As of this week, veggies and dip, yogurt parfaits, vegan fruit bars, salads and seasonal corn-on-the-cob will join hot dogs, burgers and fish and chips on the menu at park-board operated concession stands across the city.
The "culinary makeover" is part of the park board's Local Food Action Plan approved July 8 and rolled out at a press conference last week at the Lumberman's Arch concession in Stanley Park. "A recent study showed that B.C. residents are most likely to buy local vegetables and fruit and Vancouver is leading the way," said Vision Vancouver park board commissioner Aaron Jasper. "We want to support that trend through farmers markets and in what is served at park board concessions."
Jasper said the plan will support more community gardens and fruit trees, use sustainable and local food economies to guide procurement contracts, and engage food networks, such as community centres. Soil generation is also a priority and with that in mind the city has implemented management systems to handle food waste and compostable materials from community centres and concessions.
Jasper said the park board is ideally situated to take the lead on such an ambitious plan because it's rich with food assets, such as community kitchens, fruit trees, restaurants and concessions. "And in our parks things like orchards and community gardens extend to every neighbourhood in Vancouver giving us an amazing opportunity to strengthen food networks across the city," said Jasper.
Jasper said there are 55 objectives within the plan that deal with the local food cycle that include everything from composting to growing. The goal is to have the objectives competed within next five years, and to that end 13 are accomplished or underway including three new community gardens and the planting of food trees along some city boulevards. The concession pilot program, launching next week with the support of the city's Greenest City plan, is also included in the plan.
The 13 concessions stands, operated by the park board in partnership with independent operators, share 12 kitchens where fruits and vegetables are cut up daily. Sandwiches and salads are then prepared at the Lumberman's Arch kitchen for distribution to other concession stands. According to the action plan, beach concessions operate seasonally with each serving an estimated 55,000 customers a year.
The 11-member Local Food Task Force was established last May to make policy recommendations and to find ways to increase and integrate food assets in parks and recreation facilities. Jasper co-chairs the task force with Vision Vancouver park board commissioner Niki Sharma. The plan builds on priorities outlined in the Vancouver Food Charter, Greenest City Action Plan, Park Board Strategic Plan, and Vancouver Food Strategy.
"This was the first modern task force used by the park board to develop forward-thinking policy," said Jasper. "Vancouver is unique in having an elected, independent park board. It gives us the opportunity to engage with the community to adapt our policies to the ever changing needs of Vancouver residents."
sthomas@vancourier.com
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