All posts by Michalina Hunter

Discussion Paper on Indigenous Food Sovereignty by Tea Creek

Posted by Michalina Hunter on November 21, 2024

Interested in Indigenous Food Sovereignty (IFS) in BC? This discussion paper by Tea Creek covers the agrarian heritage of First Nations, the importance of IFS and how to scale it up, and showcases 13 Indigenous food projects across the province. Supporting IFS benefits everyone by improving environmental, social, and economic outcomes, as well as fulfilling the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and other provincial and federal government commitments. Background This discussion paper was prepared by Tea Creek, an Indigenous-led, land-based, culturally-safe Indigenous food sovereignty initiative located in Gitxsan territory near Gitwangak, between the settler communities of … Continue reading Discussion Paper on Indigenous Food Sovereignty by Tea Creek →

RECAP: Quw’utsun Estuary Field Day

Posted by Michalina Hunter on November 19, 2024

“This was our grocery store,” says Jared Qwustenuxun Williams, traditional foods champion and chef, educator, and consultant at Qwustenuxun Consulting, gesturing to the estuary land we are standing on. This area where the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) River meets the sea was an incredibly productive food source. It provided food and medicine in such abundance that it supported a population of at least 25,000 people, with extra to trade with neighbouring communities. Each family had a specific area they owned and stewarded where they could harvest. The land was a maze of tidal streams, with salmon weirs and duck nets, each structure … Continue reading RECAP: Quw’utsun Estuary Field Day →

2025 APPRENTICESHIP: Flatbush, AB – Chickadee Herbs Farm

Posted by Michalina Hunter on November 19, 2024

Are you an aspiring regenerative farmer looking for hands-on experience on an organic herb farm? Chickadee Farm is offering an apprenticeship that may be the one for you! About Chickadee Farm Chickadee Farm is a second-generation family farm located near the community of Flatbush, Alberta, on the banks of the Pembina River. They grow herbal teas and culinary herbs and raise sheep and chickens (for home consumption). They have been certified organic since 2003. Chickadee Farm also wildcraft medicinal teas in the forests around their farm and community. Chickadee Farm is on a journey to incorporate regenerative practices at the scale … Continue reading 2025 APPRENTICESHIP: Flatbush, AB – Chickadee Herbs Farm →

NOV 30, 2024: OLIVER, BC – Tea Creek Film Screening with Ntamtqen Community Garden & Food Hub

Posted by Michalina Hunter on October 30, 2024

Ntamtqen Community Garden & Food Hub is proudly hosting a screening of the Tea Creek documentary. Doors open at 5:00 with refreshments. The screening begins at 6:00 with a Q&A to follow with Jacob Beaton, Dixon Terbasket, and others to be announced. Against the backdrop of colonization and the climate crisis, Jacob Beaton, a passionate Indigenous entrepreneur, has embarked on a remarkable journey. His vision is to transform his family farm into a beacon of hope for Indigenous Food Sovereignty. In a world where the connection to the land has been fractured, Jacob aims to revive the abundance that once … Continue reading NOV 30, 2024: OLIVER, BC – Tea Creek Film Screening with Ntamtqen Community Garden & Food Hub →

Reconciliation Training is Available for BC Farmers

Posted by Michalina Hunter on September 18, 2024 1 Comment

Are you a farmer located in B.C. wondering how to honour the Indigenous lands you steward? kinSHIFT hosts essential online trainings about cultivating stronger relationships with Indigenous peoples and places, and we’ve received funds to subsidize the cost for BC farmers. Discount codes of 50% or 90% off are available for people who work on farms or otherwise provision food in B.C. Not sure if you qualify? Send us a message at community@youngagrarians.org For every B.C. farmer who participates in a kinSHIFT training, funds will go to IndigenEYEZ, an Indigenous youth arts empowerment program! Elements of Truth: Before Reconciliation Immerse … Continue reading Reconciliation Training is Available for BC Farmers →

