Course:LFS350/Projects/2014W1/T16/Proposal
Version Control
| Version | Author | Role | Changes | Date |
| 2.3 | Mahin | Changed project background according to the new research questions | Nov 1 | |
| 2.2 | Changed project background according to the new research questions | Oct | ||
| 2.1 | Lisa | Changed methods according to the new research question | Oct 28 | |
| 2.0 | Julie | Changed research question | Oct 29 | |
| 1.2 | Lisa Liu | Revisions focused on "Methods", formatting of "Deliverables" section | Oct 30 | |
| 1.1 | Lisa Liu | Minors revisions after feedback from Lucy | Oct 14 | |
| 1.0 | Raman Jhalli | Initial version | Oct 4 |
Project Background
The Gordon Neighbourhood House has established a food philosophy by which they operate. Access to food, food literacy, creative use of urban space, and community building are the goals that the Gordon Neighbourhood House strives to achieve through infrastructure and programs. To put their food philosophy into action, the Gordon Neighbourhood House has engaged in developing collaborative urban farm projects in which they are able to grow food for the community. They hope to increase the availability of fresh produce for those that are food insecure. Further, the urban farms provide the opportunity for the Gordon Neighbourhood House and their extended community to connect with the food growing process in an urban setting.
- According to the World Health Organization, food security is defined as: “When all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food in order to maintain a healthy and active life.”(World Food Summit, 1996). Although we acknowledge the World Health Organization’s definition of food security, we will be using the definition established by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. The concept of Food security is extended to consist of six key principles: affordability, availability, accessibility, appropriateness (culturally, morally, and nutritionally), safety, and ecological sustainability (Rojas et al., 2011).
- There are many different forms of urban farms with different structures and different purposes. For clarity and consistency, “An urban farm is an intentional effort by an individual or a community to grow its capacity for self-sufficiency and well-being through the cultivation of plants and/or animals” (Hanson et al., 2012).
The Gordon Neighbourhood House has two operating urban farms and one newly constructed urban farm in the West End of Vancouver. The first farm is on site at the Gordon Neighbourhood House and has two 2X20 feet garden beds. The second is a larger scale urban farm located in a 1500 square foot courtyard in the Gordon Nelson apartment building at Jervis and Davie, which will now be referred to as The Jervis Site. The Jervis Site is the main food-producing site and it will be the site of focus for this project. The third site is located along the parking lot of the Hollyburn apartment building. This site has 9 raised beds ready to be planted. All three sites, although created and operated by the Gordon Neighbourhood House, are a unique system of their own with different stakeholders and characteristics.
This collaborative model breaks away from traditional initiatives like food banks and pushes towards a creative, community-based, sustainable food system. Stakeholders from all levels of the Gordon Neighbourhood House such as building managers, residents in the neighbourhood, and local landowners in the West End are encouraged to participate in the project. As mentioned in the paper by McCullum and others, creating or joining multi-sector partnerships and networks can result in mutually beneficial programs, projects, and access to resources (McCullum, Desjardins, Kraak, Ladipo & Costello, 2005).
The urban farm initiative hopes to engage individuals with their food by providing programs and volunteer opportunities that allow community members to be a part of the food growing process. Simply put by Andrew Christie, the Community Food Advocate at the Gordon Neighbourhood House, “The urban farm project is to educate the community on how to be sustainable and provide access to food that is not from the store, it’s more than just a garden- it’s a social space too.” To achieve food security and sustainability, it is crucial to overcome the ‘distancing’ and disconnection that characterizes the current global food system (Kneen, 1993).
Since the urban farm project is in its first year of development, the use of space for efficient food production is relatively unknown. Majority of the produce grown in the farm is freshly harvested and used in the weekly community lunches at the Gordon Neighbourhood House. A dream for the current Head Farmer for the project, Susanna Millar, is to supply the produce for full, nutritious community meals. Currently, the farm is supplying mainly leafy greens for the lunches, begging the question - can their urban farms supply most of the ingredients needed for adequate, nutritious, appropriate, and sustainable meals? This inquiry involves both civic agriculture and civic dietetics concepts defined by Lyson and Wilkins respectively (Wilkins, 2008). While civic agriculture provides a framework for a locally organized system of agriculture bound by place, civic dietetics provides a framework for simultaneously developing and strengthening nutritional, economic, environmental, and socially sustainable food systems (Wilkins, 2008).
