Please attend Public Open House for South Campus Neighbourhood Amendments!

Dear Friends of the UBC Farm,

Please note that next Tuesday, June 28 from 4:30-7pm, UBC Campus and Community Planning will be hosting a Public Open House to amend the South Campus Neighbourhood Plan. This Open House is taking place in order to integrate the Neighbourhood Plan with the recently amended Land Use Plan.

Time: 4:30-7:00 p.m.

Date: Tuesday, June 28^th
Place: MBA House, 3385 Wesbrook Mall

FMI: Stefani.lu@ubc.ca or visit this C+CP page.

Members of the public are invited to learn more about the amendment process and provide input. Thank you for your ongoing support for the UBC Farm, and we hope that you will attend and take part in this important consultation process! We would particularly appreciate your support and advocacy on the following issues:

1. The process will allow for residential density to be transferred from the UBC Farm to sites that have not yet been developed. In keeping with sustainable community planning and  design principles, Friends of the UBC Farm supports increased density in Wesbrook Place.
2. Further, we suggest that adjacent and proximate lots be designed with consideration of farm views, access and impact, and that the eagle’s nest tree habitat in the area be carefully protected.
3. We support integrating the lands formerly occupied by BC Research into the Neighbourhood Plan.
4. Within the provision for a new greenway, we support a design for a main UBC Farm boundary greenway that retains a natural forest structure and understory.
5. The Wesbrook Place Rd and greenway network should facilitate efficient access and egress to the UBC Farm, ensuring good cycling and pedestrian routes and parking, adequate motor vehicle parking for community events, transit routes and stops, and well-designed connections to on-campus greenways and road networks.
6. Ensuring consideration of the UBC Farm’s capacity to assimilate and re-use materials and energy from the neighbourhood, including but not restricted to stormwater, surplus heat in wastewater, district heating infrastructure, organic wastes, as well as timber and soil from clearing and construction.
7. Supporting community programming connections between the Wesbrook Place neighbourhood such as community gardening, recreation, public events and gatherings, and community education initiatives
8. Incorporating the developments in Wesbrook Place into UBC-based academic studies of design, construction and functioning of sustainable urban development

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Campus sales Wednesday Sept 9th

The Farm will be doing its weekly sale outside of the UBC Bookstore this Wednesday, Sept 9th, but with a slight time change. The sale this week is from 12:30-2:30. We are trying an extended time frame to accommodate all the demand we are receiving from campus customers. You can expect to see a great variety of produce tomorrow, including:

Arugula
Beans – bush, pole & French filet
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Flower Petals
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Parsley
Radishes
Salad Mix
Swiss Chard
Winter Squash

Let your friends & colleagues know! Cash only, please bring your own bags. Please note we will NOT be at the Main St. market this week.

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Campus sales today!

Just letting you know we will be having a mid-week sale today, Wed, July 15th outside the MacMillan building (2357 Main Mall) from 12:00 – 1:00pm. Stop by for some farm-fresh produce, including good supplies of our popular salad mix, radishes, raspberries, beets, snow & snap peas, arugula, garlic scapes, basil, edible flower petals, etc.. Cash only please, and don’t forget to bring your own bags.

Also – last chance to get your tickets for this weekend’s Outstanding in the Field dinner at the UBC Farm!

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Volunteers needed – Farm Trek, April 7th

We have an exciting week ahead of us! The Great Farm Trek is just around the corner and WE NEED VOLUNTEERS. If you’re interested in volunteering, please send an email to: greatfarmtrek@ams.ubc.ca with the phrase “I want to volunteer for the Trek!” in the subject line and state in the email body:

1. Who you are
2. When you are available (ie: all day the 7th, a few days before and day of, once a week for 2 hours until Trek, 3-6pm on day of)
3. Whether you have first aid or CPR training and what level (you will not be turned down if you do not have this)
4. Whether you have a car you are willing to use that day for hauling goods/people (I imagine the AMS can reimburse you for mileage, but I don’t know this for sure, so it’s best to ask).

Thanks for any help you can offer. Together we can make the Great Farm Trek an amazing event!

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Sustainability survey for UBC students

If you are a UBC student, filling out this survey and highlighting the importance of the UBC Farm to sustainability education on campus will be a key way to show that the Farm is an important part of UBC’s sustainability education. This survey will inform the President’s Academic Sustainability Plan, so it is important to have the Farm be a strong component of the feedback they receive. Please take a moment to fill it out. Also, please take a minute to forward the link to any student listservs that you may be a part of and let them know this is a key way to show their support for UBC Farm and its importance to sustainability research and learning at UBC.

Thanks,

Friends of the UBC Farm

_______________

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON SUSTAINABILITY

UBC aims to improve its current academic offerings on sustainability. Both UBC and the Faculty of Land and Food Systems would appreciate your input to help us do this. We want to hear your voice and know what aspects of sustainability are important to you.

