Project Background – Beyond the Market: Growing the North is a collaborative project, run in partnership with the Community Futures of Fraser-Fort George, Nadina, and 16-37 offices, that is designed to build, strengthen, and diversify the agricultural industry in the north. Beyond the Market will link producers, purchasers and consumers in the region in effort to identify the barriers to the local produce industry and encourage collaboration and entrepreneurial development to overcome them.
The central goals of Beyond the Market are to:
- Increase access to information about regional markets and value chain opportunities
- Build and enhance networks
- Encourage commercial consumers to purchase local foods
- Encourage value-added opportunities.
While growing numbers of individuals across the north are eager to purchase fresh food products directly from local farms and farmers markets, the vast majority of food we eat still comes from supermarkets, restaurants, and other sources that tend not to purchase from local growers.
Because Canadian food culture is strongly tied to convenience, factors such as seasonal availability, small-scale production and dispersed supply, and a lack food of distributors, packagers and processors in the north pose barriers to a smooth transition from farmer to dinner plate. In addition, economies of scale, long-term purchasing contracts and a cumbersome regulatory environment make it difficult for smaller producers to compete against large-scale conventional growers.
Beyond the Market plans to address many of these barriers and facilitate new and expanded relationships between food producers and consumers in the region.
If you would like to learn more about Beyond the Market, please visit the project website or contact the project coordinator in your area:
Prince George, Robson, Stuart and Nechako Valleys
Jillian Merrick
T: (250) 562-9622 ext. 115
E: jillianm@cfdc.bc.ca
Bulkley and Skeena Valleys
Chuck Holyk
T: (250) 847-1389 ext. 25
E: cholyk@cfnadina.ca