Gordon Neighbourhood House has partnered with UBC to conduct a case study of their urban farm to examine the feasibility of creating and maintaining an urban farm. This study hopes to provide a reliable, easy-to-read resource for other non-profit organizations interested in creating urban farm spaces, as well as provide the Gordon Neighbourhood House with some recommendations for efficiency and expansion of their urban farm system.
Stakeholder Summary
| Name, Role & Organization | Responsibilities |
| University of British Columbia
Student Team Members (Raman Jhalli, Lisa Liu, Nicole Clarke, Shivakar Sivarajan, Mahin Omar, Julie Worden, Natasha Lee, Tessa Hutchinson) |
All team members:
Mahin: communicate with Susanna in a timely and professional manner Lisa: progress reports for Lucy on wiki discussion Nicole: take notes during meeting and share with group Raman: wiki formatting and inputting
|
| Gordon Neighbourhood House
Andrew Christie - Community Food Advocate |
|
| Gordon Neighbourhood House
Susanna Millar - Lead Farmer |
|
Purpose and Research Question
Research Purpose
A case study of the Gordon Neighbourhood House urban farm will be conducted to determine the key components and relationships within the farm. This information will be used to compose a toolkit that provides GNH and other local non-profit organizations with a framework for the development and expansion of urban farm projects, as well as to make recommendations toward increasing productivity of the farm.
Research Question
What are the components of the Gordon Nelson urban farm operated and created by the Gordon Neighbourhood House? How can space be used more efficiently to increase food production?
Methods
Research Method
For this case study on the Gordon Neighbourhood House (GNH) Urban Farm, a qualitative approach will be used. The advantage of using a qualitative approach includes the ability to provide an in-depth analysis of the logistics of managing an urban farm and the relationship between Gordon Neighbourhood House and its community. It can provide a holistic understanding of the GNH Urban Farm. Although qualitative research is most suited to this case study, it is time consuming. The credibility of the results to this project may be questioned by other scientific professionals (Johnson & Christensen, 2006).
Data Collection (Research and Toolkit)
Key Sources of Information:
1. Susanna Millar, Lead Farmer of the GNH Urban Farm
We will arrange a meeting with Susanna to collect information on the operations and work involved of the farm.
2. Andrew Christie, Community Food Advocate for Gordon Neighbourhood House
We will arrange a meeting time with Andrew to gather contact information of stakeholders. Andrew will be the main contact for operations of the Gordon Neighbourhood House urban farm and contact for stakeholders.
With the contact information, we will arrange meeting times with the following stakeholders for filmed interviews with their consent. Communication with the stakeholders will be done in a respectful manner and in simple English. Consent will be received before interacting with stakeholders. Stakeholders will be informed of the purpose of this project, and a preview of the open ended questions asked for the interview will be provided. Ongoing consent will be maintained throughout the interview and the interview will be recorded by either audio and/or video.
We wish to interview the following stakeholders:
a) Lead Farmer- Susanna Millar
We will questions specifically tailored towards the these topics in the toolkit: growing, water, land, funding, collaborative community aspects of the farm. For example:
- Where should one get tools, seeds, and other materials?
- How should one ask for donations?
- How to deal with legal issues?
- How does one create a water supply when there is no source nearby?
b) Community food advocate- Andrew Christie
- What is the title and description of your position (if another organization were to start an urban farm project)?
- How did you get in contact with Gordon Nelson to start this project (ie, did a representative from Gordon Nelson propose the project to GNH, or did GNH reach out to Gordon Nelson?
- What was the process for implementing this project?
- What were the challenges that you came across during the initial project start up?
- How do you find land?
- Who do you contact to find land?
- What paperwork regarding land, funding, proposals or grants need to be filled out?
- Do you need a certification to have an urban farm?
c) A representative from Gordon Nelson, Inc. – Stephanie Nelson
- Why did your organization choose to give land for the Urban Farm project?
- Why did your organization choose Gordon Neighbourhood House as a partner for this Urban Farm project?
- Did you/ How did you reach out to Gordon Neighbourhood House?
- What does your company hope to get out of this project?
- What are the costs and benefits that you had to consider before choosing to fund this project?
- What do you fund?