Please take 10 minutes to provide feedback through completing an online survey.

The survey is jointly conducted by the Working Group on Academic Programs of the President’s Advisory Council on Sustainability and the Campus Sustainability Office. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Jean Marcus (E-mail: jean.marcus@ubc.ca).

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AMS Elections 2009: FotF endorsements

Hello friends,

Last Thursday those who attended the meeting voted on which candidates FotF will be endorsing for the upcoming AMS and Board of Governors (BoG) elections. Most (if not all) candidates running for executive positions in the AMS and the Board of Governors include “saving the Farm” in their platforms. It has become very clear in election debates this past week that only a few of the candidates can articulate what that means and have the political experience to make the farm a priority for the AMS this coming year.

Having a strong AMS executive and BoG student reps. is essential for university affairs and decision making regarding the farm and other important issues at UBC (especially development!). For more information about the structure of the AMS and BoG, candidates’ platforms, debate schedules and election details please visit the AMS website.

If you are an undergraduate or graduate student at UBC, PLEASE VOTE!!! These elections are important. Click through for our endorsements…

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Terry* Contest: Build an eco-gingerbread house

Check out this great contest that was held by Terry*, the fantastic and creative interdisciplinary project out of UBC. Bake for a Change asked participants to create an eco-gingerbread house over winter break and submit a photo record. I love that the resultant entries have all the traditional, sacharine stylings of gingerbread architecture, but with that added LEED touch. The entries are still being posted for this year’s contest, but last year’s winners can be found here.

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Media: Ubyssey article on the BoG press release

The UBC Board of Governors (BoG) has put out the call to the administration for a “new academic plan” for the 24 hectares of the UBC Farm.

The media release, which was issued December 1, states that there will not be market housing on the UBC Farm as long as the university’s “housing, community development and endowment goals can be met through transferring density to other parts of campus.” Market housing was a component in the previous plans drawn up for the future of the Farm.

President Stephen Toope says that the BoG is doing this to allow themselves flexibility, but that other options are being considered.

Full text article here.

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re:place magazine features UBC Farm design workshop

Thanks to Mark Pickersgill at re:place Magazine for his article covering November’s design workshop. In an incredible show of support an unpaid design team put together the full-day event. The energy and passion in that room was quite inspiring, and so were the beautiful drawings that came out of the small group visioning exercises. Pickersgill, himself a member of the design team, recounts the day’s events in his feature. If you weren’t able to make it on the 29th, read this for an understanding of what the day was all about.

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Sprouts, the campus co-op, is looking for project leaders

Below is a message from Sprouts, UBC’s student-run natural foods co-op:

There are three exciting new projects that Sprouts is keen on tackling, but needs some extra human power to accomplish.  If you are interested in getting involved with Sprouts, now is a great chance to do so.  If you are interested in one of these projects, please email ubcsprouts@gmail.com with your name, why you think you would be good for the position, and your resume. For more info about Sprouts check out our website.

The projects are:

1.   Sprouts workshops

Sprouts is looking for a coordinator for a series of workshops to be held during spring semester.  Sprouts aims to be a source of education about issues surrounding food, part of which includes knowing what to do with it when you have it.   We are looking for someone who wants to take the initiative to organize and arrange these classes, and come up ideas for what they should be.

2.  Sprouts lectures

Sprouts is looking for a coordinator for a lecture series to also be held during the spring semester.  The same prerogative as above compels us towards this initiative.  This is the more factual and cerebral side of our education concept.  Our thoughts so far have leaned towards a lecture series on topics like food security, seed security, fair trade and economic development issues, organic agriculture and biodynamism, etc..   We are looking for someone who is keen on organizing and arranging such lectures and to be creative regarding their format and content.

3.  Sprouts CSA

Sprouts is looking for a coordinator for a CSA-type program to begin next semester.   The idea is that Sprouts would deliver boxes of produce and groceries to individuals and families who live on campus who have subscribed to our service.  People would pay per month or per semester, to receive a box of fresh, local produce weekly or biweekly.  Students living in first year residences could sign up to receive just a box of fruit if they wish.  All of these boxes will be delivered by bicycle.  We are also looking for someone who interested in administrating this project along with the Sprouts board.  The role will entail liaising with campus community groups and administrators, other sustainability groups on campus, and designing the system to orchestrate this project.

These are all great opportunities for anyone who wants a serious job with plenty of space for creativity and initiative-taking, and who wants to help spread the goodness of local food at UBC.

If you’re interested, contact:

Sprouts, the UBC Natural Food Co-operative
ubcsprouts@gmail.com
SUB basement, room 66
http://www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/nfc/

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