[BCFSN] community gardens protocol in COVID19 era

Aaren Topley aaren.topley at gmail.com
Thu Apr 2 14:10:51 EDT 2020 

Thanks Dawn! It would be amazing to hear your feedback on how to Indigenize
it. I know there a handful of Indigenous communities in Lekwungen and
WSANEC territory that are looking at growing food (or scaling up their
production) in the face of COVID-19.



On Thu, Apr 2, 2020 at 11:03 AM Dawn Morrison <dmo6842 at gmail.com> wrote:

> This is great Aaren. Our Indigenous Food and Freedom School will take a
> look at what you have developed and see how we can Indigenize it based on
> the social and cultural values and protocols our our tribe.
>
> It will help to see how you're doing it, since many of the same protocols
> will obviously apply to all people.
>
> Hope you all are keeping well and finding balance and time to adjust our
> lives.
>
>
>
> Dawn Morrison, Founder/Research Curator
>
> Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty
> Mobile: 778.879.5106
>
> Email: d <dmo6842 at gmail.com>awn.morrison at wgifs.org
> Websites: www.indigenousfoodsystems.org
> https://wildsalmoncaravan.ca
>
>
>
> On Thu, Apr 2, 2020 at 9:52 AM Aaren Topley <aaren.topley at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Abra,
>>
>> Good questions. Over the last year I've been working with the Public
>> Health Association of BC as their Provincial Manager for their Can You Dig
>> It program. Can You Dig It is a provincial community garden and urban
>> growing program. Over the last couple of weeks I've been working closely
>> with the City of Victoria to develop community garden protocol for COVID.
>> Below my signature is an email thread communicating the protocol to
>> Community Garden Coordinators and attached are some supporting documents.
>>
>> If people are interested in having a more in-depth conversation about
>> community gardens in the face of COVID, I'm happy to set up a video call
>> for us.
>>
>> In good food and health,
>> Aaren
>> Can You Dig It Provincial Manager,
>> Public Health Association of BC
>>
>>
>>
>> *To:* Aaren Topley <sr.consultant at phabc.org>
>> *Subject:* City of Victoria Community Garden updates during COVID-19
>>
>> Good morning community garden coordinators,
>>
>>
>>
>> Please see the City of Victoria Community Garden Best Practices during
>> COVID-19 attached. Please circulate to your garden members and volunteers.
>> I have also attached the poster to have printed and visible at the
>> entrances of each community garden. In addition, please post the BCCDC Hand
>> Hygiene poster in the garden.
>>
>>
>>
>> In order to reduce the risks, we strongly recommend to not share tools at
>> this time. Please advise members and volunteers to bring their own tools to
>> the garden and take them home when they leave. If there are no other
>> options than shared tools, please have strict sanitization protocols in
>> place (i.e. at the beginning and end of use).
>>
>>
>>
>> Soap and water will suffice as cleaning agents for hoses and surfaces if
>> there is limited supply of sanitizer currently available.
>>
>>
>>
>> As a reminder, the City of Victoria encourages community gardeners to
>> monitor the following resources for COVID-19 updates:
>>
>>
>>
>> • City of Victoria
>> <https://www.victoria.ca/EN/meta/news/news-archives/2020-news/covid-19-information.html>
>>
>> • Island Health
>> <https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/diseases-conditions/novel-coronavirus-information>
>>
>> • BC Centre for Disease Control <http://covid-19.bccdc.ca/>
>>
>> • Public Health Agency of Canada
>> <https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html>
>>
>>
>>
>> Public health advice may change, so please check the above resources for
>> the most current information to protect you, your family and fellow
>> community gardeners.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you, please reach out if you have any questions.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> --
>>
>> *Alex Harned*
>>
>> Food Systems Coordinator
>>
>> Parks, Recreation and Facilities
>>
>> City of Victoria
>>
