Deconstructing Dinner

How do food issues make their way into our public schools. As Deconstructing Dinner's Jon Steinman recalls, "I remember graduating from high school not knowing the first thing about growing food and having very little idea how the food I consumed impacted the planet on which we live." With schools being the building blocks of our society and culture, how does our government-funded education system incorporate into curriculums the most important issue facing all humans - food.

Part IHost Jon Steinman takes a ride with the Nelson-based group Earth Matters as they introduce their Food-to-Table program in local public schools. As a component of the country-wide One-Tonne Challenge, the program involved in-class presentations on how our food choices influence climate change, and even saw students visit local grocery stores where food was discussed in-depth.

Guests

Colleen Matte and Su Donovaro - Earth Matters - Colleen and Su were the coordinators of the One-Tonne Challenge Food-to-Table program. Earth Matters is a youth-driven environmental organization based in Nelson BC. They focus on developing and running innovative experiential education programs and community development programs.

Karl Machado - Teacher, L.V. Rogers Secondary School - Karl teaches a unique environmental science class for Grade 12 students. Karl has hosted the Food-to-Table program for two years in a row.

Marilyn Lawrence - Teacher, A.I. Collinson Elementary School - Marilyn is the grade 4/5 teacher. Her class participated in the Food-to-Table program.

Sarah Miles and Amber Johnson - Students, L.V. Rogers Secondary School

Grade 4/5 Students - A.I. Collinson Elementary School

"Permaculture" or "permanent agriculture" was originally conceived almost 30 years ago by Australian ecologist Bill Mollison. Observing aboriginal culture and forest ecosystems, he conlcuded that we could deliberately design agriculturally productive ecosystems, echoing diversity, stability, and resillience of natural ecosystems.

Permaculture designs provide food, energy, and shelter for people and animal inhabitants while linking the needs and outputs of each element.

Permaculture is a holistic approach to land use, which works with nature's rhythm and patterns, weaving together the elements of microclimate, annual and perennial plants, animal, water and soil management, and human needs into intricately connected and productive communities.

Guests

Gregoire Lamoureux – Kootenay Permaculture Institute/Spiral Farm – The Kootenay Permaculture Institute is located just outside of Winlaw in the Slocan Valley of British Columbia. Gregoire is a permaculture designer, consultant, and teacher. He has worked with permaculture systems for over 15 years and taught courses in many parts of Canada. He taught the permaculture design course as a Summer Session at the University of Manitoba in 2005. Gregoire is on the Board of Directors of the Slocan River Streamkeepers and has served on the Board of Seeds of Diversity Canada for seven years. He is a founding member of the Kootenay Organic Growers Society. He has written for Natural Life Magazine. He has been a guest lecturer at the BC Organic Agriculture Conference, and the Guelph Organic Agriculture Conference.

Peter Bane – Publisher, The Permaculture Activist – North America's leading (and the world's oldest) permaculture periodical. Based in Bloomington, Indiana, since 1985 the publication has informed on permaculture design, edible landscaping, bioregionalism, cooperative action, aquaculture, natural building, earthworks, renewable energy and more.

Audio Clips

David Holmgren – "Permaculture Strategies in a World of Declining Fossil Fuels" – recorded on September 10, 2005 by the Necessary Voices Society. David Holmgren is best known as the co-originator with Bill Mollison of the permaculture concept following the publication of "Permaculture One" in 1978. Since then he has written several more books, developed three properties using permaculture principles, conducted workshops and courses in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, USA, Israel, Italy, France, Britain, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. He has consulted and supervised on urban and rural projects in Australia and New Zealand. Within the growing and international permaculture movement, David is respected for his commitment to presenting permaculture ideas through practical projects and teaching by personal example, that a sustainable lifestyle is a realistic, attractive and powerful alternative to dependant consumerism. At home (Melliodora in Hepburn, Central Victoria), David is the vegetable gardener, silviculturalist and builder. The Fryers Forest Eco-village, also in central Victoria, has been a major project in recent years, where he performed many roles including planner and project manager. As well as constant involvement in the practical side of permaculture, David is passionate about the philosophical and conceptual foundations for sustainability, the focus of his seminal book Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability.

Host Jon Steinman chooses some of the most memorable interviews and segments from the 18 shows produced between January and May, 2006. Segments are played to a compilation of music from the Kootenay Co-op Radio musical library and Jon's own personal collection.

The BC salmon aquaculture industry has been one of the most criticized in the province. Nevertheless , the industry continues to expand and both the provincial and federal government continue to promote it. The opposition is led by The Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR) - a 9-member organization composed of First Nations groups, the fishing community and the conservation community. Key topics to discuss - The recent "Framework for Dialogue" that has been initiated between CAAR and Marine Harvest Canada - one of the three major players in the industry. A recent report was also released accusing the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans of using an ineffective system to measure the health effects of sea-lice on juvenile wild salmon.

