Northern Healthy Foods InitiativeNorthern Healthy Foods InitiativeEvaluation Evaluation

Shirley Thompson, Paul Fieldhouse, kimlee wong, Asfia Gulrukh, Shauna Zaharuik, Myrle Ballard

Funded: CIHR

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

What the heck is the NHFI?What the heck is the NHFI? What evaluation?What evaluation? What results so far.What results so far.

Northern Food Prices Report 2003Northern Food Prices Report 2003 mandated by the Healthy Child mandated by the Healthy Child

Committee of CabinetCommittee of CabinetSummary Recommendations

1. Northern Food Self-sufficiency (building community capacity for greater food self-sufficiency)

2. Milk Price Review

3. Northern Food Business Development

4. Northern Community Foods Program (food sharing programs)

5. Northern Greenhouse Pilot Project

6. Northern Gardens Initiative

7. Northern Food Prices Survey

COMMUNITY PRIORITIESCOMMUNITY PRIORITIES

Food system change to sustainable local food production

Local production(GROW NORTH)

LOWER PRICES

Better access to healthy

foods

Education

Applause for lack of Applause for lack of jurisdictional boundariesjurisdictional boundaries

A CBO representative commended the A CBO representative commended the lack of jurisdictional boundary and funding lack of jurisdictional boundary and funding of Provincial northern affairs communities of Provincial northern affairs communities and federal First Nations and credited this and federal First Nations and credited this largely to the late MLA Oscar Lathlin and largely to the late MLA Oscar Lathlin and Eric Robinson’s insistence on making a Eric Robinson’s insistence on making a difference by difference by putting food on the table in all putting food on the table in all northern communities.northern communities.

Operationalizing the ReportOperationalizing the Report

Commenced 2005Commenced 2005

Cabinet approved priorities:Cabinet approved priorities:1.1. Northern gardensNorthern gardens2.2. Local food self-sufficiencyLocal food self-sufficiency3.3. Nutrition awarenessNutrition awareness4.4. Local food business developmentLocal food business development

NHFI community grants NHFI community grants budgetbudget

2005/06 2006/07

Description ($ 000) ($ 000)

Regional projects 66 135

"Grow North" grants 47 67

Agricultural support 30 67

Education grants 9 90

Special community projects 5 90

Program administration 22 30

Total $179K $479K

NHFI community grants NHFI community grants budgetbudget

2007/08 2008/09

Regional Partners 120.0 140.0

“Grow North” Agricultural Support 67.0 47.4

"Grow North" Material/Equipment 88.4 28.0

Education grants/projects 63.3 82.2

“Special Community Projects” 265.3 287.2

Subtotal 604.0 584.8

Program administration 30.0 30.0

Total $634.0K 614.8K

Evaluation methods to Evaluation methods to datedate

Six hour focus group followed by a feast with 25 Six hour focus group followed by a feast with 25 NHFI community members NHFI community members

25-30 interviews with community members25-30 interviews with community members 3 hour focus group with NHFI team3 hour focus group with NHFI team 6 interviews with NHFI and government6 interviews with NHFI and government 8 Interviews with CBO staff or board8 Interviews with CBO staff or board Community visitsCommunity visits Workshops with Frontier School Division and Workshops with Frontier School Division and

Burntwood Regional Health Authority Burntwood Regional Health Authority

Evaluation Methods in Evaluation Methods in FutureFuture

Household food security surveys (CCHS Household food security surveys (CCHS 2.2 method)2.2 method)

Community visitsCommunity visits Food costing in local northern food Food costing in local northern food

stores (healthy food basket) – 2 carried stores (healthy food basket) – 2 carried out to dateout to date

Household food Household food insecurity rates in insecurity rates in ManitobaManitoba

Manitoba average 9.4% (First Nation Manitoba average 9.4% (First Nation reserves not included), close to the reserves not included), close to the Canadian national average (Health Canada, Canadian national average (Health Canada, 2007). 2007).

Sub-population groups much lowerSub-population groups much lower Lowest income adequacy quintile (55%), Lowest income adequacy quintile (55%),

social assistance recipients (62%) and social assistance recipients (62%) and Aboriginals off-reserve (33%) (Health Aboriginals off-reserve (33%) (Health Canada, 2007; Shields, 2005).Canada, 2007; Shields, 2005).