>> 1 Centennial Square, Victoria BC
>>
>> V8W 1P6
>>
>>
>>
>> T: 250.361.0621   C: 778.533.2934
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.victoria.ca%2F&data=02%7C01%7Caharned%40victoria.ca%7Ca07631c24ac64c57c84b08d6d56355eb%7Cd7098116c6e84d2a89eedb15b6c23375%7C0%7C0%7C636931019946727815&sdata=2ZmtwzxubdsCX4a32bFlmiCi33B2gkWaaE8uC00QNTs%3D&reserved=0>
>>
>>
>>
>> <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCityofVictoriaPage&data=02%7C01%7Caharned%40victoria.ca%7Ca07631c24ac64c57c84b08d6d56355eb%7Cd7098116c6e84d2a89eedb15b6c23375%7C0%7C0%7C636931019946737820&sdata=HvvJRRIvLKuSPV%2BcFrHwgryy2QlRub3%2F27evytrp5I0%3D&reserved=0>
>>
>>
>> <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fcityofvictoria&data=02%7C01%7Caharned%40victoria.ca%7Ca07631c24ac64c57c84b08d6d56355eb%7Cd7098116c6e84d2a89eedb15b6c23375%7C0%7C0%7C636931019946747829&sdata=DhGtDzSXlOhIAxX9Yg0BCEq6mbQHv8%2BqGP4nlUGNe%2FM%3D&reserved=0>
>>
>>
>> <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fcity-of-victoria-bc%3Ftrk%3Dbiz-companies-cym&data=02%7C01%7Caharned%40victoria.ca%7Ca07631c24ac64c57c84b08d6d56355eb%7Cd7098116c6e84d2a89eedb15b6c23375%7C0%7C0%7C636931019946747829&sdata=h48LU2t5KU4V%2BUkeje78yPX0BeGoU5Fc5xoFLyYPGjE%3D&reserved=0>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> *From:* Alex Harned
>> *Sent:* March 20, 2020 4:35 PM
>> *To:* Aaren Topley <sr.consultant at phabc.org>
>> *Subject:* City of Victoria Community Garden updates during COVID-19
>>
>>
>>
>> Good afternoon community garden coordinators,
>>
>>
>>
>> The City of Victoria is taking the course of action to help slow the
>> spread of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and to flatten the impact curve on our
>> health care system. Following the advice from BC’s Public Health Officer
>> for social distancing and avoiding large groups, the City has decided to
>> postpone all public engagement events until further notice. This follows
>> the public health direction to cancel gatherings of 50 people or more.
>>
>>
>>
>> “Federal and provincial health authorities have urged increased social
>> distancing measures and on March 16, 2020 the Prime Minister told Canadians
>> to ‘stay at home.’ That’s why the City is taking the measures within our
>> jurisdiction to limit contact between people and to keep our community safe
>> and healthy,” said Mayor Lisa Helps.
>>
>>
>>
>> Steps taken to date by the City of Victoria (that relate to community
>> gardens):
>>
>> ·       City of Victoria recreation programs and services offered at the
>> Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre and Royal Athletic Park will close at 5
>> p.m. on March 17, 2020 until further notice.
>>
>> ·       The City is advising City-owned community and seniors centres,
>> which are run by independent non-profit societies, to close.
>>
>> ·       All public engagement is postponed -- this includes any
>> scheduled open houses, workshops, meet-ups, and the Mayor’s Community
>> Drop-In. Check out the City’s engagement portal at engage.victoria.ca for
>> the latest information.
>>
>> How this affects community garden operations moving forward:
>>
>>    - *Can You Dig It: Community Garden Coordinator Gathering* (scheduled
>>    for mid-April)  has been postponed until fall 2020
>>    - PHABC and the City of Victoria will be offering an online
>>    "Community Garden Coordinator Meet n' Greet" (stay tuned for Zoom invite)
>>    to happen on Friday, April 17 at 1:00 - 3:00 PM
>>    - The City is currently working on a guideline document, "Best
>>    Practice for Community Gardens during COVID-19" to help direct how
>>    volunteers should be managed and expectations for hygiene, social
>>    distancing, and cleaning garden tools and surfaces as directed by BC Centre
>>    for Disease Control, Island Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada
>>    (this document is scheduled to be distributed next week).
>>
>>    - Water has been turned on early for all community gardens. Please
>>    let me know if you have any questions or concerns about water.