Guests

Alexandra Morton - Raincoast Research. Co-author of Stain Upon the Sea - West Coast Salmon Farming. Originally from Conneticut, Alexandra moved to BC in 1980. After the arrival of salmon farms around her home in the Broughton Archipelago, her research focus shifted in the early 90s from killer whales to salmon.

Jay Ritchlin - Marine Campaign Strategist, David Suzuki Foundation - Vancouver. He has been involved in Environmental Science and Advocacy for 15 years.

Corey Peet - graduate student in Marine Ecology at the University of Victoria who is finishing up his research on the interactions between sea lice and young pink + chum salmon. He has recently joined the Raincoast Conservation Society as a science advisor for their Salmon Aquaculture campaign.

Catherine Stewart - Chairperson, Living Oceans Society - a non-profit research and public education organization that promotes the need for a healthy ocean and healthy communities on Canada's Pacific Coast. Catherine has been involved in the environmental movement for 20 years, and for 17 of those years Catherine has also been involved with Greenpeace Canada.

Clare Backman - Spokesperson, Marine Harvest Canada. Marine Harvest is the largest producer of farmed salmon in the world. The company is headquartered in both Norway and the Netherlands - a result from the recent merger between Stolt Sea Farms and Nutreco Holdings. The company has operations in 8 different countries around the world and their products can be found in over 70 countries. Marine Harvest's Canadian operation is headquartered in Campbell River, British Columbia.

Californian John Robbins is the author of the international bestseller "DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA - How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth". In 2001 he released " THE FOOD REVOLUTION - How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and the World". Before moving to his current home in California, John spent 10 years living on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.

Widely considered to be one of the world's leading experts on the dietary link with the environment and health, John's work has been the subject of cover stories and feature articles and many of the nation's other major newspapers and magazines.

The only son of the founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire, John Robbins was groomed to follow in his father's footsteps, but chose to walk away from Baskin-Robbins and the immense wealth it represented.

He is the founder and Board Chair Emeritus of EarthSave International, an organization dedicated to healthy food choices, preservation of the environment, and a more compassionate world. John is also the active Board Chair of Youth For Environmental Sanity (YES!).

In June of 2002, John spoke at an event in Vancouver that was recorded by the Necessary Voices Society. This broadcast of Deconstructing Dinner features segments from this speech.

In September 2004, the province of British Columbia enacted new meat inspection regulations that were set to come into effect by September 2006. That deadline has since been pushed to September 2007. Regulations will see all slaughterhouse operations fall under provincial and federal liceneses (about 5% of operations in BC are unlicensed). The province declares that these regulations will "strengthen public safety" and "provide new opporutnities for the marketing and sale of BC produced meat." Critics argue that the new Meat Inspection Regulations fail to address safety concerns such as Mad Cow (BSE) and Avian Flu, and threaten vital local agricultural economies and jobs.

Guests

Faye Street - General Manager, Kootenay Livestock Association, Cranbrook, BC - The KLA is a registered society whose members are livestock producers in the East and West Kootenay region of BC. They promote the beef cattle industry in the Kootenays as a viable and valuable resource. Faye also sits on the Regional Subcommittee for the Meat Industry Enhancement Strategy of the British Columbia Food Processors Association (BCFPA). Faye was also joined by Wayne McNamar - Project Coordinator for the Kootenay Livestock Association.

Dave Anderson - Legendary Meats, Slocan Park, BC - Serving a vast area throughout the Central Kootenay region of British Columbia, the slaughtering operation of Legendary Meats has now closed due to these new regulations.

Eric Boulton - Somerset Farm, Gabriola Island, BC - Operating their farm since 1948, Eric has operated one of the only facilities on Gabriola that slaughters animals for food. He awaits approval as to whether costly changes to his operation will grant him a license.

Richard Yntema - North Okanagan Game Meats, Enderby, BC - Richard's business specializes in raising specialty meats such as Deer (Venison), Wild Boar and Lamb. He is currently in the process of restructuring his operation to meet new regulations.

Michael McBane - National Coordinator, Canadian Health Coalition, Ottawa, ON - The Canadian Health Coalition is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting and expanding Canadaâ??s public health system for the benefit of all Canadians. The CHC was founded in 1979.

The first of a periodic series that will take a look behind the world's largest packaged food and beverage producers. What products fall under their banner, and how has their influence shaped economic policy, society and culture; how have they affected the environments they operate in; and what relationships do they foster within the countries they are located?

Part I - Pepsico New York-based PepsiCo, is far more than just Coca-Cola's main competitor, and based on revenues, sits at about the 4th largest food and beverage producer in the world.

