Food mapping confirms community want for local food

The Westend Food Co-op (WEFC) has stacks and stacks of food maps, hand drawn by members of the Parkdale and High Park communities­ - the result of a half dozen community food mapping workshops.

They lay out where people go to buy groceries, coffee and their favourite spot for Sunday brunch, but they also chart food gaps in the area.

"The mapping has been fascinating and wonderful. People give so much energy to it," said Sally Miller of the WEFC. "But, then we would ask people to do action steps where they would brainstorm and share the results of actions they think should be taken to have a better food system for Parkdale/High Park."

Mapping began in the spring and is now wrapping up with the last few site visits with community organizations. Then on Sept. 23 a big wrap-up workshop will bring all of these maps together and serve as the inspiration for a mural the WEFC plans to commission.

"We are probably also going to produce an internal report, which as a co-op will help us see what the community wants for a food system in Parkdale/High Park," Miller said.

WEFC aims to create a thriving local community food culture with a positive impact on the economy, environment and society and promotes a connection to a sustainable global food system.

The co-op runs a weekly farmers market in Sorauren Park and is inching ever closer to opening a small format, full service grocery store featuring local, organic and fair trade products. For years a co-op store has been a goal of local food activists and was confirmed as a want in the community through the mapping.

"There was a recurring desire for a more regionally based food system," Miller said. "That is why the west end food co-op is the perfect response because it puts producers and eaters all in one co-op."

The WEFC has developed a business and financial plan for a co-operatively owned store, which according to Miller, who was hired by the WEFC to take it though the strategic planning process, will be one of the first multi-stakeholder co-ops in Ontario.

"We are actively searching for a site so by (November) we may have, at least, a conditional offer based on how much money we raise for a site," she said.

To be housed in the south end of Parkdale the WEFC would not only have a fresh food market, but also a community kitchen, meeting places and will hopefully share space with similar organizations.

One of the things that came out of the mapping was a high priority on bike delivery of food, which the WEFC is now looking into.

"It's one of the big problems in Parkdale for older people," Miller said. "The idea is letting them come in and shop and it will be taken home for them."

The mapping also showed people are looking for more ethnic foods, which aren't currently available in the west end. Miller said the farmers could grow a lot of it if they knew what was needed.

"Co-ops are unusual enterprises because they are actually there to serve the community so for us we figure out what the community's needs are around food and then we deliver that," she said. "We are really trying to fill their food needs and make sure we make enough money to sustain."

Modeled as a multi-stakeholder co-operative with consumer, employee, and producer/supplier members, the WEFC will be a democratically owned and operated business where each member would be an equal owner.

"We are about to launch the community bond campaign, which will open up member-ownership in the co-op," Miller said. "We are just in the process of ironing out the details of the bond agreement."

The bond campaign will officially launch on Nov. 2. Bonds are $600 each with four per cent interest. People who sign up in the first six months will receive a two per cent signing bonus. But, it isn't necessary to buy a bond to shop at the proposed WEFC, you just need to be a member.

The membership fee will be $5, Miller said.

The final mapping project will be at the Japanese Paper Place warehouse, at 77 Brock Ave., from 5:30 to 8 p.m. It is open to anyone who would like to attend. For more information about the WEFC visit http://www.westendfood.coop