Our Food: Then and Now

A multi-disciplinary exploration of the history, local character and art of our food on the Sunshine Coast.

“Our Food: Then & Now” is a collaboration between the Sunshine Coast Museum, One Straw Society, and the Arts Building. The Museum exhibit will be up until June 15th and offers a retrospective of local food culture over the last 100+ years through photographs, oral history, stories, and artifacts. In conjunction with the exhibit, there will be a series of workshops and films presented by the One Straw Society on production, harvesting and preservation of food. To kick things off, the three groups are hosting a “Hootenanny” on April 2nd from 5 pm to 8 pm at both the Museum and the Arts Building. Come on down and peruse the museum, listen to acoustic bluegrass by Matthew Lovegrove and friends, hear about traditional food with elder Barb Higgins, see the beginnings of a community garden, and dine on west coast flavours. That evening there will also be an art opening/silent auction of work that artists have interpreted from the theme of local food, as well as spring pots and seedlings for sale.

Growing season has begun and food security is becoming an increasingly pertinent subject. Learn more about how community-based food systems work. Share your ideas. Eat together and celebrate the past and future of “our food: then and now”!


Schedule of Events:

Museum Exhibit

• Art and Artifacts, March 15th – June 15th , Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10:30 am to 4:30 pm
• The edible landscape of the Sunshine Coast has sustained and nurtured its residents for thousands of years, and will continue to do so into the future. From indigenous food sources, to small scale subsistence farming, to the seasonal harvesting of berry crops, explore the history of local food production on the Sunshine Coast and get inspired to grow your own!

The Hootenany: Dinner, Silent Auction, Music

• at the Arts Building, April 2nd, 5 pm to 8 pm
• Enjoy Matthew Lovegrove's acoustic bluegrass, a traditional foods talk and blessing by elder Barb Higgins, and the sumptuous entrees we've prepared featuring traditional recipes and coastal flavours. Spring pots made by local potters, and locally grown seedlings will be available for sale. Silent auction of local artists' pieces inspired by food & agriculture continues throughout the evening.
• Calling all artists! You're invited to submit a piece of work about what local food means to you. Pieces will be exhibited and sold in a silent auction with 60% of the proceeds going to the artist. Call 604-740-7790 for more information. Submissions due by March 30th.

Workshops

• Nourishing Nettles with Sarah Ward, at the Arts Building, March 27th, 2 pm to 3:30 pm. Sarah will teach you not only where to look for this wild edible treat, but also how to ethically harvest (with stinging yourself!) and prepare a variety of delicious, nutrient-rich recipes.
• The Art of Food Preservation with Justin French, at the Museum, April 9th, 10 am to 12 pm. An overview of do-it-yourself techniques and tools to preserve your favourite foods from dehydrating to pressure canning and more! Recipes and samples of delicious preserved treats will abound.
• The Wonders of Kale with Tawha Barboza, at the Arts Building, April 9th, 2 pm to 4 pm. Tawha will teach you how to prepare some amazing foods featuring KALE as a primary ingredient - yummy enough that even kids will gobble them up! Learn about the health benefits of this prolific plant that grows year-round in local gardens.

Films

• FRESH, 72 minutes, 2009, http://www.freshthemovie.com/
• At the Museum, April 8th, 7 pm. A celebration of the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Fresh offers a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet. A film by Ana Sofia Joanes. Discussion to follow facilitated by Chris Hergesheimer, farmers' market strategist & local food producer.
• ISLANDS ON THE EDGE, 75 minutes, 2008, http://www.dvcuisine.com/
• At the Museum, April 30th, 2 pm. Similar to the Sunshine Coast, the food supply of Vancouver Island is largely dependent on imports arriving on barges and ferries. Within the context of a growing interest in local foods, this film takes a look at how to maintain and build the infrastructure of sustainable agriculture to fulfill the dream of feeding the island locally! Produced by Nick Versteeg of DV Cuisine. Presentation and discussion to follow facilitated by Dave Ryan of Gumboot Gardens & the SCRD Agriculture Advisory Committee.

Contact

• To register for workshops contact nadi@onestraw.ca.
• For more information visit sunshinecoastmuseum.ca (604- 886-8232), onestraw.ca (604-741-9859), or artsbuilding.org (604-740-7790).

Proceeds from all events go towards supporting the FOOD FOR ALL COUPON PROJECT - making farm fresh food accessible to all.