The drive to get the local harvest in the minds and mouths of students is gearing up during Farm to School Month in Haida Gwaii, an archipelago off the Northwest Coast of BC.
“Haida Gwaii is surrounded by good food and rich traditions of eating from the land and the sea and the fall is when local food is in abundance and students are rolling up their sleeves to preserve it for the winter.”, says Kiku Dhanwant, Local Foods to School Learning Circle Coordinator.
The way the islands have come together to transform the systems that feed their kids is beautifully illuminated in a new 8-minute documentary video released by Farm to Cafeteria Canada – Local Foods to School: Reconnecting the children of Haida Gwaii to their land and their food.
“Our traditional foods are important because it has all the nutrition that the body needs to stay healthy.”, says Margaret Edgars, an elder who is traditional Haida food harvester.
“We are essentially supporting our communities to take charge of what our kids are eating and teaching them self-sufficiency through hands on learning and respect for where their food comes from.”, says Dhanwant.
Follow the Haida Gwaii Local Foods to School story on their Facebook Site: www.facebook.com/farmtoschoolhaidagwaii/
