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Koots Calendar |
About the Kootenay Local Agricultural Society
Kootenay Local Agricultural Society is a not for profit Kootenay based local agricultural organization dedicated to the production and promotion of local agriculture and products. We are committed to supporting and strengthening sustainable agriculture and related businesses in our region.
As the owner and certifier of the Kootenay Mountain Grown label, we are responsible for ensuring that only farmers and processors that meet the Kootenay Mountain Grown standards for organic agriculture can market their product as Kootenay Mountain Grown.
We support the goals of Community Food Security, which means that all people have dignified access to food that is safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate, and which has been produced in a manner that is environmentally, and socially sustainable.
As the leading advocate for sustainable agriculture in the Kootenays, we provide support and information to our members through regular newsletters, farm field days, mentoring programs, research trials, and marketing materials.
All our programs and certification are supported by member fees and fundraising. Please consider supporting the Kootenay Local Agricultural Society for a stronger local economy.
About our region…..
The Kootenay region of British Columbia has a rich farming history and diverse agricultural production that includes tree fruit, berries, vegetables, poultry, beef, dairy (cow, goat and sheep), and greenhouse production. The First Nations people of the area, followed by newcomers from many different countries have, over the centuries, contributed their knowledge and skills to work with the climate and resources of the region to supply the food needs of its inhabitants. As recently as the middle of the last century, much of the food consumed here was also grown or raised here, either wild or cultivated.
By the end of the twentieth century this self-reliance had changed dramatically and, currently, as much as 95% of the food consumed in our region is imported. This is due to several reinforcing factors. Improvements in transportation to and within the region have facilitated the importation of food and other goods. The flooding of the Columbia Basin with the building of several dams in the region in the 1960s meant the loss of much prime agricultural land as well as the loss of wildlife habitat and grazing lands for livestock. Economies of scale traditionally associated with large scale production are simply not possible, nor desirable in a mountainous region where agriculture is, by necessity, small scale. It can also be a challenge to ensure that local government policy supports and does not hinder agriculture since the primary economic drivers of the region have historically been resource extraction-based (forestry and mining).
However, with increased consumer awareness of issues relating to food access and safety, the demand for local farm products has been on a steady increase for the past decade. Area residents are seeking out local food and both independent and chain grocers have become more receptive to supporting and promoting local agricultural products. With regional food sales (Kootenay and Boundary) estimated in excess of $150 million there is a great, untapped market close at hand for our region's farmers and other food producers.
The society is a non profit society, and its mandate is as follows:
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To establish a regional marketing label with the name of Kootenay Mountain Grown for the promotion and sale of local agricultural produce.
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To establish a local program to enable persons to be certified for Kootenay Mountain Grown if they meet standards for the farming, gathering, procession, packaging, selling, or handling of food products so that the public can be made aware of which food products meet those standards.
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To preserve the environment by encouraging practices which promote and maintain long-term soil fertility, reduce fossil fuel use, reduce pollution, recycle waste and conserve non-renewable resources.
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To promote ecologically sound sustainable agriculture systems.
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To conduct research into alternatives to traditional chemical and energy intensive food growing practices, and to give support, by providing a resource base and a forum, open to all farmers and food growers interested in such alternatives.
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To foster the goals of a decentralized, bioregional based food system which reduces transportation costs, bolsters local marketing systems and economics, and promotes greater regional food reliance.
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To promote local agriculture and to provide public education to assist the farmer, gardener, food processor and consumer to better understand the value and integrity of local and organic foods.
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To advance education by undertaking research in the field of agricultural sustainability, the results of which to be made available to the public.
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To establish a seed saving program for regionally adapted food plants to protect the biodiversity of our food crops.
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To raise money, acquire funds and other assistance, and to own, acquire, and take by purchase, donations, devise or otherwise, land or personal property and expend, sell, exchange, lease, let, improve, or develop same for the purposes of the society.
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To undertake everything necessary to promote and attain the foregoing purposes and periodically to reassess those purposes.
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When organic farmers and traders are operating in an anonymous market, certification has been developed to show and guarantee that a product has been produced organically. Certification is the formal and documented procedure by which a third party assures that the organic standards are followed. Certification leads to consumers' trust in the organic production system and the products. Certification gives organic farming a distinct identity and credibility and makes market access easier.
However, besides third party certification and formal standards, there are other methods of organic quality assurance for certain situations and markets. These can be in the form of self-declaration, or participatory guarantee systems, which are seen by IFOAM as suitable for local markets that are not so anonymous as the standard "trade".
IFOAM
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
Winter squash growing at Mad Dog Farm
In Tarrys, Castlegar.
Lettuces growing at Mad Dog Farm
