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!