MOOSE JAW — Residents interested in learning more about Wakamow Valley’s Mosaic Community Food Farm and Orchard or a provincial farmer-to-farmer educational resource network are encouraged to attend .
Wakamow Valley Authority (WVA) and the are holding a , located in Wellesley Park just off Bank Street.
The potluck and welcome runs from 12 to 1 p.m., the tour occurs from 1 to 2:30 p.m., a discussion about the Young Agrarians’ apprenticeship program happens from 2:30 to 3 p.m., and a social occurs from 3 to 4 p.m.
YA will provide the hotdogs — enough for 50 people — while attendees should bring side dishes, plates/cutlery/cups and a lawn chair or blanket on which to sit.
The farm distributes food to the Moose Jaw and District Food Bank, Hunger in Moose Jaw, Moose Jaw Transition House and Moose Jaw Multicultural Council.
YA is a volunteer-driven farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic and regenerative farmers in Canada. It works with producers to organize on-farm events and build community to create spaces for knowledge sharing and growth.
The apprenticeship program places people between 20 and 40 years of age on farms from May to October to learn from experienced producers, with the aim of attracting more people to farming. The program also searches for regenerative-focused farmers interested in hosting an apprentice.
The food farm held a similar event last year, but it was focused on , said Donna MacQuarrie-Bye, WVA’s general manager.
Meanwhile, the food farm and YA have been working together for two years — the former has hosted several YA apprentices — so the farm’s co-ordinator, Allison Taylor, thought it would be appropriate to hold an event with that partner, the GM continued.
“This (event) is very structured. It is promoting the Young Agrarian’s (apprenticeship) program and it’s also giving the community an opportunity to come down as well,” said MacQuarrie-Bye.
“That’s the element that we didn’t include last year. Last year, it was focused more on the (immigrant) students and some of the groups that we are affiliated with,” she added. “Here it’s opened up to the public.”
It’s amazing to work with the Mosaic Community Food Farm because YA was able to bring a class of Saskatchewan Polytechnic students there last year to pick food for local charities, said Alieka Beckett, co-ordinator of YA’s Saskatchewan apprenticeship program.
“I think it really highlights food security and what local growing can do to help foster that and build connections within … Moose Jaw,” she continued. “And it is really great to see people get their hands in it and start doing it because there is a difference between reading about food security and being in the garden and … picking tomatoes.”
Beckett added that YA will be at the WVA farmers’ market that morning where residents can learn about the apprenticeship program.
Working with the Young Agrarians is a great educational opportunity because food insecurity is an issue that affects many people, while there is more to growing food than just putting seeds in the ground and hoping they’ll grow, MacQuarrie-Bye said.
As the food farm demonstrates, other aspects of growing vegetables that gardeners must understand include learning about the soil types and providing the appropriate conditions for seeds to germinate, she continued.
Overall, the garden has done “really good” this year, while WVA’s goal of hosting different programs has been “wildly successful,” said MacQuarrie-Bye. Furthermore, the WVA has strengthened its relationships with the library and the Multicultural Council, and in response to Riverside Mission’s closure, Square One Community Inc.
Harvesting the produce began in mid-August — the quantities have been equal to 2023 — and is expected to continue until mid-October, she added. Also, the food farm welcomes volunteers to help with end-of-season cleanup.
