LAFS is Hiring: Executive Director

Do you believe in sustainable food systems?

Would you love to be able to support local farmers and the community in your work?

Do you have experience with writing grants or delivering programs?

We want to talk to you!

Title: Executive Director
Status: 0.5 FTE, 12 month contract
(average of 25 hours a week, funding dependent)
Annual renewal
Start date: Flexible


Description of work


The Executive Director works to coordinate the programming and ongoing initiatives
of the Lillooet Agriculture and Food Society (LAFS). The work carried out is guided by the
purposes of the society, which are as follows:
● To enhance the agricultural viability of the Lillooet region;
● To promote awareness, education and research related to agriculture, enterprise,
sustainability and food security;
● To support and connect local food and agricultural enterprises; and
● To build community support for our local food system and unique food culture.


Key tasks for the Executive Director role include program development and
coordination; communications, fundraising, and administration. This position will work
with the LAFS Board of Directors, providing professional best practice- based expertise and
leadership/guidance in agriculture, food systems, and community-based economic
development. The work involves considerable coordination, facilitation, management,
fundraising, reporting, communications, and collaboration.

Major Duties

Coordinate with a broad network of local agriculture and food advocates including
farmers, ranchers, St’at’imc, provincial and local governments, health agencies, business
and economic development, and community groups to promote LAFS’s vision for the
region.

Organize/facilitate a minimum of 3 LAFS Board meetings and 1 AGM a year on behalf of
the Chair. Assist with administrative aspects of Board-related activity.

Carry out the annual Operational Plan as written, and develop an Operational Plan for
the upcoming fiscal year based work carried out and funding opportunities.

Fundraise for core activities and specific programs.

Coordinate and oversee the development of an annual report, financial statements, and
Society-related paperwork.

Society administration: manage and hire staff and/or consultants according to available
funding; oversee programming duties; act as a LAFS representative at local government
and/or NGO meetings and events; liaise with food hub(s) and other local initiatives.

Host workshops/seminars that will bring in expertise to share success stories with the
local agriculture and food community.

Food system infrastructure acquisition: including scoping, fundraising, and acting as a
communications liaison for individuals and groups working towards the acquisition of
distribution, processing, and storage equipment.

Communications strategy: Maintain and oversee the communications strategy. Develop,
research and write communications pieces such as articles, pamphlets, fact sheets, etc. for
specific target audiences (e.g. professional sectors, government, community groups). Work
with the media in getting stories, sound bites and messages out.

Maintain responsibility for communications regarding society administration and
operation, liaising with other groups and funding partners. Includes phone, emails, letters,
compiling meeting notes, etc. Manage a listserv, maintain website, Facebook, and Twitter.
Media releases (newspaper and e-newsletters) may also be required from time to time.

Minimum Qualifications


• Well-developed knowledge of the non-profit sector.
• Fundraising and grant writing skills.
• Exceptional oral, written and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to
engage, collaborate and cultivate relationships with a wide variety of partners and
stakeholders including First Nations, potential funders, community groups, government
officials and the general public.
• Program development and coordination skills.
• Strong administrative and organizational skills.
• Good organizational, time management and project management abilities.
• A high degree of self-motivation, an interest in taking initiative and the ability to work
independently and proactively.
• Willingness to learn about the specific challenges and opportunities in the Lillooet area in
regards to agriculture and food systems.
Education/Experience
• Post-secondary education (degree or diploma) in community economic development,
communications, facilitation, food systems, agriculture or a related discipline as well as two
or more years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and
experience.
• Project and fiscal management experience.
• Communications experience.
• Experience facilitating and engaging with community groups/volunteers and local
governments.
• Knowledge of local agriculture and food distribution systems is an asset.
• Strong leadership, coordination and administrative skills.

Required Licenses, Certificates and Registration
Valid BC Driver’s License

Contact:
lillooetagricultureandfood@gmail.com 778-887-2027

Electoral Area B Agricultural Zoning Updates

Electoral Area B is in the process of updating zoning bylaws to be in alignment with the Provincial regulatory framework. These changes supported by the Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) will be better suited to our unique regional attributes.

There are two sets of key content changes:

  • Zoning: The ALR land has not been properly zoned in Area B; the proposed updates seek to address this issue by creating new AGR zones and appropriately zoning parcels that are partially or fully within the ALR.
  • Compliance with Regulations: Bringing the bylaw into alignment with Provincial regulations, including provisions for gathering for an event, agri-tourism, cannabis production, and residential use.

    Please see the SLRD’s Project Overview page for more information and ongoing updates. 

LAFS AGM 2022

The Lillooet Agriculture and Food Society’s Annual General Meeting will take place on

May 17, 2022 at 10:00am.

Click here to join the Zoom meeting

Meeting ID: 875 7764 2080

Passcode: 215017
Find your local number

Below are the links to our AGM minutes from last year and this year’s agenda for review.

LAFS-AGM-Minutes-2021

LAFS-AGM-Agenda-2022

Let us know if you have any additions, comments or questions, or trouble connecting!

Email, call or text LAFS Executive Director Emily Jones: lillooetagricultureandfood@gmail.com or 403 614 3808

Connect at the Hub

Connect with our community partners at the Hub! We are so grateful to have access to a new collaborative office space at the Hub 633 Main Street. LAFS along with many other community partners will be sharing this new office space. LAFS will be having open office hours where we can connect and meet in person to discuss ideas, share recipes, and more.

More information and schedule details to come, watch this space and our social media to learn more!

New Regional Business Liaison

In response to the challenges posed to small businesses and organizations by the COVID-19 pandemic the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), in partnership with Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT), has created the Regional Business Liaison position to provide support to small businesses and non-profits.

Meet, Mandy Rousseau, the new Regional Business Liaison for the next year.

Mandy is here to help businesses and non-profits navigate the supports available during the pandemic and the following recovery period. She will provide one-on-one assistance to businesses and work in cooperation with different economic development organizations, to find and access the best available supports from Federal, Provincial, or other sources.

About her role, Mandy says:

“My one—year term is to act as a conduit between economic development teams, chambers of commerce, and the businesses, organizations, and associations that need support. With so much information and so many resources being announced regularly, I understand it can be tough to navigate the economic recovery relief programs. I am available to those who may need assistance sifting through all the relief programs and finding those that they are most eligible for.”

For farmers, this service can save invaluable time that could be spent doing a thousand other things during this busy season! The position is funded by a grant administered by the NDIT, and will last until June 2022. Take advantage and connect with Mandy through the contact details provided.

Farm & Ranch Safety During Wildfires

The worsening fire season in British Columbia creates many challenges for farms and ranches. Given the current State of Emergency declared by the BC government and the prospect of possibly facing mass evacuations in the interior, it is important to share helpful resources and information. Though a lot of fire mitigation needs to be done before the start of fire season, there is much that can still be done now to protect properties and the people and animals that live on them.

The Climate & Agriculture Initiative (CAI) of BC supplies a well of resources for farmers and ranchers to help them protect their operations.

Know the types of ignition

In general, there are three types of ignition:

  1. Ember Ignition
  2. Radiant Heat
  3. Direct Flame

Ember ignition happens when embers from a nearby fire land on flammable material and catch fire. The best way to mitigate this is to find and eliminate ember traps on your property. Ember traps include:

  • Dry, built up vegetation
  • Dry Grass
  • Sawdust or wood shavings
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Or other buildups of flammable material

If dry grass catches near garbage piles, it can easily light the garbage on fire and spread to buidlings.

Radiant heat and direct flame require fuel pathways. An example could be a barn catching fire from direct flame from a tree, and the fire moving along a fence line to another structure.

Actions you can take

  • Get updates from the SLRD here to keep you immediately informed about the situation in our area.
  • Remove any possible ember traps from your property; rake, pile, and water dry vegetation.
  • Weedwack and mow around your property to reduce the ease of fire spreading through grass.
  • Glean your roof and gutters of debris.
  • Identify which structures on your property are the most important to protect (priority structures).
  • Create first a 10 meter definable area around priority structures, then a 30 meter defensible area. (see the infographic below)
  • Hang plastic over openings to barns, porches, etc.
  • Ideally, create a 1.5 meter non-combustible surface around priority structures (i.e. gravel, concrete)
  • Mark waterlines.
  • Create a wildfire evacuation plan.
  • If you must evacuate, leave gates open. This serves two purposes: it reduces the risk of fires spreading along a fence line (if you have a wooden fence/gate) and it allows your animals to escape.

Resources

The CAI provides a great resource for wildfire preparedness specifically for Farmers and Ranchers.

A fillable pdf with which you can plan how best to take care of your facility in the event of a wildfire. The workbook was developed by the CAI with the help of producers across the province to help farmers and ranches deal with the unique challenges they face with regards to wildfires.

Watch the CAI video about the workbook.

  • Creating an operations map

Part of the Wildfire plan workbook includes creating a map of your operation. Such a map helps share key information quickly and effectively with first responders. 

This video will help you understand how best to do this.

  • Reduce threat to farm assets video

Other resources can be found on the BC Fire Smart website https://firesmartbc.ca/

BC Premises Identification Program

The Premises ID Program

Since 2011, the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries (MAFF) has offered voluntary premises ID registration for anyone with animals. Registering for a Premises ID is a way for farm animal owners and site operators to protect the health and safety of their own animals and other animals in B.C.

What is the Premises ID?

The premises ID is a 9-digit code attached to a specific geographic area in which animals are kept.  It is one of the pillars of the BC animal traceability system. The premises ID contains the following information about the location:

  • Legal land description 
  • Geo-coordinates (e.g. latitude and longitude) 
  • Emergency contact information 
  • Premises type (e.g. ranch or feedlot) 
  • Animal type (e.g. list of all animal types on the premises)
  • Maximum animal capacity (gives an idea of the scale)

Regulation

Starting in 2022 it will be mandatory for a premises where one or more animals (please visit site here for full list of types of animals) are either kept or assembled to be registered with the Premises ID program.

The regulation will not be strictly enforced by the BC government but instead program staff will focus on education and outreach combined with cross-compliance measures to encourage premises ID registration.

However, according to the Policy Intentions Paper, animal owners will be increasingly required to provide their premises ID number to access funding and (or) government services, or to obtain or renew certain licenses issued by MAFF or other provincial government agencies.

Who can register?

Anyone who keeps animals can and should register for a premises ID. This includes everyone, from a person keeping a single horse as a pet, to a full scale, industrialized operation.

Why Register?

The Premise ID is used to improve the response to disease outbreaks or natural disasters. The information contained in the premise ID can be used by emergency responders to locate farm animals, notify and communicate with farm owners/operators, estimate animal numbers for evacuation planning, and facilitate the re-entry process for operators/owners in affected areas. Premise ID information was used during the 2017-2018 wildfire season and significantly reduced the death of animals.

It increases the ability of the Ministry of Agriculture to coordinate and collaborate with other provincial agencies and local authorities involved in environmental emergency response efforts.

How to Register

You can either complete the application

  • Online
    • Have ready
      • Legal Business Name of your business enterprise (if applicable)
      • Location details, preferably the BC Land Titles Parcel ID, of your primary premises
      • Primary contact information regarding the different species located on your premises
  • Or download the paper pdf

Submit the completed forms

By Mail:

BCPID, Ministry of Agriculture
1767 Angus Campbell Road
Abbotsford, BC V3G 2M3

By Email:

BCPID@gov.bc.ca

For all the information on the program, check out:

CERIP Funding for Storage

LAFS applied for funding through the Canadian Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program to build on the work that we have done for the last three years around agricultural storage facilities.

We are very happy to announce that we were successful in our application for Agricultural Storage for the Lillooet area. A huge thank you to the Province of British Columbia for funding this project, and all of the other great projects that were awarded funding.

This project dovetails perfectly with our current Investment Readiness Project, which is currently in progress.

LAFS is now working on finding suitable locations for Agricultural Storage in Lillooet, and figuring out the next steps in terms of drawings, plans, organizational structure, and possible business models.

As an organization, we aim to support all agricultural endeavours, and hope to include a processing facility in the building to assist with the next stage of getting our local farmers’ products to market.

The project will start this year, and may take a year or two to complete. We will continue to post updates on here, as well as on our social media channels. If you have any any questions, or would like more information about the project, please contact us to discuss!

Investment Readiness Program Project

The Lillooet Agriculture and Food Society has been working on plans for an Agricultural Storage Facility for the last two years. A Cold Storage Facility Pitch Package & Feasibility Study was published in January of 2020, and followed up by Agricultural Storage Business Planning work with Roots and Rivers in the summer of 2020.

From this, LAFS felt ready to apply for the next steps – and wrote a proposal to the Investment Readiness Program (IRP) to do just that. We were successful in our application, which will build on the work we did through 2019 and 2020.

The next steps involved hiring a consulting team to further research best practices and industry standards, looking specifically to similar models which include a food coop aspect and community-first approach. With this IRP project, LAFS will also work to determine the ownership and operational structure and build the membership and team that will manage it,  secure the location for the facility through lease or partnership, and have concept drawings completed for the facility.

Consultants and LAFS’ Storage Facility Committee Members during their site visits.

We are excited to announce that Greenchain Consulting has taken on the project this spring, in partnership with Motiv Architects and Sustainability Ventures. The consulting team visited Lillooet last week and talked to a number of food producers as well as visited some potential sites for the cold storage.

If you would like to talk to the consultants about food storage needs, please contact LAFS at lillooetagricultureandfood@gmail.com. We are working on compiling a list of food producers in the region for the consultants to connect with.

The project is set to wrap up by the end of June, so stay tuned for an update in our next newsletter!