About Us

Mission and Vision

Our mission is to develop and deliver programs that increase food growing and food security for people of Tofino and surrounding communities.

We have a vision of thriving and resilient coastal communities with access to an abundance of healthy local food and an awareness of what can be grown and harvested.

Our Story

The Tofino Community Food Initiative is a not for profit community group that formed in 2009 when a bunch of dedicated individuals decided to lay down their shovels and set about dispelling the myth that it is near impossible to grow food on the west coast of Vancouver Island. And while this area does have its quirks around growing food, it is also abundant and fruitful. With the right knowledge and tools you can make anything happen! Since our humble beginnings, we have grown from a volunteer-run passion project to a key community partner in promoting food literacy and food access for our coastal region. We serve all west coast community members with an emphasis on programming for children, youth and families.

Our Purpose is to:

Develop and deliver education programs about food security and food growing to people of all ages;
Coordinate and host public events about food security and food growing;
Increase access to local, sustainable, organically grown food;
Promote food security in the Alberni-Clayoquot region.

We bring the following Values into this work:

Generosity (in sharing food and in sharing knowledge)
Inclusivity (creating a safe, welcoming & accessible space for staff, volunteers, children & community members)
Listening & Learning (we are here to serve our community)
Experimentation (we may not always get it right but we will try and try again)
Fun! We want to share in the joy of growing food