Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture & Our Arts-Driven Living Lab for Food Security

Rooted in principles of sustainable agriculture, our arts-driven living lab is a creative, community-based hub for tackling food insecurity through regenerative small-scale farming, cultural knowledge, and climate resilience. Operating across key regions—including Winnipeg, Manitoba, Minnesota, and Northwestern Ontario—our living lab integrates art, ecology, and innovation to strengthen local food systems and inspire action.

Combining traditional practices, permaculture, and hands-on education with artistic collaboration, we work to empower communities to co-create sustainable, community-led food solutions that respond to the impacts of climate change, land degradation, and supply chain disruption. Through youth-led initiatives, participatory design, and cross-border partnerships, our living lab nurtures both soil health and social well-being, cultivating a vibrant network of changemakers committed to food sovereignty, resilient agriculture, and creative place-making. From urban gardens in Winnipeg, Manitoba to forest-edge farms in Northwestern Ontario and collaborative workshops with Minneapolis and Duluth Minnesota, we are building a regenerative future—rooted in culture, driven by creativity, and grounded in sustainability.

Community-Driven Sustainable Agriculture in Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba and Minnesota

Chives: More Than Just an Herb A vibrant, purple chive blossom bursts forth in a delicate, globe-like cluster of tiny florets, a beautiful and edible jewel in the garden. Set against a dense backdrop of their slender, emerald-green, and onion-scented stalks, this blooming stage signifies a healthy, well-established plant.

A vibrant, purple chive blossom bursts forth in a delicate, globe-like cluster of tiny florets, a beautiful and edible jewel in the garden. Set against a dense backdrop of their slender, emerald-green, and onion-scented stalks, this blooming stage signifies a healthy, well-established plant.

Chives: More Than Just an Herb

Jamie Bell June 16, 2025

These pretty purple chive blooms defy expectations. They transform gardens, flavor dishes, spark creativity, and simplify home...

Planting Sage This week, we planted sage in our community garden—a small act with deep roots. Known for its medicinal, culinary, and ceremonial uses, sage has long been a symbol of wisdom and renewal.

This week, we planted sage in our community garden—a small act with deep roots. Known for its medicinal, culinary, and ceremonial uses, sage has long been a symbol of wisdom and renewal.

Planting Sage

Art Borups Corners June 3, 2025

With its soft, textured leaves and earthy aroma, sage brings more than flavor—it offers resilience, tradition, and...

Dill-icious Dill: From soil to simmer — this hardy northern herb brings a burst of freshness to our beds and our kitchens. A quiet favourite that’s become a returning star in our growing season.

Dill: From soil to simmer — this hardy northern herb brings a burst of freshness to our beds and our kitchens. A quiet favourite that’s become a returning star in our growing season.

Dill-icious

Art Borups Corners June 2, 2025

First introduced to us during our pilot Northern Food Systems Innovation Program with support from Manitoba Agriculture,...

Blueberry Patches Abound with Blooms No fertilizers needed here! Our blueberry patches are bursting with these gorgeous blooms, signaling a healthy and natural growing season.

No fertilizers needed here! Our blueberry patches are bursting with these gorgeous blooms, signaling a healthy and natural growing season.

Blueberry Patches Abound with Blooms

Terri Bell June 1, 2025

As the best part of the growing season approaches, the local blueberry patches are looking spectacular, hinting...

Rhubarb Rhapsody Freshly harvested rhubarb, chopped and packaged into four-cup portions for freezing. A key step in our food preservation efforts, ensuring this vibrant, tart bounty can be enjoyed all year long.

Freshly harvested rhubarb, chopped and packaged into four-cup portions for freezing. A key step in our food preservation efforts, ensuring this vibrant, tart bounty can be enjoyed all year long.

Rhubarb Rhapsody

Art Borups Corners May 31, 2025

There's nothing quite like the vibrant, tart taste of freshly harvested rhubarb – a flavour that is...

Tasty Chives! A thriving patch of chives, ready to be harvested for a variety of delicious dishes. This easy-to-grow herb is a fantastic addition to any sustainable garden.

A thriving patch of chives, ready to be harvested for a variety of delicious dishes. This easy-to-grow herb is a fantastic addition to any sustainable garden.

Tasty Chives!

Jamie Bell May 31, 2025

Just look at this vibrant patch of chives we've been nurturing!

Rhubarb Adventures: A Sweet and Tart Harvest! A bountiful harvest of fresh rhubarb stalks, showcasing their vibrant colours. This easy-to-grow plant is a star of our sustainable garden, offering delicious possibilities for both sweet and savoury dishes.

A bountiful harvest of fresh rhubarb stalks, showcasing their vibrant colours. This easy-to-grow plant is a star of our sustainable garden, offering delicious possibilities for both sweet and savoury dishes.

Rhubarb Adventures: A Sweet and Tart Harvest!

Jamie Bell May 30, 2025

What an adventure we've had with rhubarb this week!

The Joys of Fresh Lettuce Tender leaf lettuce seedlings, among the first to be planted this year, thrive in our grow-beds – a promising start to our community sustainable agriculture and food security program!

Tender leaf lettuce seedlings, among the first to be planted this year, thrive in our grow-beds – a promising start to our community sustainable agriculture and food security program!

The Joys of Fresh Lettuce

Art Borups Corners May 30, 2025

As part of our community recreation, sustainable agriculture and food security program, one of the very first...

Big Dreams, Big Pumpkins This bright yellow flower is from a giant pumpkin—the first one ever grown in our food security and sustainable agriculture program.