Guests

Richard Girard, Researcher, Polaris Institute - Polaris is designed to enable citizen movements to re-skill and re-tool themselves to fight for democratic social change in an age of corporate driven globalization. Essentially, the Institute works with citizen movements in developing the kinds of strategies and tactics required to unmask and challenge the corporate power that is the driving force behind governments concerning public policy making on economic, social and environmental issues.

The genetic modification of our food is a new experiment that has only been underway in Canada since 1994. A campaign was launched in June of 2005 calling for a GE-Free Canada - a Canada free of genetically modified plants. The campaign was launched in Vancouver where a selection of speakers were invited to speak on the genetic modification of our food supply, and the methods through which GE-Free zones could be created. The event was recorded by the Vancouver-based Necessary Voices Society.

Speakers

Percy Schmeiser - Farmer - Saskatchewan-based farmer who was taken to court by agri-giant Monsanto after his fields of non-genetically modified canola were contaminated with a modified version from a neighbouring field. Monsanto claimed Schmeiser was unlawfully planting the company's patented products and subsequently took Schmeiser to court. Percy speaks of why we need a GE-Free Canada.

Arran Stephens - Founder and President, Nature's Path Foods - Richmond-based Nature's Path Foods produces a line of organic products and specializes in certified organic cereals. Arran Stephens is a published author. and sits on the Vancouver Food Policy Council.

Colin Palmer - Chair, Powell River Regional District - Colin has also served as Mayor of Powell River and as a municipal Councillor. He and his wife Ann have lived in the area for 35 years. Colin owns and operates a local printing business. He speaks of the role municipal governments have in securing a GE-Free Canada. Powell River is one of the first Canadian communities to become a GE-Free zone.

How do food issues make their way into our public schools? As Deconstructing Dinner's Jon Steinman recalls, "I remember graduating from high school not knowing the first thing about growing food and having very little idea how the food I consumed impacted the planet on which we live." With schools being the building blocks of our society and culture, how does our publicly-funded education system incorporate into curriculum this all important subject - food.

Part IHost Jon Steinman takes a ride with Nelson-based Earth Matters as they introduce their Food-to-Table program in local public schools. As a component of the countrywide One-Tonne Challenge, the program involved in-class presentations on how our food choices influence climate change, and saw students visit local grocery stores where food was discussed in-depth.

Guests

Colleen Matte and Su Donovaro - Earth Matters (Nelson, BC) - Colleen and Su were the coordinators of the One-Tonne Challenge Food-to-Table program. Earth Matters is a youth-driven environmental organization focusing on the development and implementation of innovative experiential education and community development programs.

Karl Machado - Teacher, L.V. Rogers Secondary School (Nelson, BC) - Karl teaches a unique environmental science class for Grade 12 students. His class particpated in the Food-to-Table program.

Marilyn Lawrence - Teacher, A.I. Collinson Elementary School (Nelson, BC) - Marilyn is the grade 4/5 teacher. Her class participated in the Food-to-Table program.

Sarah Miles and Amber Johnson - Students, L.V. Rogers Secondary School (Nelson, BC)

Grade 4/5 Students - A.I. Collinson Elementary School (Nelson, BC)

The first of a periodic series that will explore the foodservice industry and those who are making unique efforts to create more sustainable interactions between the field and the table.

Guests

Michael Allemeier - Winery Chef, Mission Hill Family Estate (Westbank, BC): Located in the fertile Okanagan Valley, Michael Allemeier has taken food service to a new level. On the other hand, it can be said that Allemeier has returned the operation of a restaurant back to the way they have more traditionally functioned. Before joining Mission Hill in 2003, Michael saw his time spent at Bishop's Restaurant in Vancouver, Wildflower Restaurant in Whistler, and Teatro in Calgary. He is most visually recognized as having been one of the hosts of the Food Network's "Cook Like a Chef" - an internationally syndicated television program.

Andrea Carlson - Chef de Cuisine, Raincity Grill (Vancouver, BC): In 1998 Carlson joined Vancouver's C Restaurant where she stayed for two years as Executive Sous Chef before embarking on a jaunt across Eastern Europe and Turkey. Upon returning Andrea created a bakery on Savoury Island and later spent a season at Sooke Harbour House in 2002. In May 2003, Andrea returned to C and assumed the position of Pastry Chef and is now back at Raincity Grill as Chef de Cuisine. Carlson maintains a commitment to all things seasonal; evident in her recent launch of the 100-mile Tasting Menu - inspired by James MacKinnon and Alisa Smith's 100-Mile Diet. "100-miles" refers to the limit at which ingredients can be sourced: creating a truly local and seasonal menu.