SEP 24, 2024: DUNCAN, BC – Field Day at Quw’utsun Food System Revitalization Project

Posted by Michalina Hunter on August 28, 2024

Come experience Indigenous food system revitalization and estuary restoration at the Quw’utsun estuary in Duncan, BC! Join Jared Qwustenuxun Williams, Tom Reid from the Nature Trust of BC, Jennifer Grenz from UBC Indigenous Ecology Lab, and Kristen Miskelly from Satinflower Nurseries for a field day at the Quw’utsun Estuary Food System Revitalization and Estuary Restoration Project! We will start with a plant walk, learn about the project, and enjoy a meal together. If the timing and weather align, we may get to collect some native plant seeds. Everyone is welcome to attend. DATE: September 24, 2024. 10am-2pm LOCATION: Quw’utsun territory. … Continue reading SEP 24, 2024: DUNCAN, BC – Field Day at Quw’utsun Food System Revitalization Project →

AUG 30, 2024: QATHET, BC – Farm Tour and Potluck at Blueberry Commons

Posted by Michalina Hunter on August 14, 2024

You’re invited to a farm tour and potluck at Blueberry Commons in qathet (Powell River), BC, in collaboration with Vancouver Island University! The 16 acres of gardens, forest and meadows have a long farming history in the community. For more than 50 years the Clancy family grew berries, fruit and vegetables and raised animals as an integral part of the Wildwood farming scene. Today, they have nearly an acre of blueberry crop, and a thriving 2 acre market garden that supplies food to the local community. Join us for an evening of learning and connecting, and stay for a potluck … Continue reading AUG 30, 2024: QATHET, BC – Farm Tour and Potluck at Blueberry Commons →

UBC: Indigenous Ecology Lab MSc and PhD Positions are Open!

Posted by Michalina Hunter on July 23, 2024

The Indigenous Ecology Lab in the Faculty of Forestry and Faculty of Land & Food Systems at the University of British Columbia is currently recruiting three grad students! About The Indigenous Ecology Lab Applying an Indigenous, relational worldview to ecological restoration. The Indigenous Ecology Lab is part of the Belowground Ecosystems Group in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia. We apply an Indigenous, relational worldview to ecological restoration. Our work is community-based and co-generated by Indigenous communities looking to heal and reclaim food systems for all relations. We work together to reclaim, revitalize, adapt, and practice … Continue reading UBC: Indigenous Ecology Lab MSc and PhD Positions are Open! →

AUG 17-18 2024: VANCOUVER, BC – Work Bee at šxʷqʷeləwən ct Garden

Posted by Michalina Hunter on July 04, 2024

You’re invited to a work bee at the Britannia šxʷqʷeləwən ct (One heart, one mind) Garden in Vancouver, BC! Come on out and lend a hand building berms to improve water holding capacity in the soil, mulching, building paths, transplanting, and weeding out invasive species! Everyone is welcome to attend. DATE: August 17-18, 2024. Join for the whole weekend or drop in when you’re able. We will be there rain or shine! LOCATION: xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories. Meet at the Britannia šxʷqʷeləwən ct Carving Pavilion in the parking lot. (Approx 1661 Napier St, Vancouver, BC V5L 4X4) … Continue reading AUG 17-18 2024: VANCOUVER, BC – Work Bee at šxʷqʷeləwən ct Garden →

Holding the Sacred Space and Taking Care of Business

Posted by Michalina Hunter on May 21, 2024

Greenhouse build spring 2024. (Photo credit: Natasha Anderson-Brass) In the summer of 2022 I sat down with Young Agrarians for an interview to talk about my experience in their Business Bootcamp program (you can read that interview here). At that time I was still an intern at Amara Farm with dreams of developing my own community oriented farm business. Fast forward two years and I can hardly believe that, with a lot of help, I am making those dreams come true! Having signed a sub-lease agreement on Amara Farm property, I was able to officially launch Minwaadizi Farm in the … Continue reading Holding the Sacred Space and Taking Care of Business →