Food for Thought

 By Jessica Boucher-Cowie, 1st year MDP student

Through my placement with NorWest Co-op Community Food Centre, I had the opportunity to connect with people through a variety of programs oriented toward the community. Primarily, the farm project has offered a unique opportunity to bring people together through sharing the responsibilities of tending to the land, plants, and upkeeping with harvesting. The farm is fruitful and growing each day and everyone’s hard work is evident when visiting the site.

 My experience with NorWest has equipped me with valuable skills and knowledge as I was able to learn about plant maintenance, sustainable methods, and the food-based needs of the local community. I am excited to be a part of the farms’ success with the community and to have had the opportunity to connect with NorWest staff, students, and volunteers through this project.

This experience has contributed to my overall learning and strengthened my interest in Indigenous food systems and knowledges, which will support my continued studies in the upcoming year of MDP. It has also provided me with the foundation to continue to develop my land-based skillset. I deeply appreciate the reciprocal relationship between myself and the NorWest Co-op Community Food Centre and look forward to watching the successes of their future and ongoing projects. 

Connect with Community Through Food

By Jessica Boucher-Cowie 

Hello! My name is Jessica and I am a first-year MDP student! For my Canadian field placement, I am working with NorWest Co-op Community Food Centre located here in Winnipeg. At NorWest Food Centre, many programs are based on offering accessible, low-cost, healthy foods to individuals and families.

NorWest has a variety of programs that assist in mitigating the impacts of food insecurity, through culturally relevant meals, food basket deliveries, and weekly fresh produce markets. NorWest has played a significant role in supporting community health and recently launched a community farm project, which will not only provide locally grown produce but also create a safe, green space for the community to gather.

My role over the summer is primarily focused on assisting in program delivery and the beginning stages of the community farm project. The community farm will offer workshops and activities related to traditional foods, planting, and preserving practices, which I will assist in coordinating. I have gained some insight into the daily operations of NorWest, and through engaging with their staff and volunteers, it is clear how much good can be achieved when people come together to reach a shared goal.

NorWest distributes hundreds of meals to people each week and has an ‘assembly line’ of volunteers to prepare and package meals. I participated in preparing/distributing the meal for their quarterly feast, which provided meals to more than 400 community members on a ‘take-out’ basis.

Regarding the community farm, we started by removing sod and evening the soil so that vegetables can be planted. We made three plots in total, two of which will be used for vegetables requested by the community, and seeds that were donated to NorWest. The third plot is designed in the shape of a spiral and traditional crops will be planted there with the guidance of an Elder.

 We have officially begun planting and are excited for what the upcoming summer months bring us, to watch the crops grow, and further connect with the community!