Farmers and volunteers kicked off a second summer of pocket produce markets at Richmond Hospital today, an encouraging sign for local food security activists.

“There’s a lot of demand around people connecting with food, in whatever way that looks like,” said Arzeena Hamir, co-ordinator of the Richmond Food Security Society. “They see that the system is broken and that they would like to actually participate more in some kind of food-related activity.”

On Monday city council is expected to vote on whether to change city rules and allow a pocket market—an informal market selling produce from Lower Mainland growers—at Richmond Cultural Centre. Along with another market at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, that would boost this year’s pocket market inventory to three.

“Whenever we put a market at a central location, we don’t even have to advertise, there’s so many people coming by,” said Hamir. “The lineup starts before we can even open the market, so we know there’s a huge demand there, and people want to buy local food.”

Although pocket markets are a step toward food security, the Richmond Food Security Society is urging the city to do more.

Hamir said the city’s 175 community garden plots are full—including 20 new plots that opened at Garrett Wellness Centre—and wait lists can be as long as two years. Meanwhile, pocket markets and the Sharing Farm, which grows produce for the food bank, has had little trouble attracting volunteers.

The society wants the city to provide more land for food bank farms and create a non-profit group that would help create more community gardens around town.

Hamir hopes Richmond will adopt a model similar to Seattle, which boasts over 60 community gardens managed by a non-profit group and funded by the city.

“We’re hoping that a model like that could develop in Richmond and would hasten the development of new gardens in Richmond. City staff don’t need to always be the ones installing the gardens, community groups can take it on themselves.”

Coun. Harold Steves suggested the Richmond Food Security Society also be given a grant to participate in Metro Vancouver talks on regional food security policy on behalf of Richmond.

In public meetings planning the new Livable Region Strategic Plan food security was the top issue.

“Food security, agriculture and urban agriculture has emerged ahead of transit and everything else,” he said. “That gives you an idea that people are definitely concerned about where their food is going to come in the future as the climate is changing.”

According to a report from the city’s sustainability manager, Margot Daykin, food security is “the condition in which all people at all times can acquire safe, nutritionally adequate, and personally acceptable foods in a manner that maintains human dignity.”

Richmond Pocket Market

•Fridays at Richmond Hospital from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

•Saturdays at Richmond Cultural Centre from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (if approved by the city)

•Every other Sunday at Gulf of Georgia Cannery (alternating with Steveston Farmers and Artisans Market) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., beginning July 12

•Markets expected to go until World Food Day, Oct. 16.