Image of cantaloupe. Credits: Globe and Mail
January 3rd, 2024
An Ontario woman who became ill after eating cantaloupe is the lead plaintiff in a second proposed class-action lawsuit filed over cantaloupe-linked salmonella infections across the country.
Cantaloupe is grown in bushes and is particularly vulnerable to salmonella carried by wild animals, such as reptiles whose feces can contaminate the soil. “A major feature of salmonella compared to many other food-borne pathogens that make people sick is that it can be carried by a very wide variety of hosts,” associate professor of food safety engineering at UBC said, comparing it to E. coli, which is mainly carried by cattle.
Seven people in Canada have died from cantaloupe-linked salmonella and there have been 164 laboratory-confirmed cases in eight provinces, 111 of them in Quebec, the Public Health Agency of Canada said in its latest update last month.
The Food at the Tipping Point: Ways Forward from a Food System in Crisis series is brought to you by the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS), the BC Food Web, the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS), and the Royal Bank of Canada. This 10-part speaker series addresses the urgent need for widespread, dramatic change and provides us inspiration and real solutions.
The Food at the Tipping Point: Ways Forward from a Food System in Crisis series is brought to you by the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS), the BC Food Web, the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS), and the Royal Bank of Canada. This 10-part speaker series addresses the urgent need for widespread, dramatic change and provides us inspiration and real solutions.
The Food at the Tipping Point: Ways Forward from a Food System in Crisis series is brought to you by the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS), the BC Food Web, the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS), and the Royal Bank of Canada. This 10-part speaker series addresses the urgent need for widespread, dramatic change and provides us inspiration and real solutions.
Environment and Sustainability
Assisting with harvesting vegetables + flowers for City Beet’s weekly CSA and markets!
I loved getting a deeper look + being immersed in our local food system. Getting my hands dirty every week and harvesting veg that goes to local organizations and their markets was so fulfilling
Contributing to a regenerative and sustainable food system can start small! City Beet Farm is a testament to that – by growing in front and backyards, they demonstrate how even little spaces can yield bountiful harvests. I dream of our local food system to be one where abundance is shared, public spaces are used to grow food or native gardens, and where everyone can feel more empowered and have access to be part of the system – whether that be through growing food themselves or getting to know and supporting their local farmers!
Why are you interested in working within the food system? All issues are interconnected and none exist in isolation, so after working in the environmental space for many years, I found that digging my hands in the soil and learning + being part of our food system was a tangible way for me to, quite literally get my hands dirty and do my part in working towards more regenerative, just, and equitable communities. I believe that the food system is the foundation of everything, and with one that is healthy, local, and accessible, our local communities can better work on building better futures, in all ways. Starting local and rippling outwards!
Working in the food system and harvesting opportunities with LFS and the UBC Farm is fulfilling – it’s a wonderful way to cultivate meaningful connections, become equipped with hands on knowledge, and feel empowered to be a part in creating a more regenerative food system!
Urban Forestry
Helping out with harvesting and processing for CSA boxes and later soil testing project
Working with City Beet Farm, I gained experience working on a novel and unique farm. I was inspired by the impact and abundance grown within the heart of urban Vancouver
The volume and quality of vegetables grown by City Beet!
Growing food is a meaningful way for me to contribute to my community.
There are a range of opportunities to become involved in!
Image of blueberries in process of making sustainable packaging. Credits: Global News Video
November 6, 2023
Land and food systems professor Dr. Anubhav Pratap-Singh and graduate student Xanyar Mohammadi are developing a sustainable food packaging made from blueberries.
“This packaging is very flexible, and is very strong compared to regular plastic. Sometimes it’s even more resistant than plastic” says Mohammadi.
“This sustainable packaging […] is being called a game changer, not only for just preserving food products, but the trickle down effect it would have on our health and to the economy.”
Picture of carrots. Credits: The Ubyssey
October 31, 2023
The Ubyssey interviewed UBC Farm staff and researchers about The Canadian Organic Vegetable Improvement (CANOVI) project, an ongoing research project at the UBC Farm.
Organic growers in Canada “rely largely on seeds that are produced outside of Canada,” said plant breeding postdoc and CSFS associate Weijia Wang. “So the seeds might not be well adapted to the specific environment here.”
I am majoring in Food, Nutrition, and Health
As a Nature Camps Assistant, I was very lucky to have a hybrid role that allowed me to work in an administrative role with office responsibilities along with leadership opportunities with summer campers. Part of my responsibilities included preparing and facilitating activity-based workshops for campers and logistical responsibilities pertaining to summer camps such as care plans for campers, itineraries, name tags, and consolidating family feedback. I loved how my placement gave me the chance to experience so many different perspectives of youth outdoor education as it pertains to the food system in such an integrated manner.
This placement was more than I ever could’ve hoped for. I’m walking away from this experience with a deeper passion for food system education and youth discovery-based learning opportunities. I enjoyed getting to contribute to administrative progress in camp and developed a much more detailed understanding of the processes involved in running a summer camp. My placement helped me develop skills in organization of materials, proficiency in office manners and organizing educational resources. My experiences leading camp activities and working with youth directly served as excellent learning opportunities to enhance camper engagement, activity facilitation and workshop structure. My placement really fostered the development and enhancement of multidisciplinary skills that have better equipped me to continue into my future in the food system.
My placement validated the idea that food system concepts really are everywhere. It was exciting and enlightening to me to experience first hand how concepts I am learning about the food system directly translate to youth summer camp themes such as “Dirt to Dinner” and “Strategizing Sustainability”. It was such a cool experience to contribute to this education and foster individualized connections to nature for campers.
The leadership and educational attributes of this placement really struck me as something I would like to pursue. I strive to make a positive impact in food system education to foster this ongoing and continuous relationship with the food system and nature around us.
The VBGA has had great success with students from the LFS 496 Career Development Program, and this term was no different – the interviewing and onboarding process was smooth, candidates were qualified and highly enthusiastic, and timelines and requirements were communicated by UBC program coordinators clearly and effectively.
This term’s role, the Nature Camps Assistant, provided integral administrative support to a program welcoming over 500 children ages 5-10 and approximately 30 staff and volunteers throughout the summer. The student was also able to harness their food systems knowledge and interest in education and communication to plan and deliver a series of diverse and engaging workshops and presentations for our participants. Their ability to understand and cater to our various program needs was so evident that they were offered employment within our team at the immediate conclusion of their placement, and they were also asked to contribute to other projects and events within our organization. The success of this position has made it clear that the same role will be fundamental to our programs for next year, and we wholeheartedly look forward to hosting students in various roles in the future.