Canadian Prairies

Building Farmers' Markets of Manitoba

Building Farmers' Markets of Manitoba is a project of the Fa rmers' Market Association of Manitoba (FMAM). A new province-wide cooperative, FMAM is dedicated to enriching the market system by supporting and growing member markets through advocacy, promotion, educational opportunities, networking and improving FMAM management and structure. More than 630 farm families and thousands of consumers will benefit from this project. The project will provide capacity building training and networking for market liaisons to improve market management and growth, and will help staff develop policies and procedures, promote FMAM and advocate for member markets. By joining the national association, FMAM will also gain knowledge and support from other provincial associations. This project will create strong, well-attended farmers' markets and a high-capacity market association, enabling sustainable livelihoods for small-scale farmers in Manitoba .

From the Ground Up, Winnipeg!

Winnipeg, Manitoba's capital and largest city, has the highest child-poverty rate in Canada . "From the Ground Up" has been developed to engage at-risk youth in agricultural activities and is based on strong community partnerships with schools and community agencies. From the Ground Up's vision is to serve as a catalytic, transformative force in the lives of youths and their families by providing hands-on training in sustainable, urban-based agriculture. Participants will develop a greater sense of hope, purpose and place while gaining access to improved sources of income and high quality, locally produced food. This project will use a broad spectrum of urban agricultural activities, including beekeeping (40 hives), aquaculture (1,200 rainbow trout a year), vermicomposting and organic vegetable gardening.

From the Ground Up, Winnipeg (Phase II)

As a catalyst in the creation of sustainable communities, From the Ground Up, Winnipeg (FGUW) (Phase II) will engage at-risk, inner-city youth in innovative urban agriculture projects. Products such as honey, vegetables, fish, bison meat and other locally produced fare will be grown, harvested and sold at market. Using FortWhyte's unique 640-acre urban land base and in collaboration with community partners that serve Winnipeg's inner city, FGUW (Phase II) will provide training and expertise in sustainable agriculture to at least 271 youth over the course of the project. The project will pilot a training and education program in greenhouse operation, with FortWhyte Farms becoming a central hub in a network of resource efficient greenhouses located in Winnipeg's inner city and First Nations communities.

GenAssist: New Routes for Tomorrow's Farmers

The number of family farms in the Canadian Prairies continues to decrease rapidly. Over 27,000 farms went out of business in the five years preceding 2002. As the number of farm families declines, agriculture and food security are moved into the hands of fewer people, resulting in loss of employment and general decline of rural communities. GenAssist's major goal is to help beginning farmers ensure that the intergenerational transfer of farms continues in a sustainable manner. This new generation of farmers will be trained in a stewardship ethic that seeks environmental, social and economic balance while producing food. Heifer International is providing livestock to 30 young farmers who are not financially capable of starting a farm. An agroecology initiative will be added for restoration of other prairie land.

GenAssist II: Developing a Holistic Marketing Model

The percentage of the consumer's dollar that reaches the average farm family in Canada has significantly decreased from one generation to the next. The major goal of GenAssist II: Developing a Holistic Marketing Model is to help families involved receive a greater share of the consumer dollar by developing a holistic marketing model. Fifteen original and 95 pass-on families will receive training in pasture management, improved genetic stock, and access to consumer markets through a cooperative value-chain. The project holder's farm base in Wynyard, Saskatchewan, will also share applied research on grass-based production to other farm groups.

Growing Our Future

The Core Neighborhoods Youth Co-op (CNYC) and Girls Action Information Network (GAIN) are partnering to develop skills-building programs for at-risk youth in the inner city of Saskatoon. The project's goal is to allow at-risk youth to gain life and employment skills through the development of a therapeutic gardening and horticulture curriculum and micro-business. Training will include beekeeping, composting, greenhouse and outdoor gardening and aquaponics. CNYC will receive gifts of beehinves, worms, seeds, and fish. The project will involve approximately 30 original youth and include 40 as pass-on recipients each subsequent year. The greenhouse will be a girls-only program. All youth will share their knowledge with others in the project and to children at partnering elementary schools.

