Kamloops Food Policy Council

What Kamloops Food Policy Council does

The Kamloops Food Policy Council (KFPC) is a registered Canadian non-profit charitable organization founded in 1995 in Kamloops, British Columbia, by Laura Kalina, a public health dietitian with Interior Health. It is self-described as the longest-standing independent food policy council in Canada. KFPC builds grassroots community capacity around food through a portfolio of programs including the Gleaning Abundance Program (mobile produce harvesting from registered trees and gardens), Butler Urban Farm (a permaculture urban farm producing thousands of pounds of free produce annually as a food commons), the Seed Library, and community workshops covering growing, preservation, and cooking skills. Policy advocacy is delivered through the Food and the City research series and direct engagement with the City of Kamloops and Interior Health Authority.

In 2019, KFPC joined the BC Food Hub Network via a provincial grant, and in 2020 it opened The Stir food hub at 185 Royal Ave., establishing a permanent community space hosting a seed library, people's library, community pantry, parklet, and event programming. KFPC does not operate proprietary technology platforms; its infrastructure is built on physical facilities, volunteer labor, and community partnerships. Revenue is generated exclusively through charitable donations (processed via CanadaHelps.org), grant funding (including a disclosed $150,000 grant for the Seniors Community Kitchen), and in-kind volunteer contributions. Network membership is free, and all programmatic outputs (produce, workshops, policy research) are provided without cost to community members.

KFPC is governed by a volunteer board of directors; founder Laura Kalina retired in May 2019 and Board Co-President Jesse Ritcey took a civic leave of absence in 2022 to run for Kamloops City Council. The organization operates on the traditional, unceded territory of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc and explicitly frames its mission around food sovereignty, reconciliation, and decolonization alongside food security. Its served community includes Kamloops-area residents (particularly food-insecure populations), local non-profits and grassroots action groups, local businesses, and municipal/provincial government stakeholders engaged in food policy development.

Name

Kamloops Food Policy Council

Legal name

Kamloops Food Policy Council

Website

https://kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Security and Food Policy

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture & Food Security Development (BPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

Keywords

• Food security programs
• Community food hubs
• Food policy advocacy
• Urban agriculture
• Community workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Kamloops

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The KFPC accepts charitable donations to support and develop food security initiatives in the Kamloops community. Donations are processed through CanadaHelps.org platform.
2. Grant Funding: As a registered charity and non-profit organization, KFPC receives grant funding to support food programs and policy work. They have received grants including $150,000 for the Seniors Community Kitchen.
3. Network Membership (Free): Network membership is free, allowing voting rights at annual general meetings. Membership helps the organization track community support for grant applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Kamloops Food Policy Council runs a portfolio of community food security programs and policy advocacy work in the Kamloops, BC region. Its core offerings include the Gleaning Abundance Program for harvesting and redistributing surplus produce, The Stir food hub as a community gathering space, Butler Urban Farm as a permaculture farm producing free produce, a Seed Library, regular Network Meetings and Potlucks, hands-on Community Workshops on growing and preserving food, and the Food and the City policy series on civic food issues. The organization is sustained through grants and donations and does not sell products or charge membership fees.