- Who do you hire to work on this project? (ie freelance construction companies to build garden boxes? Etc…)
- Where did you get the idea of transforming the courtyard into an urban farm?
d) Gordon Neighbourhood House Chef- Peter
- How do you incorporate the fresh produce from GNH Urban Farm into your community lunch cooking?
- How does receiving fresh produce from the Urban Farm change your method of cooking meals?
- What different kinds of produce from the Urban Farm do you wish to see added into your cooking?
e) Urban Farm volunteer- Anonymous
- How did you learn about the Urban Farm?
- Why did you choose to volunteer at the Urban Farm?
- How does the food from the Urban Farm impact your life?
Analysis
With this collected data, we will analyze and determine the key elements of operation and relationships between the Urban Farm and Gordon Neighbourhood House and efficiency of the urban farm. The toolkit project will be a detailed description of the logistics of the urban farm intended for other individuals to read and have enough guidance to replicate the farm. The toolkit will contain all contacts, growing methods, farm design and tools in order to build an urban farm similar to Gordon Neighbourhood House’s urban farm on Davie and Jervis Street. Using information from the toolkit we will compare the Gordon Neighbourhood House Urban Farm to a successful larger scale urban farm, such as UBC Farm. Taking a qualitative analytical approach we can examine the possibilities for the Urban Farm space with comparisons to other more advanced farm spaces. Because abiotic resources will be similar, UBC Farm can be used as a model for type of crop and farming styles that can be applied to our Gordon Neighbourhood house Urban Farm. We will look at the range of crops retrieved from the farm currently and suggest different breeds of crops to improve the nutrient profile of the community lunches. We will also be looking at alternative farming methods to improve the overall quantity of crop production in the farm. Taking in consideration the limited space, we can then provide Gordon Neighbourhood house with suggestion for improvements that can be made on the Urban Farm to increase crop production, farm sustainability and overall farm efficiency.
Benefits and Limitations
| Benefits for this case study | Limitations to the research |
|---|---|
| The benefits to this project for us, students and community members, are that we can learn the developmental mechanisms of organizing an urban farm. We also get to observe and experience different aspects of running a non-profit organization. Gordon Neighbourhood House also benefits from our work as we are developing a platform for possible expansion. The toolkit we are designing can be used to expand their current urban farms and also spread their message and capability to other non-profit organizations or others interested in starting an urban farm in their community | Privacy will be maintained throughout this research project. Therefore we may only be able to collect very limited information and thus affect the amount of detail in our findings. Also as the Urban Farm is still a fairly recent project, the long term outcome may still be uncertain. |
Deliverables
| Toolkit |
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| Report |
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| Systems Diagram |
|
| Project Proposal Presentation |
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| Final Project Proposal Presentation |
|
The data gathered during the process of making the toolkit and interviewing stakeholders will support our report in addressing the components of the Gordon Neighbourhood House's urban farm, focusing on the Gordon Nelson site, and the key factors that are needed to allow for the urban farm to function. The report will also address the key factor of space in particular and provide recommendations on how to approach the use of space in order to optimize the function of the farm. This recommendation would serve the purpose of helping GNH move towards their goal of providing 100% of the needed produce for their weekly community lunches with the agricultural output from their own urban farms. The toolkit product will serve as a tangible "how-to" guide, not for themselves, but for other organizations of NGOs to use and put into action in order to produce other urban farms in their communities. It will be general enough as to not limit it's use to solely Vancouver organizations but will significantly reference to the GNH urban farm and its building process. For example, we will explain the need to obtain seeds and soil, and provide an example of how GNH completed this task using Vancouver examples and businesses that could inspire or relate to possibilities in other regions or cities. It is to be broad enough to be applicable to a worldwide use but detailed enough to still provide impactful support in creating an urban farm.
Success Factors/Criteria
Toolkit
After the our team is satisfied with the completed toolkit, success will be measured by how well Gordon Neighbourhood House receives it and whether they deem it as usable. The toolkit should essentially be an easy to follow, Do-It-Yourself guide where decision makers can accurately consider the feasibility of developing their own urban farm. There should be adequate information providing where to buy necessary equipment, seeds and other materials as well as step-by-step guidelines teaching one how to operate such a project. Gordon Neighbourhood House intends to use this toolkit to expand their current urban farms, and to provide a resource for other non-profit organizations interested in starting one.