>>    - Leaf mulch deliveries for June 2020 are pending Parks services
>>    availability, as we may soon be directed to only provide essential
>>    services. I will keep you updated on this as soon as we know more
>>    information.
>>    - The Community Garden Volunteer Coordinator Grant's terms of
>>    reference changes include expectations to offer public and private tours --
>>    this requirement will be postponed until further notice from Provincial
>>    Health direction, as to abide by the social distancing standards and
>>    direction to minimize large gatherings.
>>
>>
>> We understand to date that small gatherings of less than 10
>> people outdoors who are practicing 2-meter social distancing are currently
>> considered lower risk, but updates are emerging day to day.
>>
>>
>>
>> We encourage monitoring the following resources for COVID-19 updates:
>>
>>    - Island Health
>>
>>    <https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/diseases-conditions/novel-coronavirus-information>
>>    - BC Centre for Disease Control <http://covid-19.bccdc.ca/>
>>    - Public Health Agency of Canada
>>    <https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html>
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you, please let me know if you have any questions.
>>
>>
>>
>> *Alex Harned*
>>
>> Food Systems Coordinator
>>
>> Parks, Recreation and Facilities
>>
>> City of Victoria
>>
>> 1 Centennial Square, Victoria BC
>>
>> V8W 1P6
>>
>>
>>
>> T: 250.361.0621   C: 778.533.2934
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 2, 2020 at 9:32 AM Abra Brynne <abrabrynne at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello all,,
>>> I am wondering if anyone has developed a protocol - particularly if it
>>> is recognized by a local authority (govt or health) to ensure that
>>> community gardens can continue during the pandemic. Seems to me that it
>>> would not be that hard to organize physical distancing but it would be good
>>> to collectively talk through issues like shared tools and other issues that
>>> we have not before had to deal with.
>>>
>>> any thoughts suggestions??
>>> thanks,
>>> Abra
>>>
>>> Abra Brynne
>>> abra at foodshed.ca
>>> 604 Gore Street West, Nelson, BC V1L 3H3
>>> Ph: 250.777.2480
>>> she | her | hers
>>>
>>> "Whoever suggested that good thinking should be in a straight line?"
>>> Brewster Kneen
>>>
>>> "Social justice does  not come from passivity or non-caring. Justice
>>> must be struggled for. That is what life is, or should be all about -
>>> striving for justice. Not only or primarily as individuals, but as members
>>> of larger communities." Ursula Franklin
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> This is the public mailing list of the BC Food Systems Network. BCFSN.org
>>> Our email address: food at bcfsn.org
>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings:
>>> http://bcfsn.org/mailman/listinfo/food_bcfsn.org
>>> Our guidelines on listserv etiquette:
>>> http://fooddemocracy.org/docs/BCFSN_Listserv_Guidelines.pdf
>>> To contact the list administrator, email food-owner at bcfsn.org
>>> Follow BCFSN on Facebook and Twitter
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Hyš'q̓a (Thank you)
>> --------
>> Aaren Topley
>> (He/Him)
>>
>> ~ I write in gratitude from the homeland of the Lkwungen people~
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> This is the public mailing list of the BC Food Systems Network. BCFSN.org
>> Our email address: food at bcfsn.org
>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings:
>> http://bcfsn.org/mailman/listinfo/food_bcfsn.org
>> Our guidelines on listserv etiquette:
>> http://fooddemocracy.org/docs/BCFSN_Listserv_Guidelines.pdf
>> To contact the list administrator, email food-owner at bcfsn.org
>> Follow BCFSN on Facebook and Twitter
>>
>

-- 
Hyš'q̓a (Thank you)
--------
Aaren Topley
(He/Him)

~ I write in gratitude from the homeland of the Lkwungen people~
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://bcfsn.org/pipermail/food_bcfsn.org/attachments/20200402/048e6e99/attachment.html>

More information about the food mailing list