Filling a community need: Valemount Learning Society
Project at a Glance
- Installed summer 2020 in Valemount, B.C.
- Project goal: Improve local food security by filling a need in the community for fresh food while supporting the non-profit's mandate.
- Distribution model: Produce is offered directly to the community through a weekly subscription box and sold to nearby independent grocery stores.
- Impact: The organization stepped in to keep the farmers’ market running and expanded with a modular farm to start growing fresh produce for the central B.C. community.
- Operator: One operator leads the project, with volunteers signing up to help distribute the greens at the farmers’ market.
End of the road
In central B.C., the village of Valemount sits in the northern pocket of the province and at the end of many distribution lines.
“I hear all the time from community members about the lack of variety and the lack of fresh stuff on the shelves in the grocery store,” explains Korie Marshall, head farmer at Village Greens.
When a board member at the Valemount Learning Society saw Growcer on Dragon’s Den and heard about the farm in Churchill, Man., a spark of inspiration ignited what would eventually become a larger food security project.
Valemount is a small community of around 1,000 people with a limited number of volunteers and services. The farmers’ market was at risk of shutting down because of low capacity. However, the Valemount Learning Society had extra organizational capacity and stepped up to do what the community needed.
“We really see this is a need for our community,” Marshall continues, revealing that the Valemount Learning Society broadened their mandate and saved the farmers’ market. Once they took over the farmers’ market, the question then became what else?
“Well, if we’re going to look at the farmers’ market, we can start doing other food stuff too,” Marshall says.
“We really see this a need for our community.”
Marshalls shares she hears all the time from community members about the lack of variety and the lack of fresh stuff on the shelves in the grocery store.
Village Greens sprouts
The project was branded as Village Greens with the goal of supplying local and neighbouring community restaurants and stores with fresh leafy greens to help address local food security.
The non-profit gathered together to apply for grants and successfully launched a Growcer farm in the summer of 2020 – even amid Covid-19 pandemic delays.
The project was branded as Village Greens with the goal of supplying local and neighbouring community restaurants and stores with fresh leafy greens to help address local food security.
With a few harvests under their belt, the Village Greens team started a subscription bag program where anyone could sign up to receive fresh, locally grown greens year-round.
However, because their Growcer farm was further away from the town, Marshall also wanted to break into the grocery stores so more people could see the greens from the project on a regular basis.
“I wish we had installed it closer to town so that people could come visit more,” Marshall shares.
Village Greens also made appearances at seasonal farmers markets. There was one woman who helped Marshall on harvest and market days.
“She said she’d been looking forward to having a stall at a farmers’ market for years and it was just so cool to see her so excited about the greens that she was harvesting,” Marshall says.
Marshall also reached out to Growcer to expand their distribution, and with Growcer’s help, Village Greens now sells their greens to the local grocery store.
“The Growcer team has been amazing. Anytime we’ve come with questions, they’ve come back with feedback and options,” Marshall says.
The Village Greens during training week planting their very first seedlings.
A Village Greens harvest mid-December.
Community responds
Using a hydroponic modular farm to grow greens year-round is more turn-key than a greenhouse, but every grower experiences a learning curve in their first year. For head farmer Marshall, surviving the first winter was a huge milestone.
In addition to the personal fulfillment that comes from growing food, Marshall says the feedback from the community has been positive and the board of directors recognizes the need for this type of project.
Results
Valemount Learning Society grows fresh greens year-round under the brand Village Greens.
Fresh greens are available to the community through a subscription box and at the local IGA.
Volunteers have opportunities to help with harvest and farmers’ market days, increasing community collaboration through good food.
Seedlings getting transplanted into the growing racks.
Village Greens at the local IGA.