29. Lettuce Harvest

Organization Information

Organization Name

Lettuce Harvest Foundation

Founded in 2019, Lettuce Harvest Foundation (LHF) is a grassroots urban agriculture nonprofit organization based in Vancouver, Canada. As an organization just launching as COVID-19 took hold, LHF’s programming has been designed to enable urban agriculture in light of the pandemic’s challenges. LHF was conceptualized in the Climate Guides 2019 Mentorship Program. Brought together by a love of food and horticulture, the team worked to find an area of need that addressed the intersection of Food Justice, the environmental impact of agriculture, and supporting local community development.

Mission and Vision of Organization

Lettuce Harvest is a registered non-profit based in East Vancouver that sees increasing local production of fruits and vegetables as one of the best ways to create resilient, climate friendly communities. Our model redefines the typical idea of a community garden, by focusing on working collectively. Using front and back yard space donated by community members, we help volunteer gardeners work together to produce a harvest. This food is then distributed amongst the neighbourhood volunteers and homeowners, with all excess food being donated to local community groups feeding those most in need.

Guiding Principles + Values

Our work draws heavily on the principles of climate justice and sees local food production as a way to bypass many of the negative impacts of the industrial food system. As I’m sure you are well aware, the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment branch far beyond the horrors of animal agriculture. Globally, a forced reliance on patented seeds and petroleum-based inputs create a system of dependency, where the most marginalized communities are the ones most at risk of harm from environmental contaminants, lack of access to healthy food and the consequences of climate change. By localizing our food system, we can simultaneously build food security in the face of crisis, foster a sense of resilience by connecting community members, and help make plant foods more accessible to those most in need.

Contact Information

• Primary Contact Person(s): Zoe Beynon-MacKinnon
• Email: [[1]]
• Phone: 778 866 4084
• Address: 2375 E 11th Ave, Vancouver
• Website: https://www.lettuceharvesttogether.com/

Preferred Method of Contact

• Best method(s) to contact: Email
• Best day(s) to contact: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
• Best time(s) to contact: Mornings, Afternoons

Preferred Platform(s) for Remote Collaboration

• Email, Zoom, Slack

Project Description

Context: What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?

The goal is to create educational material that helps folks both understand why local food is important and how to get started. There's often a disconnect between discussions of local food justice and the global food system. Goal of workshop(s) created is to help bridge that gap and help folks get started in growing their own food.

Main Project Activities

• Workshop design and implementation
• Attend meetings with team to shape direction
• Alternative to workshop is creation of a video(s) that can be shared

Main Deliverable(s)

• A user-friendly and accessible learning materials that the general public can access (communicate complex issues with minimal jargon/academic lingo)

Will the project work for the students be online, in person, or a combination?

• Mainly online, potential for in person

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

• research
• strong writing
• comfortable presenting/facilitating workshops
• [asset] video creation/editing

Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?

• n/a

Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?

• No

Preferred Days of Week and Hours

Related Community Service Opportunities for Students

• Volunteering in gardens or expansion into other areas of behind the scenes work for lettuce harvest

Required Reading

Project/Partner Orientation Materials

Students should review these materials prior to the first partner meeting:

• Review Lettuce Harvest website: https://www.lettuceharvesttogether.com
• Clapp (2018), Mega-Mergers on the Menu
• Observations and suggestions during COVID-19 Harnessing pre-existing elements to increase food security

Additional Project/Partner Orientation Materials

The following will be provided at the first community partner meeting:

• Team meeting via Zoom