12. Fresh Roots Urban Farm: Promoting a Pop-up Vegetable Market

Organization Information

Organization Name

Fresh Roots Urban Farming Society

Mission and Vision of Organization

Everyone should have access to healthy food, soil, and community. We enact this vision by cultivating engaging gardens, farms and programs that catalyze healthy eating, ecological stewardship, and community celebration. Fresh Roots stewards 1/2 acre market gardens on school grounds across the lower mainland. Our fields produce good food for the community, empower youth through vocational skills development, and serve as hands-on outdoor classrooms for over 5000 students each year.

Guiding Principles + Values

• We believe that good, healthy food is a right for all people.
• We believe that food is an inspiring and mobilizing force for good.
• We believe that education is the first step towards positive personal and systems change.
• We believe that healthy food systems are dependent upon a healthy environment and empowered communities.
• We believe that how we work together is as important as the work we do.
• We believe that collective action is imperative to food systems change.

Contact Information

• Primary Contact Person(s): Galen Taylor Jones
• Email: galen@freshroots.ca
• Phone: 1 802 371 9833
• Address: 5050 Wales Street, Vancouver, BC V5R 3M6
• Website: Fresh Roots Veggie Box Program

Preferred Method of Contact

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

Project Description

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

Fresh Roots has tried various models over the years to connect our food with the immediate community it is grown in. For the past several years, we have sold our produce through a Community Support Agriculture (CSA) membership, in which members get a box of produce a week for the duration of the season), and at Vancouver Farmer's Markets. We hope this year to find a way to combine our CSA pickup with a small pop-up market, close to one of our growing sites, that helps connect with immediate community in our area, especially residents of Still Creek Housing Cooperative and Kaslo Gardens Housing Cooperative (both located across the street from our Vancouver Technical Secondary School site).

We anticipate that a pop-up market will help reduce transport and handling time of veg. going to Vancouver Farmers Markets, cultivated a sense of community for CSA members and neighbours, as well as providing youth participants in our SOYL program with a chance to gain customer service and cash handling skills. Through this partnership with LFS 350 students, we are hoping to develop a marketing and promotion strategy to create community interest and support for our weekly pop-up markets.

Main Project Activities

• Research on similar pop-up markets in Vancouver (such as Fractal Farm), and what marketing materials/strategies they find most effective (or not)
• Research community groups in our area, and develop a plan for who to market/promote to
• Develop promotional materials (posters, flyers - exact numbers to be determined with Fresh Roots staff, based on student research)
• Deliver posters and flyers to neighbours, community organizations, etc.

Expected Project Deliverable(s)

• Develop and deliver promotional materials (posters, flyers - exact numbers to be determined with Fresh Roots staff, based on student research)

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

• Interest in communications and marketing
• Some graphic design experience, experience using design software
• Excitement to connect directly with community members; e.g. through both postering and through direct conversations

Student Assets and Skills (to be developed through the project)

• Project leadership
• Design, marketing and communication skills
• Deeper understanding around the functioning of a non profit and the logistics of operating a farm produce stand

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

• No

Is a criminal record check required?

• No

Project Location

• 5050 Wales Street, Vancouver, BC, V5R 3M6 or remotely from campus, with regular check-ins with Fresh Roots

Preferred Days of Week and Hours

• Flexible/to be discussed

Related Community Service Opportunities for Students

• Students are welcome to join our monthly Big Help Volunteer days starting in April, or to schedule individual dates to volunteer on the farm in March directly with Galen

Required Reading

Project/Partner Orientation Materials

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

• Taking a thorough look at the wealth of info on the Fresh Roots website will be helpful for students coming to a first meeting: https://freshroots.ca/about/our-vision/
• Community Food Markets (City of Vancouver)
• Greater Vancouver Food Bank's Curbside Fresh Market program boosts access to fresh B.C. produce

Additional Project/Partner Orientation Materials

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

• Farm tour, tour of the Italian Cultural Centre site for the pop up market, and a walk around the adjoining neighbourhood where they will be doing promo work

General Resources

• BC Association of Farmers’ Markets: Supporting the Flow of New Farmers in BC (request past LFS350 student report from your TA)