Harvest Moon Food Group

The Harvest Moon Food Group (HMFG) is working to revive family farms in Manitoba by developing a local food-marketing group and creating new opportunities for the next generation of farmers. The HMFG is made up of women, men, farmers, leaders, entrepreneurs, volunteers, friends, familites and activists; all of whom are committed to a democratic, inclusive and egalitarian group structure. Together, they strive towards food production and distribution that reconnects farmers and consumers, moving farmers from "producers of commodities" to "providers of food." The HMFG will contribute to food security, reduce the ecological footprint of food productions, increase the viability of small-scale family farming and reverse the trend of rural and environmental decline. By marketing collectively and directly to consumers, the HMFG members will gain a larger portion of the consumer dollar, making members' farms more viable now and for future generations.

Little Green Thumbs

The Little Green Thumbs (LGT) project, managed by Agriculture in the Classroom in partnership with the First Nations Agricultural Council of Saskatchewan, will help approximately 3500 young people value their health and the health of their community and environment through participation in a classroom garden. The project will receive grow kits, soil and seeds to form an indoor garden that will make learning concepts such as sustainable food systems, community interdependence and nutrition fun and relevant. Students will also cooperate to compost their food waste with vermi-composting. Rural, urban and First Nation schools will form clusters help strengthen schools and communities through shared learning and cultural celebrations. The LGT project will engage 50 original placement classrooms, and 70 pass-on recipients.

Manitoba Farm Mentorship Program

Manitoba farmers are struggling through a farm crisis and are affected by climate change, diminishing global oil supplies and food safety issues. This situation necessitates a shift to smaller-scale, environmentally friendly agriculture for localized markets; but farmers, especially those with little farming experience, face many barriers. However, recent trends like the increasing demand for organic and local foods offer opportunities for smaller-scale growers and new farmers. The Manitoba Farm Mentorship Program (MFMP) targets aspiring organic producers and farmers transitioning to environmentally friendly farming and local markets. This project will help at least 201 individuals through training, access to markets, and the development of supportive networks. In return for the training, resources and opportunities offered by the program participants will pass on the gift with a cash contribution, or an in-kind offering related to contributed work hours. Some may elect to deliver an equivalent value in pounds of food to local shelters, soup kitchens, food banks, or community economic development initiatives.

Manitoba Local Foods Project

The Manitoba Local Foods Project will assist 180 families through the original placement of 4717 chickens, 42 goats, 90 kilos of worms, training, seeds and horticultural resources, and networking opportunities to communities in three regions of the province: Urban, Rural and Northern Manitoba. An additional 120 families will benefit through passing on the gift. Through seventy stakeholder meetings conducted by the Manitoba Food Charter (2005-06), Manitobans identified three common concerns around Manitoba's food system: access, an increased connection to, and information about food. This project translates all of the community dialogs around food systems into concrete action in the form of community projects to improve food security and the strength of local food systems in Manitoba. The Urban Winnipeg community projects include: showcasing urban farming models, farmer market development, supporting buy local campaigns and educating around economic access to healthy food. The rural Manitoba community projects include: marketing support for local producers (environmental scans) and buy local campaigns. The Northern Manitoba community projects include establishing community gardens, increasing skills around food preparation and processing, establishing small livestock producers, experimenting with underground gardens and aquaculture, developing individual and community composting facilities.

Millennium Gardens

For the hundreds of socially isolated, marginalized seniors who participate, the Millenium Gardens is "a dream come true," and has enabled them to improve their health and well-being through growing food, physical activity, and participating in social events. But because of freeway expansion, the Millennium Gardens must be moved. To help move the garden, Heifer will reestablish garden beds, watering systems, and wheelchair accessible pathways, as well as move the training structure and tool storage. Heifer will also enable the expansion of training and outreach activities for garden participants. The project will also foster youth involvement and intergenerational exchange. By passing on the gift, garden participants will provide the community with training and horticultural supports.

