Food Security

About

NECRC is involved in a number of initiatives aimed at improving food security in the North End. “Food Security” is defined locally and globally as meaning that:

• Everyone has sustainable access to food in a way that promotes heath, respect and dignity
• People are able to earn a living wage by growing, producing, processing, retailing and serving food
• The quality of water, air and land is maintained and improved for future generations
• Food is recognized as central to community and cultural integrity

Food security combines the need for families and residents in this community to have access to affordable food with the opportunity for area residents to learn how to grow their own vegetables in community gardens and to gain new experiences in preparing cost-effective nutritious foods.


NEFSN

Mission

Our mission is to establish a network in the North End of Winnipeg that is able to provide education and resources to all residents, with the ultimate goal of creating a stronger, more sustainable and equitable food system.


Vision

The North End Food Security’s vision is a community where there is nutritious, safe and culturally appropriate food available for all members of the community, access to local food production, adequate and appropriate knowledge of healthy food choices, and ongoing care and improvement of the environment.

The North End Food Security Network provides opportunities for families to improve their ability to provide sustainable nutritious food for themselves. Community consultation, focus groups and workshops, also serves to increase North End inter-agencies’ capacity to share information on their successes and needs to improve food security in the North End.

The North End Food Security Network has been meeting since October 2007 to share and develop food security information and resources. The NEFSN includes representatives from North Point Douglas Residents Association, William Whyte Residents Association, Aboriginal Visioning for the North End, Chronic Disease Prevention Initiative, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Manitoba Food Charter.

In 2007, the NEFSN initiated an inventory of food security activities in the North End of Winnipeg. The inventory is continually updated and includes current North End community gardens, community kitchen programs, churches with permitted kitchens, other food programs, a community cupboard, and programming listings for youth, parents with children and seniors for over 50 North End service organizations. The inventory was completed in May 2008, and is available to the community through www.manitobafoodsecurity.ca .

The NEFSN initial meetings and consultations with community stakeholders have shown an expressed need for facilitation and coordination of the various current food security and greening initiatives and ideas in the north end. This kind of coordination has been shown to be effective in the West Broadway and Spence Neighbourhoods.


Quarterly Newsletter

The NEFSN has quarterly newsletters. Community members and agencies are welcome to post information. Deadlines for submissions are September 20th, December 20th, March 20th, and June 20th.


Growing Green together Project, 2009

Garden sites
The ‘Growing Green together’ 2009 project includes four new community garden sites in North Point Douglas, Lord Selkirk Park and Dufferin, and a fifth site at Hope Health Care centre. Each garden site has a traditional and medicinal plant component.

Workshops and Field trips
Workshops and outings include trips to an organic farm, a strawberry farm, Fort Whyte Alive, making healthy pizza, garden composting, planting, garden maintenance, harvesting and winter sowing. In August 2009, a ‘Standing Medicine People’ workshop at William Norrie Centre was attended by about 60 people. There were excellent reviews, and there are plans to hold more of this type of workshop in the future.

Fall & Winter
Fall Healthy eating workshops for youth and adults are being planned. There will be an inter-generational approach to meet the community’s request that families learn to cook together to bring the family back to the dinner table as a family.


Future Theme

A forum and a community consultation workshop identified the following priorities, which are the mandate for this project:

• Facilitate changes in Environmental Health guidelines for community kitchens and events so that the community has easier access and understanding of requirements
• Provide ongoing information on ‘how to have more Food Security’ through education and training,
• Provide ongoing information on ‘What is happening’ in Food Security, through media, events and newsletters
• Provide assistance with agencies funding and resources for food security initiatives
• Make healthy food affordable and accessible
• Build Relationships between agencies to strengthen the food system

	Green team making garden seven teachings signs
	Stella avenue garden
	Traditional and medicinal plants
	Youth learning about polyculture sustainable gardening