Eco-Journal, v.17.5 Nov/Dec 2007Eco-Journal, v.17.5 Nov/Dec 2007
Media category nominees Lindsey Wiebe, Lorraine Stevenson, and Laura Rance, Photo by Jennifer Heinrichs
By Kreesta Doucette
The first annual Manitoba Food Charter Golden Carrot Awards were a great success. On October 16, over 100 people attended an awards breakfast at the Manitoba Legislature. The awards were created to recognise Manitoba´s own Community Food Champions. Both awards ceremonies were part of Manitoba´s World Food Day events, which included an interfaith service and Right to Food Conference in Winnipeg, and the Northern Harvest Forum in Thompson, that focussed on northern food production.
Over 30 nominees were honoured through the Golden Carrot Awards which included individuals or groups working towards a more just, sustainable food system for all Manitobans. The six award categories were Rural, Northern and Urban Community Food Champions, and Media, Business, and Education. The annual awards have been launched to shine the spotlight on community members working towards good food practices in Manitoba.
This year´s award winners are:
Northern: Leaf Rapids Sherridon Community Council, and Leaf Rapids Mayor Nick Benyck, for engaging community families and school children in gardening and food preservation.
Rural: the Agriculture Committee of the Turtle Mountain Community Development Committee, for their Small Farms Challenge and stimulating dialogue around revitalizing agriculture and promoting rural living.
Urban: Cori Reimer, for her work in developing the Get Together Community Garden at Mount Carmel Clinic.
Education: Vincent Massey Collegiate, Winnipeg, for their work with the sustainable development student group on healthy food choices in the school, and planning a rooftop garden.
Media: Lorraine Stevenson: for ongoing coverage of food and agricultural issues in the Manitoba Co-operator and the Winnipeg Free Press.
Business: Bread and Circuses Bakery Café; nominated by Art City for over ten years of providing nutritious food for the young artists in their programs for inner city kids.
There are many other individuals and organisations working towards a more just and sustainable food system for Manitoba and we would like to hear about them. If you know of someone you think might be a community food champion please let us know. A call for nominations for the 2008 Manitoba Food Charter Golden Carrot Awards will begin in the spring. Please contact the Manitoba Food Charter at 943-0822 (in Winnipeg) or 1-800-731-2638, email info@mbfoodcharter.ca or visit our website at http://www.manitobafoodsecurity.ca for more information, to receive our quarterly e-newsletter, or to become involved in the Manitoba Food Security network.