Growing Stronger: Access to Healthy Foods in Berens River

1
Growing Stronger Access to Healthy Foods in
Berens River Nadine Tonn, Community Health
Sciences, Shirley Thompson, Natural Resources
Institute, University of Manitoba s_thompson_at_cc.um
anitoba.ca [phone]

• Community Champions
• Stella McKay has a beautiful garden and
  greenhouse full of fresh vegetables including
  corn, carrots, peas, peppers, cucumbers,
  broccoli, dill and tomatoes. If youd like
  gardening advice, contact Stella at 382-2172.
• Farrah Oliver Everette enjoy gardening with
  the whole family potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce,
  beets, carrots, corn, cucumbers. They are
  interested in sharing gardening tips with others
  and can be reached at 382-2552.
• Gerald Kemp Virginia Bouchie enjoy eating
  healthy and staying active! They grow corn,
  potatoes, swiss chard, carrots, apples, and
  grapes. Contact Gerald for help with the
  community rototiller at 382-2161.
• Father Rheal Forest has a mixed garden of flowers
  and vegetables. He raises 4 goats and chickens
  and has veterinary training. Raising animals for
  food was once common in Berens River. if you
  would like information on small livestock,
  contact Father Riel at 382-2069.
• Keith Berens has knowledge of traditional
  medicines. If you are interested in picking
  traditional medicines for your family and the
  community, contact Keith at 382-2370.
• Programs and Contacts
• Programs are by request to help actions in
  communities. Contact for help and supplies
• Northern Healthy Foods Initiative (NHFI),
  Manitoba Government. Contacts Jennell Majeran,
  Manager, Northern Healthy Foods Initiative
  (204-677-6677, Jennell.Majaren_at_gov.mb.ca) and
  Jessica Paley, Northern Healthy Foods Initiative
  (204-945-0569, Jessica.Paley_at_gov.mb.ca). Programs
  in other communities include
• chicken, turkey (with chicks and feed provided
  but not coop) goat and other small livestock
  production,
• freezer loans for people to buy freezers to store
  healthy food,
• community or school greenhouses and households
  receiving plastic for building a greenhouse,
• provision of vegetable seeds, berry and other
  bedding plants, and school grow lights, and
• an annual workshop in Thompson called Northern
  Harvest Forum to provide free teaching to
  northern community members about food production
  and preservation.
• 2. Manitoba Agriculture, Food Rural
  Initiatives (MAFRI) provides gardening support,
  workshops on gardening and animal food production
  (ie. goats, chickens, turkeys). Contact Dan
  Roche (204-372-6526, dan.roche_at_gov.mb.ca).

Celebrating Traditional Foods
Gardens

• Introduction
• Like many remote northern Manitoba communities,
  Berens River has limited access to affordable,
  healthy food, such as fresh vegetables, fruits
  and dairy products.
• This study asked
• Are healthy food accessible and affordable to
  people?
• What are the barriers to putting healthy food on
  the table of community members?
• What gardening and other traditional methods of
  harvesting food are occurring in Berens River?
• What do people in Berens River want in order to
  eat healthier?

• Hunting
• A total of 41 of households received traditional
  food from other community members.
• Sharing traditional foods is an important act of
  giving in Berens River as it strengthens culture,
  maintains positive community relationships and
  provides families with excellent nutrition.

• Methods
• An evaluation of food access was conducted in
  Berens River (2009) using the following methods
• A Household Food Security Survey of 50 homes
  in Berens River was conducted where households
  were randomly chosen to participate.
• Stories from community members about gardening,
  access and barriers to traditional foods, healthy
  commercial foods and community empowerment were
  recorded. Participatory video was used to
  document your stories.

John Everette skinning a beaver on the trap line.
Figure 1. Households worried money would run out
(blue), money did run out (yellow), and they
couldnt afford healthy foods (green).

• Food Security Survey Results
• Local food production is important as 53 of
  households couldnt afford to buy healthy food
  (Figure 1).
• 57 of households relied on low-cost food for
  children and 56 of households couldnt afford to
  feed children healthy food (Figure 2). In 41 of
  households children werent able to eat enough.
• In 24 of homes children were hungry (Figure 3).
• Improving Access to Healthy Foods
• Lowering food prices More information on
  government freight subsidies program are needed
  in households.
• Gardening Community members would like to see
  community gardens, family gardens, gardening
  workshops, a greenhouse and tours of successful
  gardens. Gardening material and teachings about
  traditional land activities, food preservation
  and gardening are wanted however, most people
  didnt know there was training, materials and
  programs that could make food production more
  sustainable and generate community development at
  Berens River.
• Promoting Healthy Eating Greater access to
  nutrition and health education, cooking skills,
  meal planning in the community, hunting, fishing,
  trapping, traditional story-telling, food
  sharing, and Meals on Wheels would promote
  healthy eating in Berens River.
• Employment opportunities Employment
  opportunities are wanted for food production,
  full-time gardening positions, crafts for
  additional income and natural resources
  management.

Traditional Food Use
This is a traditional smoke house.

• Fishing
• Fishing provides opportunities to maintain a
  healthy lifestyle by strengthening families, and
  connecting with nature and traditional ways.
• In Berens River, 94 of the households surveyed
  reported having access to fish such as pickeral
  (walleye), whitefish, sauger, sturgeon, and
  suckerfish.

Figure 2. Households with children relied on
low-cost food (blue), couldnt afford healthy
foods (yellow), and werent able to eat enough
(green). 15 of households didnt have children.

• Berens River Growing Strong!
• Community members would like a greenhouse in
  Berens River. This would provide fresh foods,
  training and employment for the community.
• A community garden is being developed at the
  Health Centre.
• There are 14 household gardens and the interest
  is growing!

• References

Figure 3. Households where childrens meals were
small (blue), skipped (yellow), children didnt
eat for a whole day (green) and children were
hungry but there was no money for food (purple).