BRITISH COLUMBIA FARM WOMEN’S NETWORK

ANNUAL CONFERENCE & ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Creating Healthy, Sustainable Communities

September 25 – 28, 2008, Quesnel, British Columbia

HOSTED BY FARMED (www.farmed.ca)

Register for the British Columbia Farm Women’s Network Annual Conference being held in Quesnel, British Columbia this September.  Hosted by FARMED (North Cariboo Agricultural Marketing Association), this conference will include a 1 day tour of local farms which are innovative in their practices and a full day of learning about the opportunities for and the importance of agricultural producers fitting into sustainable, healthy community development.  The conference will provide many opportunities for networking & meeting new friends and colleagues.  The conference price is all inclusive other than accommodation and breakfasts. 

The focus of the conference is all about local.  With high fuel prices, global markets and the challenges local & rural people are facing, this conference will provide leading edge information which can be incorporated successfully into farming today.  The following topics will be explored:

• Farm Succession
• Green Energy
• Collaborative Marketing & Rural Food Distribution
• Partnerships

The conference includes several well known speakers, the opportunity to meet many great people from throughout the province and a great tour of local farms which incorporate some innovative practices to be successful and which work for them. 

REGISTER PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 10, 2008 & YOUR NAME WILL BE ENTERED FOR THE EARLY BIRD DRAW!!

Registration Forms can be accessed at www.bcfwn.100mile.com, www.farmed.ca or by contacting

Speakers

We are thrilled that many fine speakers will be joining us for the conference.  Some are nationally re known whereas others are becoming well known at their local or regional level through successfully achieving what the experts speak about.

Gwendolyn Simpson, Inspired Market Gardens, Carvel, Alberta

“Branding the Farm” – Home-Spun Marketing in the Age of Persuasion

Gwen Simpson started growing herbs for her own culinary use and turned her hobby into a business when she opened Inspired Market Gardens in 2005 (now Inspired Gardens & Country Store), in Carvel, Alberta.  Using all-natural sustainable agriculture methods, Gwen grows a wide range of culinary & craft herb plants, fresh-cut herbs, edible and heritage flowers, and specialty salads.  As well as direct farm marketing, IMG products are sold at Farmer’s Markets and to high-end restaurants.  There are demo and production gardens on the farm, U-pick flowers, a greenhouse, and a unique country store.  In addition IMG hosts four major events during the season (May – November), including the ‘World Basset Races’.

Originally raised on a dairy, beef and horse farm in B.C., after university Gwen traveled and worked abroad extensively and has 25 years experience as an international trainer, consultant, and business writer.  Now returned to her agricultural roots, Gwen supports her garden enterprise with business and garden writing, speaking, and occasionally calling ceilidh/hoe-down events.  In 2007 Gwen was one of 3 Alberta recipients of the joint federal/provincial ‘Best Practices Renewal Award’.  In addition Gwen is a founding member of a unique rural cluster group, the ‘Rural Rendezvous’.

Gwen emphasizes practical application when dealing with the challenges of agri/culinary-tourism and sustainable farm operations.  Anecdotes, examples and stories illustrate models and approaches.  Gwen combines ‘best management’ practices with innovation and current research on agricultural, food, organics, marketing and consumer and demographic trends.  Gwen will bring the following into her presentation at the conference:

1. How To Apply The ‘Rules Of Retail’ And The ‘Rules Of Persuasion’ To Farm Direct Marketing.
2. Risk-Taking & Innovation in selling Farm products
3. Marketing - Defining Your Brand (Using Websites, Logos, Brochures, Flyers, Electronic Newsletters, Signage Etc.), Handling Media
4. Convincing Customers Why They Should Pay ‘That Much!’ for your Produce
5. Using Events to Sell Your Farm and Get the Traffic Out
6. Networking and Building Local Clusters to ‘Make it Worth the Drive’.
7. Culinary Tourism & Charging What Its Worth

PANEL: FARMED / North Cariboo Agricultural Marketing Association, North Cariboo Meat Producers Association and Central Interior Poultry Producers Association, Heloise Dixon-Warren, RPF, BSc, Lynda Atkinson & Christine Piltz

What’s working in the North Cariboo

Heloise, Lynda and Christine are joining forces for this panel to discuss the benefits of establishing agricultural organizations at the local level.  Although each organization being represented with this panel has its own mandate and objectives, many of the issues and challenges dealt with by each in establishing an organization are similar and / or identical.  This panel will provide the benefits of working co-operatively, encouraging networking and creating a strong association which is industry lead.

Nik Verbenkov, Green Path Energy System, Quesnel, British Columbia

Alternative Energy in terms of Solar Thermal Applications

Nik Verbenkov has an educational background as a pulp and paper technologist, steam engineer and electrician but has a personal interest in alternative energy applications, and living an environmentally responsible lifestyle.  He works with Alternate Energy Solutions and Green Path Energy Systems Inc. of which both company’s supply, install and maintain solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind and micro-hydro systems.   Nik’s presentation will focus on solar thermal applications which, for the farmer, is the most financially feasible with today’s technology.  Nik also is employed at Quesnel River Pulp as the E/I Superintendent.

Theresa Healy, Regional Manager, Healthy Community Development, Northern Health

The Heart of Healthy Communities: The Farm, It’s Food and the Farm Women’s Contributtons to Healthy Society

For far too long farmers and their work, and especially the work of farm women, has been overlooked and undervalued. As a result we have experienced a growing disconnect from the land over the last few decades. Societal shifts have valued technology, material possessions and high speed. In this journey of modern “progress” we have lost sight of the importance of a strong grounding in our land and in nature. We have ignored the  interconnectedness of nature and our survival. The farm community has long known and understood these connections and lived in ways that have much to teach society as a whole.  

