Planting The Seeds Of Change
The dirt where the Port Alberni Residential School used to stand was hard, dead clay. It was so hard you couldn’t even penetrate it with a shovel, no matter how hard you pushed your feet on it. Yet th...
The Heart of the Hupacasath Community Garden
For the Hupačasath First Nation, a community garden isn’t just a garden; it’s a hub for community spirit and a place to learn confidence and new skills. Jason Lion, the Agricultural Manager for the Hupačasath First Nation’s community garden, tends to the plot of land in Port Alberni along with three other community members. The team is passionate about providing healthy food and hands-on experience for the community.
For four years, the garden has provided fresh produce for the community through a program called Food Box. This program provides a weekly box filled with a variety of the locally grown vegetables to every home on the reserve (about 60 houses).
Now, with their recent expansion to 8 acres, the program is looking to become members of the Community Supported Agriculture program and offer their food boxes to even more homes. The farm is offering a 16-week share in the farm for $480 in exchange for a weekly box of the freshly grown, hand-picked produce (approx. $30/box).
But despite the development of the business, Lion and his fellow gardeners are determined to maintain the heart of the community garden. The growth of the garden can mean more opportunities for local involvement; its location on the same land as the Hupačasath Youth Centre opens up the opportunity to potentially create garden plots in the youth centre’s backyard. This idea comes with the hope of fostering the young generation’s interest in growing their own food and teaching them practical gardening skills.
Planting The Seeds Of Change
The dirt where the Port Alberni Residential School used to stand was hard, dead clay. It was so hard you couldn’t even...
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