Tsawwassen and the surrounding Fraser River and Boundary Bay lands have been the ancestral home of the Coast Salish people for thousands of years. In 2009 the Tsawwassen First Nation became a self-governing treaty nation, with strategic decisions taken to make it self-reliant. A small urban community, TFN owns more than 800 acres of agricultural land within its jurisdiction – an asset begging to be leveraged.
As set out by the Agricultural Business Plan adopted in 2012-2013, “Through support for local food production, job creation and stewardship of farmland resources, agriculture creates and contributes to the social, cultural and economic well-being of the TFN community, while fostering a healthy ecosystem upon which present and future generations can depend.” The vision was clear, but agricultural initiatives took a back seat until recently.
Now in Phase 1, the TFN Community Farm pilot project (c̓əlisələm) is a community-led initiative to generate interest in farming and local food security among youth and members. Phased implementation provides a safer approach to understanding the challenges, building a budget, applying for external grants, and developing an operational plan. This educational session will help attendees understand the importance of Connecting to your Roots and how small ideas can have big impacts in achieving well-being and local food security.