Research Question
Additionally, success will be determined by whether we are able to identify the components of the GNH urban farm (Gordon Nelson Site), and analyze how each factor contributes to the operation of the farm. Success will also be dependent on whether our suggestions regarding increasing food production through efficient use of farm space will be an improvement and is feasible.
Scope Change
Scope changes requested by any stakeholder of the project must be agreed upon, approved and signed by all stakeholders. The agreed format is to revise this charter with version controls. Because this is critical to keep track of, the version control is displayed at the beginning of the charter.
Communication Plan
| Action Item | Deliverable | Dates | Accountable |
| Bi-Weekly Updates To Andrew & Susanna | Brief Progress Report | Friday | Shiv and Mahin will maintain contact with Andrew and Susanna, respectively |
| Weekly Updates To Lucy | Brief Progress Report | Wednesday | Lisa will update Lucy on our team's progress through the Wiki discussion board |
| In-Person Meetings/Interviews with Andrew, GNH staff, GNH program participants, West End residents, and West End landowners | Notes or Audio Recording, if possible | Ongoing | One designated team member will be responsible for taking notes or audio/video recording, depending on who is available to attend the meeting or interview. |
| In-Person Meeting With Group | Notes on Facebook Group | Every Wednesday | Nicole will be responsible for taking notes and posting them on the Facebook group |
| Information Sharing With Group | Project Specific Information | Ongoing | All team members will share any relevant information regarding the project on our Facebook group or on the shared Google Doc |
| Information Sharing With Community Partner | Project Specific Information | Ongoing | Andrew and Susanna will share any relevant information regarding the project in a timely manner through email with Shiv and Mahin, respectively |
Milestones
| Milestone | Event or Deliverable | Target Date | Responsibility |
| Milestone 1 | Proposal Presentation | Wednesday, Oct. 2 | Everyone |
| Milestone 2 | Project Proposal | Saturday, Oct. 4 | Everyone |
| Milestone 3 | Changed Research Focus | Wednesday, Oct. 29 | Included everyone |
| Milestone 4 | Revision of Proposal | Saturday, Nov. 1 | Everyone |
| Milestone 5 | Completion of Data Collection (All interviews) | Friday, Nov. 15 | Team members that can make it to scheduled interview dates |
| Milestone 6 | Completion of Toolkit and Video | Thursday, Nov. 20 | Everyone |
| Milestone 7 | Final Presentation | Wednesday, Nov. 26 | Everyone |
| Milestone 8 | Final Report | Monday, Dec. 1 | Everyone |
Approvals
The following individuals hereby approve this Project Charter:
| Role or Title | Name and Signature | Date |
| LFS 350 Teaching Assistant | Lucy Rodina | Oct 13 |
| Gordon Neighbourhood House Community Food Advocate | Andrew Christie | Oct 13 |
References
Hanson D., Marty E. (2012). Breaking Through Concrete: Building an Urban Farm Revival. Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ubc/reader.action?docID=10533547
Johnson, B. & Christensen, L. (2006). Table 14.2 Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Research. Retrieved from http://www.southalabama.edu/coe/bset/johnson/oh_master/Ch14/Tab14-02.pdf.
Kneen, B. (1993). From land to mouth: understanding the food system. NC Press.
McCullum. C, Desjardins, E, Kraak, V.I., Ladipo, P, & Costello, H. (2005). Evidence-based strategies to build community food security. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105 (2). Retrieved from http://www.mdconsult.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/das/article/body/466098836-2/jorg=journal&source=&sp=15361830&sid=0/N/510921/1.html?issn=0002-8223.
Rojas et al., (2011). From Inquiry to engagement. Sustainability, 3(5), 763-788. Retrieved from: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/3/5/763
Wilkins, J. L. (2009). Civic Dietetics: opportunities for integrating civic agriculture concepts into dietetic practice. Agriculture and Human Values, 26(1-2): 57-66.
World Food Summit (1996). “Rome Declaration on Food Security and World Food Summit Plan of Action”. FAO Corporate Document Repository. http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/w3613e/w3613e00.htm [2014-10-22]
Writing Quality
For a proposal report to receive full writing quality marks, it should be well organized and easy to read. It should address all of the topics articulated in the assignment details above, and it should be free of grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes.