By Stephanie Stevens

Trio, triangles, trilogies, trifectas… a lot of good things come in threes.

And now, three non-profit organizations with a vested interest in food security in the Columbia Valley have come together to form their own triple threat, one that battles hunger and champions locally grown food.

The Groundswell Network Society (GNS), Columbia Valley Food and Farm (CVFF) and the Columbia Valley Food Bank (CVFB) have circled around joining forces for a few years, but 2025 it finally all came together and their Sept. 28 kick-off event, Rooted Together sealed the deal.

The event paired seven local chefs with seven local food producers to create an incredible and delicious example or what can be produced right here at home.

“CVFF was honoured to be a part of the first Rooted Together,” said chair Sylvia Page. “Working with Groundswell and the Food Bank to make this a truly local event featuring local food and local chefs just felt right. Everyone worked hard to make this event special, but I would like to highlight our Nourish Chef, Lara who absolutely pulled the whole farmer/chef pairings together as well as making sure we had many delicious pies for our auction. This event would not have happened as it did without her enthusiasm and knowledge of local farmers and chefs.”

Nourish is a CVFF initiative that works with local producers and grocery stores to rescue food that would previously have gone to a landfill.

Columbia Valley Food Bank Administrative and Operations Manager Carolyn Kurtz said she is hopeful the inaugural event, which was sold out shortly after the gate opened, will be just as successful in years to come.

 “We are excited to be working with other like-minded organizations in the Columbia Valley and I am hopeful about what we can achieve together for next year’s event.”

The participants included Columbia Valley Food & Farm: Nourish, with chef Lara McCormack preparing rescued food, Copper Point Resort’s Bon Pontawe paired up with Homestead Harvest, From Scratch’s Adrian McCormack used ingredients from Old Blue Truck Farm, Fuze owner Sarah Adamson teamed up with KatieIzzyCo’s Katie Israelson and created with food from Downey Farms, THE LOCAL coffeehouse owner Suzanne Beers offered up sweet treats with berries and honey from Weaver Bee Company and Winderberry Edible Acres Cafe chef Randy McSteven kept it simple using veggies from… Edible Acres.

More than good food, there were games for the kids, a miniature petting zoo with baby goats, arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt, fresh pressed juices and cider, beverages from Invermere Brewing, kid friendly hot dogs and sweeties from Valley Dawgs and music from Emma Kade and Emma Miller. The evening ended with a live pie auction.

Event organizer Anne Marie Grant said it couldn’t have happened without the support of Columbia Valley Tourism, The Columbia Basin Trust, Hopkins Harvest, Invermere Home Hardware, The District of Invermere.

GNS chair Michelle Wall commended Grant for her efforts in wrangling not one but three boards to make it all happen, calling it a “true test of her mettle.

“I am of what we pulled off with Columbia Valley Rooted Together,” said Wall.

“It was the first-ever collaboration between CVFF, CVFB, and GNS, and wow… what a groundswell (pun fully intended) of community love, connection, and impact. You could feel it in the air, it was something special.”

Lead image: Melanie Ferster and Karin Ogilvie (Groundswell board members) selling tickets for the food fair.  Photos by Stephanie Stevens

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