Hamilton urban farm ‘natural fit’ for Indigenous agency

An Indigenous non-profit will take over the operation of a Hamilton urban farm that has grown food for its east-end host neighbourhood since 2016.

It's a natural fit" for Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg, which runs a food bank next door on Britannia Avenue, says executive director Monique Lavallee.

Overseeing the McQuesten Urban Farm, at Melvin and Woodward avenues, also gives Niwasa a chance to approach the project from an Indigenous perspective, she added.

I think it's a great opportunity for us to look at our traditional ways of knowing and being, and our connection to the land."

The agency also has deep roots in McQuesten, having offered services in the neighbourhood for 25 years, Lavallee said.

Niwasa, which also specializes in educational, youth and children's programs, takes over the farm leadership on April 1.

The agency is also a partner in an effort to build an Indigenous health and social-services campus on the footprint of its building, the former St. Helen school site, in coming years.

On Thursday, councillors endorsed the transfer of the farm operation, which city, community and corporate contributions has supported, to Niwasa.

McQuesten resident Pat Reid planted the seed for creating the urban farm on the city-owned parcel, recalled Coun. Sam Merulla.

The city nurtured the project and his only concern" over the years was sustained funding, the Ward 4 councillor said.

But what's before us is the actual missing link, and that missing link was sustainability," Merulla said, noting the area used to be a food desert."

Since 2016, the volunteer-powered farm has harvested more than 100,000 pounds of produce, a city report noted.

It's made available through the food bank but also provided at a low cost" at an on-site farmers market and sold to community organizations.

When Niwasa takes over, two paid farm workers will join its team, Lavallee noted.

The city is providing $110,000 this year and the same amount in 2023 for the farm's operation, but its own revenues and grants are anticipated to cover costs from then on.

For now, the city will retain ownership of the roughly four-acre property with the redevelopment plans on the horizon.

A part of the farm is expected to be reconfigured and integrated" into the future hub's landscaping, the report noted.

Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com