord certainly fills the bill. Within its walls you will find a restaurant, a Deli featuring meats, cheeses and specialty groceries from northern Europe, fair trade groceries, local groceries, fair trade gifts and cards, fair trade chocolate, and a great meeting place for progressive groups such as the Council of Canadians and the Philosophers’ Café. And in addition, since The Smorgasbord is owned by Dalton & Anita Strong, it is part and parcel of Country Garden Greenhouse so all the lovely plants and accessories for gardening are available to you without leaving the store. High end dog and cat food are also available, as is wild bird feed. The Smorgasbord Deli is famous for its delicious homemade soups, salads and sandwiches which are made daily from scratch - no flavour enhancers, preservatives or other additives here. Local produce is used when it is in season which adds to the freshness and flavour. Baked goods such as muffins, cheese biscuits, cookies, squares and cake are created with love by the Deli Dames and the unforgettable bread comes from the Lac La Hache Bakery. Coffees and teas are fair trade and dairy products are local wherever possible. The best part, however, is that in the summer you can have your lunch out in the Garden Centre with the
Buy Local Since the NAFTA was enacted we’ve seen a number of “big box” stores come into our community. There may be some good things to be said about shopping for the lowest prices, but there is a lot more to be said for patronizing local businesses. When we shop locally, the profit stays in our community and helps to support other businesses, schools, health care and other infrastructures. When we shop at trans-nationals, the profit leaves not only the community, but the country and the tax system as well. When we shop locally, we help to retain the unique flavours of our community which is a part of the people who live here. When we allow our money to leave the country we become a shell of a community - local businesses cease to exist as they can’t compete with cheaper foreign - produced goods and we lose our uniqueness and become a McCommunity. Partly because of trans-nationals who don’t pay their share of taxes, our economy is being eroded and our social structures crumbling. So when you do you shopping - remember, we are more than consumers - we are citizens. Buy locally!
sights, sounds, and smells of flowers and shrubs. Enjoy! Catering is also on the menu of the Smorgasbord - not only for lunches and snacks but also for bigger get-togethers such as weddings and other receptions. Their soups, salads and sandwiches are available for take-out lunches and the creativity of the Deli-Dames is unsurpassed when it comes to variety - from organic bison crepes to a turkey dinner with all the trimmings to baklava, they do it all. It is truly a unique experience to enter the world of the Smorgasbord. 6
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The mission of the Café Femenino Foundation is to enhance the lives of women and children in coffee producing communities throughout the world. “Our goal is to work within the existing socio-economic structure to foster change. By supporting women coffee growers, we improve the quality of life in the entire community and build a sustainable economic system.” ~ Fair Trade and Organic Certified Available in Kamloops at
The Smorgasbord 225-7th Ave. Kamloops BC
CHEESES Our cheeses contain only natural ingredients, no preservatives are added, and they are all manufactured at our Salmon Arm cheeseplant.
OUR HISTORY In 1981, the Gort family immigrated from Holland and purchased a 45acre farm at Salmon Arm. Gort's Gouda Cheese Farm was established in 1983. At first, we made plain Gouda and Quark. Quark is a soft German cream cheese. As the years passed, we expanded into making spiced Gouda, Maasdammer (a Swiss-style cheese), Feta cheese, yogurt, cream and creme faiche. Over the years, we have not been hesitant to experiment with our cheese flavours, and have recently brought into production, a new spicy Gouda called Smoked Habanero. We take pride in the fact that twenty years later our artisan cheese is certified organic and is delivered to a variety of locations in the Shuswap, Okanagan, and the Lower-Mainland of British Columbia. Cheese is also shipped throughout the rest of Canada via Canada Post. We are proud of a Champion Firm Cheese Gold Medal which was awarded in 2004 at the Canadian Grande Prix. Recently Arie Gort constructed a brand new addition to the store, making room for more cheese to be aged and sent out to our growing customer base. In August 2007, ownership of the farm switched to the Wikkerinks, a family from Agassiz. The new owners have already put in a comfortable new barn for the cows and are continuing to upgrade the facility, as well as the grounds.
CHEESE MAKING The city in Holland where the Gouda recipe originates is Gouda, where cheesemaking is a time-old art. Making cheese, especially on the farm, has always been part of Dutch culture. Cheesemaking is an art as well as a science. Timing, temperature and cleanliness are extremely important. To deliver the best quality product to our customer, we work diligently to maintain excellence in the manufacture of our products. Available in Kamloops at The Smorgasbord 7
Heartland Food Co-op 709 Tagish St. Kamloops BC 250-374-6693
Vision To create a culture in which local sustainable agriculture is thriving as an integral part of the local economy. By valuing local agriculture, we will ensure a healthy and accessible local food system for future generations
Background Recent world events as well as work by community and food systems activists, nutritionists, dieticians, writers and chefs have challenged many families and communities to re-discover and support their local food systems. The work which has been done by the Kamloops Food Policy Council and the City of Kamloops Food Charter have been pivotal elements in laying the ground work for Heartland Foods and Farm Tours Co-operative. The Cooperative was formed by local growers in response to this community’s desire for easy access to a complete selection of locally produced food.
Team Members
Other Great Business of lookkamloops.ca
Board – is comprised of four livestock producers and three horticultural producers, all with extensive business and board experience and a commitment to building stronger grower-consumer relationships throughout the entire community Staff – one full-time staff person coordinates daily and weekly supplies, wholesale deliveries, retail sales and the weekly box program. Parttime general manager plans and applies for funding sources, community outreach and event planning and execution as well as monitors weekly financial reports prepared by a bookkeeper Suppliers – local producers who fit the membership criteria (attached) but who may or may not be current members. Preference is always given to buying product from members before non-members. Customers – up to 40 regular weekly retail customers as well as restaurant and catering customers are involved. The customers have also provided services as volunteers and are a major source of market outreach.
Current Activities We have been operating a whole grocery box program since August 2007 where 30 - 40 customers pre-order their weekly locally produced groceries. The sales volume from drop-in customers has grown to equal the preordered customer’s sales volume.
Upcoming Opportunities We will be partnering with Kamloops Secondary School in the delivery of a Farm to School Salad Bar program starting in September, 2008. This program will run 3-5 days/week for up to 750 students until June 2009. The catering company intends to use Heartland as a supplier for several other school lunch programs in the district. We will also be partnering with a local delivery service starting in November 2008 to supply an initial customer base of 200 with produce, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and baked goods on a weekly basis.
Required Resources $15,000 for display coolers and freezers $10,000 for product inventory Fundraiser http://www.alternativegifts.ca 8