This pilot program was proudly based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario. It was seeded with strategic arts funding from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse in 2021-2022, Manitoba Agriculture and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership in 2023-2024.
In our community of practice, food is not just a basic need—it is a fundamental way to feel rooted and connected to those around us. “Food is belonging” isn’t just a phrase; it’s the foundation of everything we do in our food security programming. When we come together over food, we are more than just a group of individuals and artists—we are a family, grounded in a community of care and practice.
Through a Land-Based Living Lab and arts-based Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), we deepen our connection to the earth, creating a sustainable foundation for future generations. In a world where food can be the difference between isolation and connection, let’s continue to make sure that food is belonging for everyone.
With team members from Manitoba, Minnesota, Northwestern Ontario and Nunavut, our program is off to a great start for its second year. This year, we’re growing strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, apples and even giant pumpkins.
Follow along on our adventures as we explore the world of sustainable agriculture, food security, food product development and creative, climate entrepreneurship.
Our Land-Based Living Lab offers a space for creative arts, climate entrepreneurship and food security. Designed to connect art with the land, this unique incubator nurtures innovation, sustainability, and community engagement, fostering a deep connection to nature through hands-on, locally inspired projects. Here, we empower artists and community to explore the intersection of tradition and creativity while strengthening environmental stewardship and community.
LATEST NEWS, RECIPES AND UPDATES
We’ve been noticing something curious in our small, but growing apple orchard: some of our apple trees have regular green leaves, while others have deep purple ones—even though they all came from seeds collected from the same old Gala tree. So, what’s going on?
Unraveling the Unique Biology of Equisetum Ever spot a segmented green stalk reaching up from the earth? You might have just
Dandelions are actually some of the most important flowers of the season.
Lupins (Lupinus spp.) are more than just eye-catching wildflowers. These hardy plants are a common sight in Northwestern Ontario, thriving in ditches, open fields, and regenerating forest edges.
Across northwestern Ontario and Manitoba forests this May, delicate white blossoms are beginning to emerge on a native plant with deep roots in the cultural and ecological history of Canada: the Saskatoon berry bush (Amelanchier alnifolia).
Exciting growth in our community garden! Phase 2 of our sustainable agriculture project in Northwestern Ontario.
GET INSPIRED
Youth are shaping a more sustainable, food-secure future. In our 2023-2024 pilot year, we partnered with leading food security programs, organizations and institutions—including the University of Minnesota Duluth, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Global Dignity Canada, University of the Arctic, University of Manitoba, the University of Victoria, Manitoba Agriculture, the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada—to equip youth and community members with hands-on skills and knowledge.
Through hands-on gardening, traditional knowledge, spatial justice and food production, youth engaged in real-world projects that strengthen community food systems. They are learning to grow, prepare, and share food in ways that honor cultural traditions while addressing modern food security challenges.
In reclaiming traditional food knowledge and advancing local food sovereignty, youth leaders are also working to drive meaningful change. They are challenging systems of inequality, advocating for sustainable policies, and creating innovative, community-based food solutions that will shape future programming.
Arts-based experiential design and Youth Participatory Action Research supported by the program was presented during the 2024 Arctic Congress with support from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the University of Victoria and the University of the Arctic Thematic Network on Local-Scale Planning, Climate Change and Resilience.
Youth with Global Dignity Canada learned to design a special line of Kindness and Dignity-themed food products as part of last year’s Food Production and Creative Entrepreneurship pilot program. They plan to produce their products in 2025.
OUR PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY
The first pilot year of our program faced many challenges. However, we were able to study experiential, biophilic, and emergent design, food product development, mixed-methodological approaches to participatory media arts, spatial justice, and even the growing importance of artificial intelligence for the agri-food sector.
What began as a small, grassroots pilot project grew to be presented across Canada and around the world! This will be the first year the program grows its own food. Thank you to Manitoba Agriculture, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership for supporting our efforts. The program is now being adapted for a second iteration, to begin in summer 2025.
