The 3^rd Annual ICC Local Food Fundraiser Defending Our Backyard will be one of the early highlights of Vancouver Island’s festival year. Chefs from some of the finest restaurants on the West Coast are working together to raise public awareness of local food security issues and in an effort create a sustainable local food system for Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

 

Defending Our Backyard celebrates island food, farms and flavours, at the picturesque Fort Rodd Hill, National Historic Site in Colwood, BC. The event focuses on personal experience, and beyond sampling some fabulous flavours of the Island guests will learn about growing more of their own food, composting, the ethical harvest of seafood, local wineries and breweries, about the region's many farmers' markets, and about bringing more general sustainability home.

 

Come and sample great food, beer, cider, wine and mead and discover who is growing what, and where you can get it, all to the backdrop of local musicians. This year's entertainment line-up features excellent local talent with Children of Celebrities, The Roper Show, Sick Kids, and Turnpike Bandits. 

 

Funds raised from the event go towards supporting new local farms and our own Bastion Square Chefs Market. Over the last 5 years, the Island Chefs' Collaborative (ICC) has provided $22,000 worth of equipment to 16 small farms on Vancouver Island -- helping to make those farms more sustainable.  The ICC's inaugural Defending Our Backyard in 2008 raised funds to provide $9,500 in grants to:  Sooke School District's WestShore Teaching Garden in Colwood, Haliburton Community Organic Farm in Saanich, Silver Cloud Farm in Sooke, Holland Farm in Saanich, and Kennego Farm on Salt Spring Island.

 

The 1st Annual Defending Our Backyard was launched by Ken Hueston from Smoken Bones Cookshack (then the ICC President) and a dedicated team of volunteers that pulled the event together in very short order. The event was a great success drawing in over 600 guests and sufficient profit to allow the ICC to launch its Farmer Grant Program.

 

The 2^nd Annual event was brought to you by the hard work of Cory Pelan of La Piola (President) and Jacques Forest (Event Organiser); it saw the addition of many sustainability groups and a crowd of nearly 1000.

 

This year’s event is being grown and tweaked by a festival committee lead by Michael Spence of CrossRoads Bar and Grill (Festival Director), Ken Nakano of the Fairmont Empress (President) and Jason Found (Event Organiser). Travis Hansen of the Butchart Gardens is expanding the list of island flavours you will get to sample, while Cory Pelan is on board to bring you some of the finest beverages produced on the Island. Expect to sample more food, and be able to interact with more local food heroes!

 

The members of the ICC would like to thank all our generous participants, and you the members of the public who continue to add to the success of the event and for supporting our local food system. See you in May!