The Salt Spring Island Foundation has initiated a new five-year major grant cycle by awarding $100,000 to The Root, the Salt Spring Farmland Trust’s new local food processing, distribution and storage facility.
According to a press release, the grant is part of a bequest left to the foundation by May Cree Shaw and will be used to construct and equip The Root’s Shaw Family Kitchen, which will be a hub for preparing, cooking and preserving locally grown produce.
“This exciting and innovative project will benefit all islanders by making more local food available, improving our food security and also boosting Salt Spring’s economy. The Shaws were south-end farmers, part of our agricultural heritage, so this is a very appropriate use of their legacy,” said Kees Ruurs, chair of the foundation’s board of directors, in a news statement.
For much more on this story, see the June 7, 2017 issue of the Driftwood newspaper.