Service Delivery ModelService Delivery Model

HealthyChild

NHFI TEAMHealthyLiving

ConservationAboriginal and Northern Affairs

Aboriginal and Northern Affairs

MAFRI

Other Depts

FNIHPHAC

RegionalHealth

authorities

RegionalHealth

authoritiesCommunitiesCommunities

Community based

organizations

Community based

organizations

NHFI Community Based NHFI Community Based OrganizationsOrganizations

Bayline Regional Roundtable

-Chicken production-- community gardens

--greenhouses-- Freezer loans

COMMUNITIES: Cormorant, Wabowden, Thicket Portage,

Pikwitonei, Ilford and War Lake FN,Bunibonibee FN &

Nelson House LOWER PRICES

Northern Association of

community councils

-gardens-Greenhouses

-COMMUNITIES: South Indian Lake, Brochet , Sherridon , Granville Lake/Leaf Rapids and

Berens River

Four Arrows Regional Health

Authority-Gardens

-- Freezer loans-- Cold storage at airports

--hunting program?-COMMUNITIES:

Wasagamack, Garden Hill, St. Theresa Point, and Red

Sucker Lake including Stevenson Island

Frontier School Division-Veggie Adventure Curriculum-Germination kits in schools

-- Greenhouses-Gardens in the Community

Community Community ChampionsChampions

Local Local CapacityCapacity

BRRT pays community champions to “pass on the BRRT pays community champions to “pass on the gift” of gardening: “Ag Tech funds pay community gift” of gardening: “Ag Tech funds pay community experienced gardeners to mentor new gardeners experienced gardeners to mentor new gardeners in the community. We just have to engage in the community. We just have to engage experienced gardeners, offer them some supports experienced gardeners, offer them some supports and let them teach. That is what we did with our and let them teach. That is what we did with our Ag Tech resources again this year.”Ag Tech resources again this year.”

Community GardensCommunity Gardens

““We were going to have a community garden We were going to have a community garden but for vandalism reasons we have decided to but for vandalism reasons we have decided to help people do their own garden instead. help people do their own garden instead. Going to receive $1000 worth of fruit trees Going to receive $1000 worth of fruit trees through NHFI to give away. Workshops will be through NHFI to give away. Workshops will be given on how to care for them and will given on how to care for them and will encourage people to share produce.” encourage people to share produce.”

CBOs pushing for Policy CBOs pushing for Policy changeschanges

““We are still trying to work with Family Services We are still trying to work with Family Services and Housing to have freezers identified as an and Housing to have freezers identified as an essential appliance for northern families.” essential appliance for northern families.”

“ “We also took the initiative from the BRRT to We also took the initiative from the BRRT to get permission from CMHC and Manitoba get permission from CMHC and Manitoba Housing to cultivate the land, to put up gardens Housing to cultivate the land, to put up gardens on these [rental} units . And they gave us the on these [rental} units . And they gave us the permission. Where before people were scared permission. Where before people were scared and weary to garden on land that wasn’t theirs and weary to garden on land that wasn’t theirs – they were just tenants. – they were just tenants.

Importance of Community Importance of Community ChampionsChampions

One representative from a CBO stated that One representative from a CBO stated that “some people want us to do the entire “some people want us to do the entire garden” and “unless people take garden” and “unless people take responsibility the gardens are bound to fail”. responsibility the gardens are bound to fail”. Although most communities have a Although most communities have a community champion, if it is only one community champion, if it is only one person, an illness or family issues can person, an illness or family issues can result in progress halts or reverses. result in progress halts or reverses.

Volunteers versus non-volunteersVolunteers versus non-volunteers

Growing Gardening Clubs: Growing Gardening Clubs: Mel Johnson school, Mel Johnson school, WabowdenWabowden The gardening club grew from ten students in the The gardening club grew from ten students in the

first year to 45 in 2008.first year to 45 in 2008. Each student received an 8 foot by 4 foot garden Each student received an 8 foot by 4 foot garden

box complete with plants and soil built at the box complete with plants and soil built at the school. school.

Each week over these summers, Ms. Woitowicz Each week over these summers, Ms. Woitowicz visited the children’s homes to encourage children visited the children’s homes to encourage children to care for their gardens and found the children to care for their gardens and found the children and their family had lots of questions and positive and their family had lots of questions and positive experiences.experiences.

