Grassroots gardens, food sharing may be the answer to food insecurity in Labrador

Small food producers across Labrador say self-sufficiency and community hubs are key to ensuring people living in remote northern communities have enough to eat, amid a food distribution system one farmer says is broken

Dan Rubin, the founding chair of the Food Producers Forum, believes the key to ending food insecurity in the North is the power of community. He's helping to build a grassroots food network with food sharing as its pillar.

"It's a particularly fierce issue for those living in Labrador because of the quality of the food, the availability of the food and the lack of institutional support for farming in Labrador," Rubin said.

The core of the network will be regional food hubs that are located in communities across the island and in Labrador, to provide multiple sites for food production, food sharing and food education.

Roxanne Notley, NunatuKavut's food security co-ordinator, says folks in her community harvest and hunt the food around them and share with others to supplement the pricey, poor-quality food in her region.

But hunting alone isn't enough to keep up with the needs in the area.

"We are trying our best to supplement them with our food-sharing programs and gardening programs and encouraging people to get back to the basics," she said. "But that is just one piece of the puzzle. Having more income in homes is necessary."

Tom Angiers, a longtime farmer who owns and operates Spruce Meadows Farm in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, not only grows food but also brings in products to sell.

He says the food distribution system in Labrador is broken.

"We are talking to our customers from all over [Labrador] and they are telling us horror stories, they're telling us there is nothing in the store and what is in the store is really poor quality and really high prices," Angiers said.

He says many distributors are waiting to buy 10-day old stock because they can buy it at a fraction of the price, and by the time the product reaches the stores in Labrador much of it goes in the garbage. 

"The wholesalers coming out of the south that are shipping north are allowed to ship poor quality," he said.

In the face of low produce supply and sky-high prices, some community groups are taking matters into their own hands.

Sheldon Laing, a board member for the Labrador West Community Garden, has seen a great interest from the community in the last couple of years.

"We've seen a huge increase in terms of interest in gardening, we're seeing a wait list every year," he said.

In 2017, the community garden started a farmers' market to sell produce that was grown by the community. Vendors usually sell out within 45 minutes, Laing said.

"I don't think a lot of people actually realize how much food you can actually grow in approximately 1,200 square feet of space. The impacts have been phenomenal," he said.

"I think this year alone we estimated around 700 carrots on our quarter-acre plot. So that's 100 pounds of carrots pulled up."

Nunatsiavut First Minister Melva Williams said the government is asking the province to subsidize flights to Labrador's north coast to help with travel costs and the cost of goods to make it easier for folks living there.

"Food prices are so high that many people can't afford to buy groceries, heat their homes and survive the winter months," Williams said.

Torngat Mountains NDP MHA Lila Evans has called for airline subsidies comparable to ferry rates during times when ferry services are interrupted.

The provincial government would not commit to air transport subsidies, however. Alan Bach, a spokesperson for the Department of Labrador Affairs, said in a statement the government is "always open to working with other governments and airports to improve air access in the province."

"Addressing the affordability of air access remains a priority for the government of Newfoundland and Labrador and we will continue to advocate for more affordable air access for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians," he wrote.

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