Muskoday Organic Growers Co-op: Indigenous Food Security

The Muskoday First Nation, located almost 12 miles southeast of Prince Albert , Saskatchewan , has some of the most fertile agricultural land in Canada . Until 50 years ago, the Indigenous people there maintained a healthy lifestyle of mixed organic farming and horticulture. Dispossessed of this heritage, people now live in poverty, depend on welfare or low-wage employment, have poor diets and high levels of diabetes and cancer. Over a one-year period, 11 families will be trained in the knowledge and practice of Indigenous organic gardening, agroecology and organic food entrepreneurship. In addition, 25 community Elders and the school lunch program will be recipients of the gardens' bounty. The cooperative will also pass on seeds and training to another Indigenous co-op group consisting of a minimum of 11 families.

Re-Visioning the Manitoba Harvest: Fostering Localized Food Systems for Farmers and Eaters

Within the prevailing agro-industrial food system in Canada, farmers and eaters remain disconnected, dependent on corporate interests for everything from chemical farm inputs, seed, marketing and distribution infrastructure, processing, and access to and preparation of food. Such a disconnected food system is vulnerable to the shocks and stresses of the global market, putting farmers at financial risk, and often leaving eaters without access to wholesome food for sustenance, health and pride in culture and identity. Heifer International’s Re-visioning the Manitoba Harvest (RVMH): Fostering Localized Food Systems for Farmers and Eaters brings together families from rural, northern and urban regions of the province to build collaborative solutions to hunger, poverty and the loss of food traditions and skills. The RVMH project will assist 52 farm families in improving net income by increasing access to local markets. The project will also enable 240 Newcomer, Indigenous and northern families to restore food traditions by providing living resources and training. Finally, the project will increase local food consumption by engaging 200 urban families in gardening and food advocacy. By sharing resources and training to an additional 492 families, these activities will foster a local food system that is sustained by the active co-operation of farmers and eaters. A comprehensive evaluation will build understanding of longer-term project impacts.

Seven Oaks Community Garden

The Seven Oaks Community Garden (SOCG) serves the needs of an underserved community in Winnipeg. The project's mission is to enhance the quality of life of community residents by providing gardens that people of all ages, various cultural backgrounds, income levels and all mental and physical abilities can use and learn from. The garden encourages wellness through increased access to healthy foods, physical activity and social interaction. The project has four overarching values: health and well-being, participation and sharing, ecologically sensitive food production, and enjoyment and beauty. The establishment of this community garden will benefit the lives of many in an urban area that has limited green space and gardening opportunities.

Youth for EcoAction

With support from Heifer International, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg is expanding their Youth for EcoAction (YEA) project to reach approximately 1,800 at-risk youth. The youth are from marginalized neighborhoods and face many challenges in their home and urban surroundings. They are primarily minorities, new Canadians, refugees or aboriginal. YEA will provide experiential learning and employment opportunities in sustainable agricultural to create positive change in youth and their communities, and to contribute to agricultural and ecological sustainability. Placements of fish, worms, indoor and outdoor gardens, and a small greenhouse will enable youth to bring food security projects into their own communities and to pass-on the training and techniques they have gained.

Ontario

Everdale Environmental Learning Centre Disaster Rehabilitation Project

Everdale Environmental Learning Centre, an hour northwest of Toronto, is a nonprofit learning centre that teaches sustainable living by offereing hand-on learning opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds, including beginning farmers. The Everdale classroom is a 50-acre property which encompasses a working organic farm, forests and meadows and demonstration models of sustainable technologies such as solar and wind energy. On December 11, 2004, a fire at Everdale destroyed the farm's workshop, offices, harvest and processing stations, equipment and tool rooms and storage facilities. It also destroyed the livestock and equipment of the pastured poultry enterprise, apiculture and beginner farmer program. Through Heifer's Disaster Rehabilitation Fund, Everdale will receive $46,000 to help cover costs associated with the loss of equipment and sales due to the fire.

