0What is KAFCA? What Do We Do and Why?
KAFCA stands for the King’s Alternative Food Cooperative Association. We are a King’s Society and aim to provide students with the choice of fresh, local alternatives to other food providers on campus, as well as the chance to meet new people, make new friends, and learn valuable cooking skills!
One of our mains aims is to provide first-year students with the means of learning how to cook, as this is valuable experience for living off campus in the years to come. Our society provides opportunities for first year students living in residence to come and help cook once a week at Cook-Ins, to prepare for our weekly Eat-Ins. These are community events meant for like-minded people to come together, laugh, chat, and discuss issues like local food politics and food sovereignty - as well as to enjoy some tasty, local fresh food!
Where does KAFCA’s food come from?
This is an important question to ask – probably the MOST important question. We get all our fruits and veggies from the Avon River CSA, located at Red Fox Farm in Centre Burlington, Nova Scotia.
What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Shared Agriculture, and is how many farms share their produce with customers.
“Households purchase a share of the season’s crop in advance, assisting the farmer in covering the up-front costs of that season’s farming. In exchange the farmer provides a regular delivery of organic produce to its member households.” - Avon River CSA website
This relationship is an amazing way to support local farmers, as well as support sustainable farming practices and land stewardship!
Ok, but why local food?
Supporting a local food economy means that your food doesn’t travel thousands of miles to get to your plate, and your money is not being invested in a practice reliant on fossil fuel energy. In addition to being healthier for the planet, local food is fresher, not genetically modified, and (if it’s organic) chemical-free, which are three huge components of food produced by multinational agricultural corporation. Supporting local food means your money is going straight to a farmer, not to a corporation.
Ok, but what’s so bad about agricultural corporations?
This is not a question that has one simple answer. But by investing in GMO foods, companies like Monsanto are rapidly claiming the rights (patents) to many different modified genomes. Forms of life have become commercialized and privatized, sending many small family farmers around the world out of business because they can’t compete with these new super-crops. Their centuries-old ways of life are fast becoming a thing of the past, with farming, food, and life itself becoming just another part of the capitalist structure.
So What Can I Do?
Volunteer with KAFCA! There are many ways to get involved. Help cook food for Eat-Ins, help serve, help clean up, make FYP announcements, make some posters – talk to us and we’ll let you know how to get involved! Or, go to the Halifax Farmer’s Market for some tasty local snacks!
0Sizzlin’ Sausages, Marinated Magic, and Sensational Salad - why, it must be KAFCA!
KAFCA, or the King’s Alternative Food Cooperative Association, kick-started the 2011 school year with a bang! Or rather, with a flare of propane. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon the quad came alive with the smell of sizzling sausages and marinated tofu steaks. It was meant specifically for Day students, but with an excess of delicious food everyone was able to sink their teeth into the delicious KAFCA offerings. For many frosh students it was their first time experiencing the goodness of KAFCA, and smiles, excitement, and food-induced comatose students happily lying on the quad were seen all around. With the current boycott of Sodexho, King’s official food provider, KAFCA will no doubt begin to play an even bigger part in food services on campus this year.
If you’re interested in getting involved with KAFCA, get on our mailing list by emailing alternativefoodcooperative@gmail com!
Get ready for a delicious year!
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It’s KAFCA’s first serving of the year - an amazing barbecue for Day Students (who are we kidding, for everyone!)
0Behind the scenes, before the magic happened - good old fresh fruits and veggies and raw the ingredients for Sunday’s barbecue.
fill out one of these forms for your ticket into volunteering with KAFCA! (and yes, we are aware that the way to people’s hearts is through their stomachs…)
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0Things began heating up as more people showed up for their sizzlin’ sausages and magnificent marinated tofu … the girls took over the grill station while smashin’ down some gender stereotypes!
WE LOVE KAFCA!
0With full bellies, full smiles, and full volunteer sheets, this first KAFCA serving of the year was a huge success!
