Fun with food, the focus of Farm to Fork project in Abegweit First Nation, Prince Edward Island
First Nations children are getting hands-on experience with agriculture, harvesting and preparing food as a result of a partnership between Abegweit First Nation and Prince Edward Island.
In the summer and fall of 2018, the Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve (AHSOR) centre in Abegweit (or Epekwitk in Mi'kmaq) First Nation teamed up with the Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture and Land to create the "Farm to Fork Project".
The project enabled the AHSOR centre to provide children with lots of experiences and adventures, all based on growing and eating healthy food!
"The Farm to Fork Project enabled strong partnerships to be built within the Abegweit community, whose aim was to cultivate the current and future youth of Abegweit to become a food literate culture," said Melody Hyde, Abegweit Community Registered Dietitian.
Working with the Health Promotion Coordinator at the Abegweit Wellness Centre and the Epekwitk Gardens and Preserves Crew, the children were able to get hands-on experience throughout the whole cycle of food production; from planting to maintaining the garden, to harvesting and preparing fresh produce.
Agriculture and Land funded the project through the Canadian Agriculture Partnership's Community Food Security sub-Program. The project focused on 3 main objectives:
- enhancing the pride and joy of growing, preparing and eating food
- increasing the availability of fresh, local food on the AHSOR menu
- providing community-based food learning experiences for parents and children
The project also built off the great work of Epekwitk Garden and Preserves, a social enterprise producing quality organic fruits and vegetables for the community of Abegweit and for sale, off reserve to available markets.