Product overview

The Kamloops Food Policy Council operates a portfolio of community food programs focused on building grassroots community capacity around food. Their core offerings include the Gleaning Abundance Program (GAP) for produce harvesting, The Stir food hub as a community gathering space, Butler Urban Farm for local food production, Seed Library for seed sharing, community workshops on food skills, and the Food and the City policy series. They host monthly network meetings and potlucks, maintain a community pantry and parklet, and advocate for food security and sustainable food systems. Past projects include Wild Salmon Caravan and Popcycle Fruitpops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Stir Food Hub A community food hub at 185 Royal Ave., Kamloops, providing a welcoming public space with a seed library, people's library, community pantry, and parklet for local food system activities.
• Gleaning Abundance Program (GAP) A community fruit and vegetable picking program that harvests produce from registered trees and gardens across the Kamloops region and distributes it to community members, addressing food waste and food insecurity.
• Butler Urban Farm An urban permaculture and regenerative agriculture farm at the corner of Wilson and Clapperton in Kamloops that produces thousands of pounds of healthy produce annually as a food commons with no barriers to access.
• Seed Library A seed sharing program that allows Kamloops community members to borrow and return seeds, supporting local food production and seed security.
• Network Meetings and Potlucks Monthly community gatherings featuring potlucks, community spotlights, and presentations for food system stakeholders, held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month (board meeting) and the 1st Wednesday of every second month (potluck).
• Community Workshops Hands-on educational workshops on topics including growing microgreens, lasagna gardening, fruit tree pruning, tool sharpening, seed saving, and food preservation, led by local workshop leaders.
• Food and the City Policy Series A citizen-led policy research initiative exploring civic topics including housing affordability, food security, sustainable development, and community resilience leading up to municipal elections (2022 and 2024 series).
• Food Security Programs Initiatives addressing food accessibility and affordability including community gardens, food pantries, emergency food resources, and advocacy for equitable food access in the Kamloops region.
• Public Produce Strategy Advocacy and programs for edible landscaping in public spaces, including fruit trees, berry bushes, and community growing spaces in city parks and boulevards.
• Community Pantry and Parklet An outdoor community pantry and parklet installed outside The Stir food hub, featuring benches, native plants, and a community pantry for free food access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Butler Urban Farm produces thousands of pounds of healthy produce annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Interior Health AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior Health Authority collaborated with KFPC from its founding in the early 1990s. The organization's founder, Laura Kalina, was a public health dietitian with Interior Health. Interior Health continues to participate in network meetings and food security initiatives.
• City of KamloopscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Kamloops participates in KFPC network meetings and is a key partner in food policy advocacy, public produce strategies, development processes, and community food security initiatives.
• BC Healthy CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKFPC references BC Healthy Communities' definition of capacity building and collaborates on community capacity building initiatives around food.
• Farm2ChefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarm2Chef partnered with KFPC on public produce initiatives at MacDonald Park, recognizing KFPC's support for public produce.
• Open Door Group GardengateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood Hub partner providing services through the Kamloops Food Hub project.
• Local PulseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood Hub partner contributing to the Kamloops Food Hub ecosystem.
• BC Food Hub NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKFPC was part of the BC Food Hub Network announcement in July 2019, receiving provincial grant support for the Kamloops Food Hub Project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FoodShare Toronto: Toronto-based non-profit running an integrated portfolio of urban agriculture, food access, and food justice programs. Highly comparable to KFPC's Butler Urban Farm, gleaning, and education model, with a similar multi-program community food systems approach.
• Community Food Centres Canada: National network of community food centres offering food access, skills, and engagement programs. Operates a near-identical integrated model to The Stir food hub and KFPC's broader programming.
• The Stop Community Food Centre: Toronto community food centre combining food bank, drop-in meals, gardens, and cooking programs under one roof. Closely mirrors KFPC's integrated hub model and serves a comparable low-barrier community food access mission.
• Vancouver Food Policy Council: Sister municipal food policy council operating in the same BC regional ecosystem. Directly comparable in scope (food policy advocacy, municipal government engagement, community programming) and constituency.
• Toronto Food Policy Council: Municipal-level food policy council coordinating food system policy work in Toronto. A direct peer in mandate (food policy advocacy) and structure (council model) to KFPC.
• Sustain Ontario: Provincial alliance promoting healthy food and farming systems in Ontario. Comparable to KFPC in its focus on food systems change, policy advocacy, and coalition-building across food security, agriculture, and sustainable food.

Broad incumbents

• Food Banks Canada: National charitable network representing food banks across Canada. Operates in the same food-security domain as KFPC but at far greater scale and as a national federation rather than a local policy/action organization.

Emerging players

• Meal Exchange: Canadian non-profit focused on student and youth food security. Smaller in scale but operates in the same charitable food-security space with a similar grant and donor funding model.

Others

• BC Food Hub Network: Provincial network of food hubs in which KFPC participates through The Stir. Functions as both a partner and a structural enabler/funder rather than a direct competitor.
• Farm2Chef: Kamloops-area food system partner of KFPC supporting local producer-to-chef linkages. Ecosystem participant with overlapping local food system goals rather than a direct programmatic competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBN2zqQ2ojdmnJXbuYY_MEQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/KamloopsFoodPolicyCouncil
• Instagraminstagram.com/kamloopsfoodpolicy
• Xx.com/kamfoodpolicy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kamloops Food Policy Council