This is all quite wild, isn’t it?
Thanks in large part to our winter 2018 paradigm shift towards the community farm model, we feel that both NB Community Harvest Gardens and Hayes Farm are well positioned and ready to help. Within both our community gardens and working farm, we will continue fulfilling the role we currently play - growing food to improve local food security, providing a beautiful green space to relax and recharge, and offering education about human-scale agriculture to improve food sovereignty.
In difficult times such as these, the flaws of our ‘just in time’ food supply system become evident (1). With border disruptions, panic buying, farmers markets being shuttered, and restaurants scaling down, our current food supply system is already being affected. Additionally, Canadian farmers are facing a drastic labour shortage due to logistical challenges with their skilled migrant labourers (2). Our team is here to support our community. However this pandemic unfolds, and whatever the lasting social implications may be, we will continue to work to fulfill our mission to maximize the production of food on our small farm and in our gardens, using regenerative human-scale practices, and we will work to get that food to those who need it most.
Though adjustments to our scheduled programming are anticipated – safety, flexibility, and creativity will help guide our decisions on this front – we will continue to be able to educate new growers and foster the love of growing. There’s no better time than the present to grow a garden, and we are here to help you figure out how to do that.
No matter what happens over the next few months, we will carry on. While acknowledging the difficulties that very, very many of us are experiencing right now – be they health concerns, loss of work, added financial stress, social impacts, or otherwise - we simply want to assure you that we are here to help.
Do you need fresh food? We will have that (beginning in June-ish)!
Do you need skills to grow your own? We can teach you!
Do you need green space to sit, stroll, and breathe? We have that, too!
As community and food sovereignty are at the centre of our mission, we feel that our role is now more important than ever. We have become aware that human-scale farming for local distribution is a political act. We often find ourselves advocating for increased support for local food producers, universal basic income, environmental protection, climate action, and other major issues – many of which are at the forefront of discussion these days.
While being aware of the opportunity for rebirth and the emergence of new systems that may arise from this situation, it is of the utmost importance that we maintain humanity, compassion, and connection. Please reach out and connect with us to inquire about access to food, programming, or skills development.
Yours in solidarity and new growth,
Carol, Claire, Edee, Garth, Mark, Trudy, and Tshering
For questions or information
regarding NB Community Harvest Gardens contact Carol Muncer at garden@nbchg.org
regarding Hayes Farm contact Claire May at hayesteachingfarm@gmail.com
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