Heading to Portland. Car 7. Conversations about regional food strategy with Theresa from Metro Van. The latest on the Vancouver Food Policy Council from Joanne. About twenty Canadians registered for this Community Food Security Coalition Conference (From Neighborhood to Nation). Six hundred coming from all over North America. Musical chairs. Ours was the communal table. The only table. Ross from Village Van sleeping. Met Shelby from Transition Towns, Lauren the new coordinator for the Toronto Food Policy Council. Zsuzsi stopped by to chat about the Westside Food Security meeting that I missed yesterday. Coffeed up in the bistro. Snacking on granola from Terra breads. Arzeena from Richmond Food Security brought the whole family. Her little girl has sparkly pink running shoes on. She says they make her run very fast. Ross from Village Van sleeping. Ilana from Fresh Roots is mid-sentence telling me about the guerilla community compost site they’ve set up when her cell phone rings, “Excuse me,” she says, “I have to take this call – I’m waiting for 20 yards of soil to be delivered.” Shared lunch, dolmathes, eggplant dip, homous and veggies, kale salad, much of it smuggled across the border. Eight hours of gentle rocking and rolling through lush Pacific Northwest landscape. Oh and free wireless on the train. Well worth getting up at 4 am. Ross from Village Van still sleeping.