Fall Fest was a resounding success as the Boreal Discovery Center played host to the annual event on September 21st.
Local vendors showcased a variety of products, including health items, body soaps, and fresh natural honey.
Geoff Greenfield has been a long-time dedicated board member of the Boreal Discovery Center and oversees the day-to-day operations at the Center and is committed to promoting sustainability in the north.
"We have 260 families we’re going to feed today," stated Greenfield. "We have 260 bags of potatoes and almost 270 bags of carrots.”
The event received sponsorship from Thompson Neighborhood Renewal Cooperation (TNRC), which provided a $5,000 grant to finance the day's entertainment, featuring the renowned Northern band, Gravel Roads. "The nature of our grant is catered to these types of events where we love supporting festivals and these sorts of gatherings," Stated President of the TNRC; Oswald Sawh.
The lead-up to the event saw weeks of preparation, with UCN students even lending a hand in the harvest on September 18th which was part of a Work Integrated Learning course Food Sustainability and Indigenous Knowledge offered through Aboriginal and Northern Studies Program (ANS) in fall term and funded by CEWIL.
With the recent partnership of UCN and BDC starting this past May, this has made for an excellent opportunity for students to learn more about the process of harvesting as well as land-based knowledge.
Assistant Professor and program chair of Aboriginal Northern Studies of UCN, Asfia Kamal, expressed how beneficial this has been for the students in both learning and helping BDC plan the Fall Fest event.
“I’ve engaged with Elders, knowledge keepers and community champions in the North for land base medicine, food sustainability and gardening programs for nearly 20 years. My passion is to encourage Northern community collaboration and intergenerational knowledge sharing on land-based learning.
This collaboration brought resources, skill development and cultural empowerment for UCN students.” And With this being Kamal’s deep residing commitment, she said that she saw the common interest in Geoff Greenfield and BDC; providing for Northerners through the natural gardening process.
What made this year's fall festival unique was the teaching of land-based medicine, led by Elder Carol Sanoffsky and her aunt Lilian, to UCN students and Thompson community members attending the event.
Elder Carol, from Wabowden, is the author of the medicine book MUSKGEGE. “Although the plan initially emerged as part of the food sustainability class, we all agreed that incorporating land-based medicine into such events on a regular basis would enhance the value of the gathering”, Kamal added.
“I think this is the beginning of a great relationship! Students are considering this as healing and fun and have expressed their interest in participating next year in gardening with BDC and some shared interest in bee keeping.” Kamal concluded.
Fall Fest 2023 marked the first year that the Boreal Discovery Center hosted the event and was made possible with the support of Thompson Pentecostal Assembly, Northern Manitoba Food Culture and Community Collaborative (NMFCCC) and Steven Larocque, the CEO of Arctic Gold Honey.
The TPA contributed several canned goods, and with the help of UCN students Steven harvested produce from his 20-foot by 20-foot garden in his front yard and NMFCCC contributed to the purchase of the tractor. "This year we have a garden that is 10 times that size, and we hope to help 10 times the amount of people," said Greenfield.
"We chose to create a garden that is 4,000 square feet, fill it full of food, and give all that food away every year at Fall Fest. But that's part of a three-year program to showcase food sustainability in the future," added Greenfield.
Last year's Fall Fest fed roughly 40 individuals. "That in itself goes to show you that in a small area, you can actually get a lot of food, and if someone in a remote community wants to have one garden it's feasible. Doesn't matter where it is, you can do it!”
The success of Fall Fest at the Boreal Discovery Center exemplified the power of community collaboration and sustainability initiatives.
With increased support from local vendors, sponsors, and dedicated individuals like Geoff Greenfield, the event not only provided nourishment to hundreds of families but also highlighted the potential for food sustainability in the north.
The commitment to expanding the garden and the three-year program reflects a promising future for Fall Fest, underscoring the impact of small-scale initiatives in fostering resilience and abundance in remote communities.