Farmers Growing Farmers

The Everdale Environmental Learning Center is located in Ontario, Canada 50 km north of Toronto in Hillsburgh. Over the last few decades, the number of family farms has declined due to a lack of support in training, marketing and land access. The Farmers Growing Farmers (FGF) project will work with 30 new farmers. FGF will link new farmers with seasoned farm mentors as well as offer business training support and create and deliver an "eat local" awareness campaign. Participants in the project will receive original placements of seeds, tools and livestock, and will "pass on the gift" to another 30 families. The focus will be on horticulture and farm business training; however farmers will have the option to diversify their farm operations through chicken, goats, sheep, pigs and cows for meat as well as chicken for eggs, cows for dairy, bees for honey and worms for vermicomposting. The ultimate goal will be to strengthen communities through the development of new farms that will be direct marketing to local communities.

Food Down the Road: Restoring Sustainable Farms for Sustainable Local Food Systems

Food Down the Road (FDTR): Restoring Sustainable Farms for Sustainable Local Food Systems is a farmer education, training, and support project.  It is an initiative of the National Farmers Union, Local 316, designed to strengthen and empower the farm community and restore the local food system in Kingston, Ontario. Over the next four years, FDTR will establish a Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) program consisting of 14 CRAFT farms and offer 44 farm internship opportunities.  The project will also help 32 new farmers and 32 revisionary farmers establish or diversify viable farm enterprises. FDTR will also continue to explore and develop the feasibility of local co-operative marketing approaches. Ultimately, this project will directly support farmers in building a sustainable agriculture community by providing training, livestock, seed, equipment, securing land, and access to viable local markets.

Newcomer FarmStart-Up Program

The Newcomer FarmStart-Up Program will provide training programs and support services to help 30 newcomers to Canada start agricultural enterprises in near-urban areas, meeting the growing demand for locally-grown, directly-marketed and culturally-appropriate fresh produce in Southern Ontario. These programs are being developed in partnership with community, settlement, food security and ethno-cultural organizations. The programs will center on two new training and "incubator farm" facilities near Toronto, as well as other near-urban/urban small plots and co-op farming arrangements. Programs and support services will include tailored business development courses and support, farm tours, mentoring, ecological agriculture and technical skills training, linkages with existing resources, access to necessary start-up infrastructure, and market access support.

Our Traditions Our Future

Our Traditions Our Future is an educational, hands-on training and support project for Anishnabeg communities, which include Algonquin and Ojibwe people. Empowering, connecting, and healing the Anishnabeg communities in the Southern Ottawa River watershed and Alderville Reserve will be achieved through the development and passing on of traditional skills of wild rice management and harvesting, woodlot management, knowledge and use of wild food, medicines, utility plants and other traditional hunting and gathering practices. In the next four years, this project will help approximately 300 original and 300 pass-on families in these communities reclaim or improve their traditional skills and gain access to low-cost appropriate technology for traditional resource development. This will strengthen health, spiritual and cultural heritage. The project will also create a space for shared learning with their non-Indigenous neighbors as an act of peace building.

People's Food Policy Project

Despite Canada 's wealth, both urban and rural families suffer hunger and malnutrition and small-scale farmers struggle to survive. Canadians are trying to address this situation through local capacity-building projects and a growing buy-local-food movement. This project will build the capacity of this movement to reclaim and transform the food system through the development of policies for food sovereignty. Training local leaders, including Heifer field staff and project partners, will result in a suite of policies for food sovereignty and community leadership able to engage and influence policy makers at every level. The ultimate goal is to restore and strengthen the ability for small farms to produce food in an environmentally and ecologically sustainable way, gain access to local and regional markets and rebuild local infrastructure to support these activities. Consumers across Canada will then have greater access to locally grown, safe and nutritious foods while farmers benefit economically through increased markets.