However, the consequences of devaluing the farm community and the resulting  sweeping societal changes – evidenced by the dramatic reversal of rural / urban population numbers – are actually causing the pendulum to swing back in favor of the farmland. Climate changes, rapidly rising food prices, food scares as toxic poisons make there way into mass production food chains are causing people to rethink the role of the farmer. Food and its safe production highlight the vital role of the local farm and food system to the health of individuals, families and communities and an important marker of social justice and citizenship in democratic society.

Theresa Healy is the Regional Manager for Healthy Community Development with Northern Health. She also holds an adjunct appointment at UNBC’s school of Environmental Planning and with the Gender Studies Program. Her areas of specialty include Community Based and Participatory  Action Research, team building, board development and other workshop based training seminars and community based action research.  She is an ardent historian, holding a Ph.D. in History from Simon Fraser University. Her dissertation focused on gender and social policy in the 1930s. In this work she uncovered some of the strengths and talents ordinary people, such as farm wives, unemployed women, and housewives brought to their families and communities. She is also a founding member of the Prince George Oral History Group. She also sits on the Community Research Ethics Board of the Vancouver Foundation.

Howard Joynt, Professional Agrologist, PAg., Coldstream, British Columbia

Succession Planning - What will happen to my farm in the Future?,

What happens to your farm in the future will depend on a great long list of possibilities.  Some of those possibilities will be outside your control.  Some of them will be within your grasp.  Let's look at the what we can control, how we can get a grip on those situations and be prepared for whatever the future will hold. 

Howard Joynt worked for the Ministry of Agriculture for 31 years.  In that time he had many roles from a Canfarm Technician to a Senior Policy Analyst.  The best years of his career were spent working with farmers and their kitchen tables helping with everything from bookkeeping to business arrangements to farm succession plans. 

Since retirement Howard has worked on several contracts including Silvo Pasture economics,  strategic planning for the BC 4H Council,  to practical bookkeeping for First Nations small business.  Howard is also a volunteer for "One to One" reading program in Vernon schools and spends a bit of time hiking, canoing and puttering in the garden and around the house.

Brent Warner, P.Ag., Whiteloaf Ridge Management & Executive Director (Interim) Farmers Market Canada

Working together to put local food back on the table!

Brent Warner is the Executive Director of Farmers’ Markets Canada, a new organization trying to stimulate and move forward with farmers/ markets across Canada. He also runs his own agriculture production and marketing company that works with individual farmers and governments to assist the farming industry across North America.

Brent was the Industry Agritourism and Marketing Specialist with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (27 years) and the longest serving board member of the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association. (NAFDMA), Massachusetts (15 years). His career spans over 30 years of working with farm families across North America. 

Due to the rapid change affecting agriculture worldwide, Brent is in demand as a speaker and has been invited to share his insights and energies on family farm survival from Hawaii to Prince Edward Island and stretching across North America from California and Boston, to the North West Territories.

Brent’s presentation at the BCFWN Conference will focus on the importance of collaborative marketing and how food in rural locations can be distributed given the challenges agricultural producers are facing.

BRITISH COLUMBIA FARM WOMEN’S NETWORK

ANNUAL CONFERENCE & ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Creating Healthy, Sustainable Communities

September 25 – 28, 2008, Quesnel, British Columbia

ITINERARY

As of August 12, 2008

 Register prior to September 10, 2008 & your name will be entered for the Early Bird Draw!!!

(i) ENTER PERSONAL INFORMATION

How did you hear about this event? ___________________________________________________

Are you a member of BC Farm Women’s Network?   YES £      NO £

If Yes, please go to Section (ii)(a).  If No, please go to Section (ii)(b) unless you wish to join BCFWN at this time.  Membership with BCFWN is only $25.00 / year.  Membership payment to BCFWN can be included in your Registration Fee.

(ii) REGISTRATION FEE & PAYMENT CALCULATION

(ii)(a) COMPLETE IF YOU ARE A BCFWN MEMBER OR PLAN TO BECOME ONE NOW (if you already are a member, no membership fee is required)

 (ii)(b) COMPLETE IF YOU ARE NOT ARE A BCFWN MEMBER

(iii) METHOD OF PAYMENT & WHERE TO RETURN REGISTRATION FORM WITH PAYMENT

¨ - Cheque / Money Order – please make payable to “BC Farm Women’s Network” or “BCFWN”

Send to:  “FARMED”, c/o 2861 Nazko Road, Quesnel, BC, V2J 7E5, T: 250.249.5329 / F: 250.249.5359 Attention: Heloise Dixon-Warren

(iv) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BCFWN or “Creating Healthy Sustainable Communities”, please go to www.bcfwn.100mile.com, www.farmed.ca or contact

PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING AN ITEM TO THE SILENT AUCTION.  THIS IS A FANTASTIC WAY TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES!  ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE SILENT AUCTION ARE USED TOWARDS BCFWN PROJECTS.

SILENT AUCTION DONATION FORM ATTACHED TO REGISTRATION FORM.  PLEASE COMPLETE AND SUBMIT WITH YOUR REGISTRATION FORM!

 SILENT AUCTION DONATION FORM

Please submit this form with your Registration Form, if possible, or prior to the conference.

(i)                 ENTER PERSONAL INFORMATION

(ii)               ENTER INFORMATION ON YOUR DONATED ITEMS OR SERVICES: