Vancouver Urban Farming Society Information

Aiming to grow urban farming as a viable, thriving and vibrant sector in Vancouver and beyond, VUFS is an organization that supports the shared interests of urban farmers. The group strengthens and grows the urban farming sector through education, advocacy, networking and business support. VUFS began as an informal group of urban farmers, entrepreneurs, urban farming supporters, food security advocates, and consumers dedicated to increasing the sustainability of urban farming in Vancouver and throughout BC. How it all came together: On November 22, 2010 urban farmers, urban farming supporters, and food security advocates gathered in East Vancouver to introduce themselves and their projects to each other and to start the discussion on what urban farmers need to be successful. This inaugural meeting was the first time such a group of urban farmers had gathered together in Vancouver – taking this group of urban commercial food producers from operating mostly independently to an increased level of cooperation. Through group discussion , a number of topics important to urban farmers were identified that can be summarized into five categories: - Land Issues such as access, tenure, and quality - Business development and training for urban farmers - Systems and infrastructure for successful growing storage and distribution of produce - Cooperation between urban farmers and complementary organizations - Government support of urban farming through policy and other means We currently have over 180 members working to develop economically-viable, socially-responsible, and ecologically-sound commercial urban food production models.