Leaf Rapids student’s harvested from school garden and made a soup they shared.

NHFI accomplishmentsNHFI accomplishments Communities :28 Communities :28 Gardens: 420Gardens: 420 Freezer loans:160 (95 being processed)Freezer loans:160 (95 being processed) Greenhouses: 8Greenhouses: 8 Refrigeration Units:3Refrigeration Units:3 Other: Chicken & Goat Farming:15 families Other: Chicken & Goat Farming:15 families Education events: 3 Veggie Adventure workshops, 3 Education events: 3 Veggie Adventure workshops, 3

Northern Harvests, local food preservation and gardening Northern Harvests, local food preservation and gardening workshops in most communitiesworkshops in most communities

  

““GrowGrow North” – Activities North” – Activities

8 Communities

This is year one

“Best practices”

Frontierschools

Germinating in 22

schools

28 - 30 Communities

Large knowledge

Deficit

4 Communities

ChickensGoats

15 Families

Total

160 +Freezers in

Communities

3 Refrigeration

Units

Northern Greenhouse

Northern Greenhouse

“Veggie Adventure”

Curriculum

“Veggie Adventure”

Curriculum

GardeningGardeningOther Local Agriculture

Other Local Agriculture

Special ProjectsSpecial Projects

Healing and Motivating Healing and Motivating CEDCED

“ “Doing gardening is very healing for Doing gardening is very healing for the community, because they’re the community, because they’re seeing something positive, seeing something positive, something that grows, you can put a something that grows, you can put a seed in the ground and it will grow… seed in the ground and it will grow… and that’s a positive thing. And if and that’s a positive thing. And if people start working together and people start working together and that’s what we’re talking about with that’s what we’re talking about with community development.community development.

Increasing Community Increasing Community CohesionCohesion

““The program is really popular in the The program is really popular in the communities…I think that it brings a lot of communities…I think that it brings a lot of community togetherness in the program community togetherness in the program because they’ve developed their own because they’ve developed their own kinds of programs based off gardening. kinds of programs based off gardening. They do community feasts, community They do community feasts, community meals on wheels. They’ve really expanded meals on wheels. They’ve really expanded and come together.”and come together.”

What are people from What are people from communities saying? communities saying? ““Need community to work together and to use people Need community to work together and to use people

who know how to farm, talk to farmers and ask them if who know how to farm, talk to farmers and ask them if they could help person to teach how to cultivate that they could help person to teach how to cultivate that land so that they can expand and teach others or the land so that they can expand and teach others or the farmers donate / rent tillers. We can produce our own farmers donate / rent tillers. We can produce our own food and that’s what we need to do.” food and that’s what we need to do.”

““I’m hearing that people need to be educated and I I’m hearing that people need to be educated and I agree with that, our main staple is pasta there is so agree with that, our main staple is pasta there is so much sugar in pasta and macaroni, that is where a lot much sugar in pasta and macaroni, that is where a lot of diabetes starts, we need to educate.”of diabetes starts, we need to educate.”

Sustainable food: Sustainable food: Back to traditional waysBack to traditional ways

““Going back to traditional ways of living, eating Going back to traditional ways of living, eating off land and gardening, we have lost that and off land and gardening, we have lost that and now are recapturing it. We can teach future now are recapturing it. We can teach future generations to live off land like our ancestors, generations to live off land like our ancestors, this is how we started getting chronic diseases this is how we started getting chronic diseases by using things we never used before. by using things we never used before. Ancestors gardened, smoked meat and fish etc. Ancestors gardened, smoked meat and fish etc. Elders are passing on and are taking that Elders are passing on and are taking that knowledge with them.”knowledge with them.”

Not only gardens were Not only gardens were being grown but the being grown but the expertise of gardenersexpertise of gardeners “ “NHFI has been operating for four NHFI has been operating for four

years and we now have a couple of years and we now have a couple of local experts in gardening… I can see local experts in gardening… I can see progress. I have spoken to people who progress. I have spoken to people who will till the ground and will garden in will till the ground and will garden in spring. There is progress, which will spring. There is progress, which will mushroom over the next few years… mushroom over the next few years… Will only go forward not backward.”Will only go forward not backward.”