Garlic and granola: Food webs and the catchment of farmer's markets

from the food producers' perspective.

Dr. Chris LingDr. Lenore Newman

Royal Roads University, Victoria, Canada

• We need to understand the dynamic geography of our own species. (Terrell, 2006)

• food is a "liminal substance; it stands as a bridging substance between nature and culture, the human and the natural, the outside and the inside" (Lupton, 1996; 16-17)

Results (8 markets, summer 2009)

• There was an overall mean vendor travel distance of 65km

• Mean distance for largest market in East Vancouver, with 69 stalls, 110km maximum distance 545km.

• Mean distance for smallest market on Saltspring Island, with 8 stalls, 8.5km mean distance, maximum distance 15km.

Trout Lake Farmer’s Market: August 2009

Food Web for the Trout Lake (East Vancouver) Farmer’s Market: 69 vendors, 110 km mean road distance.

Prince George Farmer’s Market Food Web: 27 stalls, 26km average distance, max distance 204km.

Saltspring Island Farmer’s Market

Final Thoughts

• Average distance farm to market varies widely.

• Lack of farmland close to big cities a factor in BC market sustainability.

• Smallest market very local, but food diversity is lacking.

• Questionable whether the large number of markets is sustainable.

This research was funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.