Spring is here! Arugula is sprouting, swiss chard is leafing out in the coldframe, and overwintered cauliflower is ready to be harvested. In the midst of all this leafy green growth, the Urban Farm Network has a new newsletter! This month’s highlights include:

- Meet your urban farmer: 5 meetings with urban farmers are scheduled between April and August. Each includes a presentation and discussion of urban farming issues. Next meeting is April 20th with Julia Smith of City Farm Girl.

- UFN awarded a $3000 grant from Carrot Cache

- Vancouver Food Policy Council has created an urban farming working group!

- The Urban Farming Forum is tentatively scheduled for Fall of 2011. More details to follow. This event will bring together farmers from Vancouver, Victoria, and Seattle to share information, strengthen community ties, and work towards more progressive policies around urban farming and food security.

See newsletter for full stories and event details.

Chris Thoreau puts the newsletter together. You can submit a request to  include an item, sign up for the newsletter, or get on the listserve. Just link to the newsletter, click on view past issues (upper left in browser window), and click on join our mailing list.

Support our urban farmers and learn more about the practice of urban food production!

SOLEfood Open House Information Session
418 East Hastings Street
(Mah Benevolent Society of Vancouver, at Dunlevy Avenue)
Saturday, August 14, 2010
2:00pm – 4:00pm

This Saturday, August 14th, 2010, there will be a SOLEfood Open House Information Session regarding a possible second farm site at Union Street and Gore Avenue (the grass area adjacent to the via duct). The good folks at SOLEfood have requested feedback and input from neighbours on the project before they submit an application for the development permit

See the SOLEfood open house invitation for more details.

About SOLEfood: The SOLEfood Urban Farm Project is a non-profit social enterprise that trains and employs DTES residents in urban agriculture. The food grown is sold to restaurants and at Farmers Markets in order to achieve economic self sufficiency.

If you’re unable to attend but would still like to submit comments, questions or suggestions you can do so via email, phone or mail. Please send it to:

E-mail:   SOLEfood@unitedwecan.ca

Or via regular mail to:

Seann Dory & Doris Chow
39 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6A 1M9
Phone: 604-837-1601