I’m usually a happy person. Overtly happy some may say. Perhaps even happily excitable and loud to the point of annoyance, so I’ve been told… However, my usual happy demeanor has been blemished by a bittersweet moment. Tarnished by the realization of something I cannot control. While life is full those times, I’m decidedly not a fan of said moments. As I was … Continue reading Bittersweet (Sounds like two parts of a perfect bite)
Farmers’ markets are in abundance in Nova Scotia; they play an important role in our local food economy and in our communities. Uniquely, farmers’ markets gain both their stability and opportunity for growth through the relationships that they foster. The Wolfville Farmers’ Market (WFM) began in 1992 with three vendors in a parking lot in the middle of town. It has now grown into a … Continue reading The Next Wave in Local Food
Hello there, I’m Mandy and I’m going to chat about the CFL again. Let me be the first to clarify, the CFL I’m referring to is not the football league here in Canada, but a much more important group. I’m writing about the Community Food Leader Program, in which I was once a participant, and now I find myself the facilitator of said program for Cumberland County, Nova … Continue reading Community Food Leaders: Kitchen Conversations…
What does it mean to support local food at times when food supply is reduced? Continue reading Farmers Need You as a Foul Weather Friend – a Cape Breton Perspective
A common question I get as a dietetic student is what drew me into the field and why I wanted to be a dietitian. I give the same answer each time. When I went into my first year of university, I was jokingly afraid of gaining the “freshmen 15.” I thought that taking a nutrition course would teach me about food and how to eat … Continue reading More Than Just Something to Eat
Like many, my first opportunity to get involved with food issues was through a community garden. I was part student group that wanted to start a campus community garden, but we faced an uphill battle. We had to learn quickly and tackle all the roadblocks in our way – from raising a reserve fund to return the garden to lawn should it fail to finding … Continue reading Radical Acts…of Gardening
A couple of month ago I wrote a blog piece about “Evaluating the Impact of Subsidized Local Food Boxes in NS” as a student researcher and community gardener in Sackville, New Brunswick. Made possible by the renewed funding of FLEdGE, I have been tasked to work with the Cumberland Food Action Network (CFAN)’s Community Gardens Network to produce a directory of community gardens in the … Continue reading Envisioning Community Gardens as Permanent Fixtures in Our Communities
When you walk in the doors of New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation on the morning of Up!Skilling, it is like showing up at a conference…but all your friends are there and the experts are the farmers and foodies up the road. The atmosphere is casual and celebratory. Up!Skilling is about community: bringing people together through a shared passion for food, and through shared learning. … Continue reading 4 Years of Getting Skilled Up at Cape Breton’s UP!Skilling Food Festival
Last month we wrapped up our first Community Food Leader Certificate Program, with thirty participating organizations from across NS in Cape Breton, Cumberland and Halifax! This program is for community-based organizations and businesses who want to start or grow lasting and meaningful food initiatives in their region. Check out our short video to learn more: This year, participating organizations ranged from food banks, family resource … Continue reading Growing Food Leaders: A look back at the first year of the Community Food Leader Certificate Program
Well we did it! Our last Community Food Leader training involved receiving 27 types of beans and a certificate for completing this leadership course. We are now armed and ready for action! Throughout Cumberland County, six individuals came together to discuss a very important topic: Food. With food comes a variety of conversation themes such as, where does your food come from?, How is fresh … Continue reading Full of Beans and Big Ideas