The Community and Agriculture Project

Through the Community and Agriculture Project, Food-Share Toronto will expand its current partnership with Heifer International to support community-based organizations in designing and implementing urban agriculture projects. This project will build partnerships with local communities and organizations interested in sustainable, local food systems, as well as support project development, planning, implementation and evaluation. It will facilitate training opportunities, building a network of local expertise in sustainable, community-based agriculture. The direct project beneficiaries are mental health patients, youths at risk and farmers. Through partnerships with FoodShare, the five initial sub-project groups will work to improve the social, environmental and economic conditions of these disadvantaged groups. These groups are The Vocational Resource Center of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health; The Umoja Learning Circle, African family-centered educational institution, Afuye Youth Garden, of the Afri-Can FoodBasket, The "Focus on Food" Community Youth Services Program of FoodShare, and the Everdale Environmental Learning Center.

TsiNiyukwalhot^ Latiythos

Onyata:aka is a small indigenous community south of London Ontario of 300 households. The traditional learning Centre TsiNiyukwalho:t^ teaches traditional Oneida ways as well as regular school board equivalent curriculum. The school is a full immersion school that teaches the Oneida language. The school with support from the Cookhouse and traditional elders will facilitate the development of: raised bed gardens at the school for students, raised bed gardens at people's homes, and communal gardens at the Cookhouse. The overall desired impact is for the community to begin to grow, prepare and eat their traditional foods. The learning centre has brought to the project an emphasis on training and curriculum. Both students and members of the community will have opportunities to participate in workshops, lessons and demonstrations throughout the life of the project. This project will give the Onyota'a:ka Nation an opportunity to experience agriculture in a way that will again encourage holistic health - spiritual, physical, emotional and mental. The gift of knowledge and a way of life will be passed on to the next seven generations, as is their tradition.

British Columbia

Homegrown

Sixty percent of the Tsartlip First Nations community lives below the Canadian poverty line. Obesity, diabetes, heart-related conditions and thyroid conditions linked to poor diets threaten many residents of the suburban Victoria , B.C., reservation. This project will ensure access to fresh, healthful food. Gardening and animal care will help strengthen multi-generational bonds and community participation. Beginning with 15 multi-family households, the project will expand to 30 families by the end of 2007. Families will learn to operate intensive vegetable gardens, in addition 10 families will receive and be trained in the care of chickens for meat and eggs.

Vancouver Community Agriculture Network (VCAN)

The Vancouver Community Agriculture Network (VCAN) aims to improve food security and develop the food producing capacity of vulnerable families and groups in inner city areas of Vancouver. Under this project, VCAN and Heifer will conduct four different initiatives. Through the "Connect Land and People" initiative, VCAN is partnering with the City of Vancouver to add 2,010 new community garden plots by 2010. Through "Raising Community Gardeners," this project will identify, gather and train food insecure families interested in growing their own food. Under the "Creating Community Links" initiative, this project will create and encourage networks between urban agriculturalists and between growers and other food-related agencies, businesses and residents. Under "Building for the Future," VCAN will enhance system-wide food security by keeping food growing families involved in ongoing joint efforts to support urban agriculture.

Collaborators

First Nations Agricultural Council of Saskatchewan Inc. For more information please visit their website.
Agriculture in the Classroom For more information please visit their website.
Anishnabek of the Gitchi Gami Environmental Programs For more information please visit their website.
Cityfarm For more information please visit their website.
Core Neighbourhood Youth Coop For more information please visit their website.
Holistic Management International For more information please visit their website.
Manitoba Food Charter For more information please visit their website.
Beyond Factory Farming Coalition For more information please visit their website.
Saskatchewan Co-operative Association For more information please visit their website.
FortWhyte Alive For more information please visit their website.
USC Canada For more information please visit their website.
FarmStart For more information please visit their website.
National Farmers Union For more information please visit their website.
ETC Group For more information please visit their website.
Everdale Organic Farm & Environmental Learning Centre For more information please visit their website.
FoodShare For more information please visit their website.
Food Secure Canada For more information please visit their website.
Rams Horn For more information please visit their website.
Farmers' Market Association of Manitoba For more information please visit their website.
Organic Food Council For more information please visit their website.