For some residents, food security only becomes a problem when a head of cauliflower costs $7, or a bag of rice is almost double the price it was three years ago, but there's an option so much clearer than buying overpriced food.
Food security is about daily choices around planting, growing, purchasing, cooking and eating. In a community such as Powell River, it's clear that residents have challenges with food supply and prices, but also a wealth of food resources at their disposal.
Local food security groups are working hard to educate and inform those who are willing to produce, preserve and share their food supplies. And it's working. Potluck dinners featuring an abundance of made-from-scratch dishes, sometimes using ingredients straight from the garden, other times sourcing local meats and produce, are the norm for those who are socially conscious.
Not everyone has the time to spend growing a garden or preserving, canning and fermenting their own food, but those who do will tell you that not only will it save a household money, there's a freedom, ownership and power in doing so.
Unlike larger cities, where it is often difficult to find garden plots or organic farms, Powell River has many choices. One only needs to go to the weekly farmers' markets to see how much food security this community actually has.
-Jason Schreurs, publisher/editor
