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Read More Bits
of the SSFPA sound bits Newsletter
July/August 2004

• Current Benefits offered to the members of the SSFPA
  
  
• Sound Bits. An information sharing network of relevant issues to members, as well
  as a marketing vehicle for members.
• Living Inventory. This members' directory provides for Business to Business
  opportunities. The information submitted to the SSFPA by the membership provides a
  constant source of feedback to the SSFPA to directly work towards meeting the ongoing
  needs of the members. Click here to access your current company information in the Living Inventory database.
• Action Committees. As an SSFPA member you will have the opportunity to be a part of
  the committee structure currently being set up for future development of the food infrastructure system through the incorporation of a shared services co-operative business. This co-operative is being created to meet the market demands from small-scale producers and processors. We are very excited about all the possibilities that have recently come to our attention and look forward to your involvement.
• Western Grocer Magazine. See the "Western Grocer Magazine Promotion" article in sound bits which explains the benefit of this publication to your business. With the purchase of an SSFPA membership, your business name, contact and description of your company’s activities will be advertised in this popular trade magazine just for being a member of the SSFPA.

• Benefits Currently Being Negotiated With Suppliers for the New Shared Services Co-operative (being piloted on the Vancouver Islands, and BC and Alberta for some services)
  
  
  • Group Insurance Coverage for Life Insurance,
  • Short term Disability Insurance
  • Long Term Disability Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Critical Care Insurance
  • Extended Medical Coverage
  • Group Discount Business Liability Insurance
  • Group Discount Transportation and Shipping Agreements

 

Western Grocer Magazine Promotion

The marketing opportunity being offered by the Western Grocer Magazine, with participation of the SSFPA, is very cost effective for the members of the organization. The usual cost of advertising in this very popular bi-monthly trade magazine begins at $545.00 plus applicable taxes for a one issue card size advertisement. Your membership fee of $12.50 per organization plus $2.50 per Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employee will give your company a listing in the pull out directory. The advantage of the directory being offered as a “pull out” will allow the audience of the publication to remove this “pull out” section and use the information for future reference. Your company can also purchase extra copies of the magazine so that you may use the “pull out” section as a marketing tool for your company. We are confident that having the SSFPA membership exposed to the 15,755 readers of this trade publication will assist the bottom line for all involved.

Western Grocer Magazine is a bi-monthly trade publication established in 1916 to serve the grocery, allied non-food and institutional industries throughout Western Canada (Ontario Lakehead to the B.C. coast). A member of the Canadian Circulation Audit Board, Western Grocer Magazine is read by managers and staff of independent retail food stores, meat stores, general stores handling groceries and meat, department stores with grocery and meat departments, supermarkets, voluntary groups, co-ops, manufacturers and food processors, brokers, distributors and wholesalers of food and allied non-food products, bakeries, food researchers, specialty food and health food stores, convenience stores and by food officials in the three levels of government. Circulation to food processors, wholesalers, food brokers, distributors and head offices of supermarkets is national in scope and totals 15,755, covering the entire food industry in the West.

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Introducing Holly Korstad

Hello from Vancouver : My name is Holly Korstad and I am a practicum student with the University of Victoria. I have spent the last couple of months researching food security issues in BC, completing an organic farming internship at the UBC farm and learning about exciting initiatives for economic change, such as the proposed Small Scale Food Processor Association shared-services co-op. Although I am concerned about the effects of globalization on our future society, as a young person I am becoming more and more hopeful about the realistic, attainable solutions that are being developed at a local level.

During the next few months, I will be contacting and meeting with small-scale agricultural processors in the Lower Mainland to learn about their experiences, strengths, and concerns. Following this, I will be writing a Sound Bites report for the Small Scale Food Processor Association that will feature the stories of some of the people that I meet. If anyone would like more information, or would like to be featured within Sound Bites, please contact me by email at hkorstad@uvic.ca.

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Planning and Assessment for Value-Added Enterprises (PAVE)

The Planning and Assessment for Value-Added Enterprises (PAVE) program is designed to "ramp up" farmers and producers to food processors, enabling them to gain more value from their products.

PAVE will provide farmers and producers with financial assistance to retain the services of business planning professionals and develop plans for value-added projects. Farmers and producers will receive assistance to hire the appropriate expertise to prepare feasibility assessments and develop comprehensive business plans. These plans will improve the chances for a successful launch or expansion of value-added enterprises. As part of the service to the clients, the consultants will provide counseling that will improve farmer/producers' ability to present their plans to capital providers and to use their plans as a management tool for the launch or expansion of their enterprise. In some cases, these opportunities may be pursued by individuals or by farmer/producers acting collectively.

Read Quick Facts for the PAVE program and, if you want to learn even more, contact one of the following:

Orlidia Hechavarria Kindelan and Idalmis Nazco Chaviano of the Association of Agricultural and Forestry Technicians (ACTAF) and Jacinda Fairholm of LifeCycles spoke at the UBC Farm on July 8th and held a second presentation in Victoria on July 15. During the 1990's, global changes led to a severe reduction in Cuba's imports of food, fertilizers, pesticides and gas. In response to food shortages, the Cuban government encouraged people to turn abandoned city lots into farmland. People began setting up cooperative farms; patio, balcony and rooftop gardens; community gardens; and agroforestry lots. Agricultural kiosks were also set up within the cities to teach people how to grow organically and to provide seeds, natural pesticides, and tools. Today the people of Havana produce over 50% of their food supply within the city.

According to Orlidia Kindelan, Cubans are also beginning to think about how they can add value to their products. She stated that this is an important part of ACTAF's future plans and that the organization is researching how it can assist farmers in processing their products. At present, farming surpluses are given to local schools or sold at the local farmers' markets. In Havana alone, there are more than 1150 of these markets, which make buying local, organic, fresh food convenient and easily accessible. People in Cuba have now developed a culture of eating fresh, organic food that has been grown and purchased close to home. Many organizations around the world, such as the ACTAF partner LifeCycles in Victoria, are modeling their strategies around the successes of farmers in Cuba. For more information, please contact LifeCycles at (250) 383-5800 and ask for Jacinda.

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Advisory: Health Canada Advises Consumers Not to Ingest Teas or Health Products Containing Star Anise Unless It Is Identified as Chinese Star Anise

June 29, 2004

For immediate release

OTTAWA - As a precautionary measure, Health Canada is advising Canadian consumers not to ingest herbal teas or health products containing the herb “star anise” unless they are confident that it is Chinese star anise (Illicium verum Hook. f). Consumers should verify that their product contains Chinese star anise. Otherwise, consumers should avoid using the following products:

There have been reports in the U.S. and Europe of adverse reactions associated with consumption of blended teas containing “star anise” and with the consumption of teas brewed solely from “star anise.” In some of the cases, herbal tea was being used as a treatment for infant colic. Adverse reactions ranged from mild nausea to convulsions and seizures, and in all cases, symptoms were temporary. To date, there have been no reports of adverse reactions in Canada associated with products containing star anise, nor evidence that any foods or health products sold in Canada contain toxic varieties of star anise. Consumers who ingest one of the potentially toxic varieties of star anise may suffer an adverse reaction and should consult a physician if this occurs.

There is more than one type of star anise. Chinese star anise does not represent a health and safety concern and has a long history of safe use in foods. The dried seed pods of Chinese star anise can be found in certain spice mixtures and cooking pastes used in foods, in some herbal tea blends, and in certain therapeutic and natural health products. Other species of star anise, such as Japanese star anise, are used for decorative and aromatic purposes but are not considered safe for human consumption and can be toxic if enough is ingested. It is important to note that this advisory does not apply to an unrelated herb commonly known as ‘anise’ (Pimpinella anisum). Anise does not represent a health and safety concern in foods and has a long history of safe use.