Q & A with Shannon Lambie, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm
Jun 29, 2015
LFS Communications Assistant Jennifer Wu recently sat down for a question and answer session with Shannon Lambie, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm.
What do you find most special about the UBC Farm?
The stunning beauty of the landscape is the most special thing for me about the Farm. UBC Farm is offers visitors an instant connection to place. Visitors can experience the farm with all five of their senses, and it is truly a beautiful, unique gem on campus.
With your Bachelors and Masters studies in Geography and International Studies respectively, how has your education played a role in your current work?
I have always been interested in how place affects experience, and my undergraduate degree in Human Geography allowed me to explore this in depth. Particularly, I was interested in the relation of community and culture across place and space, and this piqued my interest in food and food production. I chose to study food sovereignty in Bolivia for my Master of Arts degree in International Studies. This pursuit profoundly changed my life, for it was while I was interning with an agro-ecological extension NGO in Bolivia that I knew I wanted to become more directly involved in the sustainable production of food, which led me to my work here at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm.
What do you like most about the Faculty of Land and Food Systems?
There are few things in life that I am more passionate about than food systems sustainability. So much depends on the sustainability of our natural resources, and I am grateful for the important work that the Faculty of Land and Food Systems does in order to address these critical environmental issues.
I notice there was a recent social media contest asking individuals to share a reason they loved the #UBCFarmMarket, can you share with us one reason you love the UBC Farm Market?
I love the UBC Farm Market because it provides community members an opportunity to come to the farm where their food was grown and shake the hand of the farmer who grew their food.
Do you have your own garden? If you do, what sorts of food do you like to grow?
I co-operate a ½ acre organically-managed vegetable and flower farm in Steveston called Sea Tilth Farm. We grow all kinds of veggies and more than 20 types of annual cut flowers. We sell at two farmers markets and supply weddings with flowers.
Is there a restaurant in Vancouver you would recommend/is your favourite?
I love the Gudrun in Steveston. It’s super close to our farm, and does Farm to Table really well! They also have an amazing cheese fondue.
If you were to spend one year living in three different countries, which three countries would you go to?
Chile, Colombia, and Peru.
If you were to open up your own restaurant, what would you name it and what sort of food would you offer on the menu?
I have no idea what I would call it – honestly, coming up with our farm name was nearly impossible! It would have to represent the place it was located very well. No question it would be farm to table. Maybe it would be a bed and breakfast type place attached to the farm I hope to own one day.
Is there a book that is particularly significant to you?
I loved reading the Golden Spruce by John Vaillant in Geography 290 – Introduction to the Geography of Canada. It is still one of my favourite books!
You can connect with Shannon and the UBC Farm on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.