Connecting to neighbours, food and the land
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/10/2021 (586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
I had an amazing meal recently — and the best part was it was all grown right here in Fort Rouge, in urban gardens.
It came from the Sustainable South Osborne Community Co-op’s annual harvest dinner. The SSOCC has reclaimed urban space to produce local fruits and vegetables in the Riverview neighbourhood.
On one side of Churchill Drive are many gardening plots, on the other more plots and orchards. Not only do these gardens feed Fort Rouge families, they help us grow our relationships with our neighbours and help us cultivate a healthy relationship with the land that sustains us. Most people driving up and down Osborne most days may have no idea there are sustainable agricultural harvests happening just a stone’s throw away.
Of course, many of us visit the South Osborne Farmers’ Market, which is the result of great vendors and the Firewood Food Co-op. I love heading down there on Wednesday nights in the summer.
Market day is a chance to hear music from Winnipeg artists, chat with neighbours, and pick up some great food. Some favourites from this past summer were all the seasonal veggies and a bison brisket raised on a farm that practices regenerative agriculture (which I smoked and was delicious).
The SSOCC and tje farmer’s market offer us an encouraging glimpse at a future in which we eat healthier, have more meaningful relationships with our food and each other, and do our part to fight global warming.
The fact it all tastes great and helps the community is just like an organic cherry on top. A future like that for the people of Fort Rouge and the rest of our province is all my colleagues and I in the NDP caucus want to build.
If you have stories to share about these great organizations or other community programs in Fort Rouge, please reach out to my office. We love hearing from you. You can email me at wab.kinew@yourmanitoba.ca or call me at 204-615-1922.
Wab Kinew
Fort Rouge constituency report
Wab Kinew is the NDP MLA for Fort Rouge and leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party.