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Golden Carrot Awards 2013
NOW ACCEPTING 2013 NOMINATIONS
Congrats to all our 2012 Distinctive Honourees!
Rural Community Food Champions
Tamara Kemp-Boulet - WINNER
Tamara is an individual who genuinely cares about the health of her community and makes a positive difference for those that live there, through sharing her passion for sustainable local food and promoting the many benefits of gardening and growing locally produced food. Tamara is a busy mother of three boys, a wife to Miguel and is very involved in her community as a local food advocate who supports local food projects
Michelle Schram
Michelle Schram is the founder and coordinator of the Homegrown Leaders program. Homegrown Leaders serves youth in Southwestern Manitoba, providing hands on workshops and tours for rural youth as well as opportunities to learn about how to grow, eat and sell food in their own communities. Michelle is also involved with the Harvest Moon Society and the Harvest Moon Local Food Initiative.
Rene Gauthier
Rene believes that a whole generation became the “Open the Can Generation”. Rene stated “Teach a child to garden and they will get the parents involved... when they grow up they will pass the skill on to their own children. They will always have food and never be hunger”. Today these community gardens are seen everywhere in the Selkirk area based on the model that Rene started years ago.
Jake and Betty Warkentins
Jake and Betty both help to maintain the food bank yard and help with the food bank garden. Jake and Betty are both retired teachers and have taught in many small communities north and in our surrounding area. Before retiring Jake was the principal at Taylor Elementary School in Swan River.
Tim and Kathleen Freeman
Tim, Kathleen and their boys play a huge role in the Boissevain and area local food movement.Their dedication to sustainable agriculture is appreciated by all who come in contact with them. This dedication is evident through various activities such as using work horses and vintage machinery, opening their farm to visitors for educational purposes, and their involvement with the local Farmers’ Markets.
Jenny and Colin Anderson
Colin and Jenny Anderson currently live in Clearwater Manitoba and are an integral part of the Harvest Moon Society and the Harvest Moon Local Food Initiative. Jenny and Colin have seen the Harvest Moon Local Food Initiative (HMLFI) through a number of different iterations. They have helped organize workshops on permaculture, soil science, forest gardening, building deconstruction, root cellaring and more at the Harvest Moon Learning Centre through the Prairie Culture workshop series!
Leah Lees
Leah Lees lives on 80 acres close to Oak Lake. Leah grew up on a mixed farm where her parents raised much of their own food and now tries to do the same for her own family. Leah is passionate about creating sustainable rural communities.
Urban Community Food Champions
Jim Beckta - WINNER
Starting in the early 90's, Jim Beckta set up one of the first CSA in Winnipeg called Earthshare. He continues to advocate for more vegetables growing space within inner city Winnipeg. He is presently exploring the preparation of healthy snacks using, among other ingredients, food grown by newcomer farmers, for the after school program at IRCOM.
The Winnipeg School Division Urban Green Team
The Winnipeg School Division Urban Green Team program participants get the opportunity to learn job skills, gain valuable work experience and to learn about gardening and food security. The students are introduced to growing and enjoying healthy food and gain the pride that comes from caring for a plant through its lifecycle.
Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg Youth for EcoAction Program
Youth for Ecological Action (YEA) is a leadership program that creates positive change for youth, their communities and the natural environment. YEA strives to create and connect participants to new experiences that challenge their perspectives locally and globally, increase awareness and knowledge of solutions to environmental problems, and seeks to instill a sense of caring and responsibility for the earth.
Dr. Rod Kueneman
Rod is currently the President of the Riverview Garden Society and an active, inaugural member of the Sustainable South Osborne Community Cooperative.Through his hands-on leadership, the South Osborne neighbourhood is able to boast about programs like Garden Share, community gardens in Lord Roberts and Riverview, an intergenerational gardening program involving day cares, schools, the Riverview Health Centre and various senior groups, and Winnipeg’s first Community Orchard.
Val Christie
Val works for the Family Centre of Winnipeg as a front line worker. She goes above and beyond her role to ensure that residents have access to food. She has coordinated a food bank at Westdale community centre, through facilitation of the residents of Manitoba Housing complex, church contacts and volunteers, Winnipeg Harvest, and West Perimeter.
Damien Gagne
The coordinator of the West Broadway Development Corporation’s Good Food Club, Damien Gagne, is in charge of the many programs that are a part of the overall club. He works extremely hard to host community cafes and dinners, fresh food boxes, educational workshops and community cooking kitchens for Good Food Club participants in the wintertime.
Robyn Webb
Robyn works tirelessly supporting community gardeners by helping to organize countless food related workshops and the annual Inner City Community Garden Tour, by being involved in research and planning concerning gardening spaces and by assisting with the DMSMCA composting, gardening mentorship and kid’s garden programs. Robyn is also involved with the Winnipeg Food Share Coop, the Manitoba Alternative Food Research Alliance and the Harvest Moon Society.
Claudette Calder
Claudette is an amazing woman who gives freely of her time ensuring all those who need help/advice when planting their free plot at Trinity United Church. She also volunteers for Winnipeg Harvest in her community. Claudette not only shares her wisdom, she also shares her vegetable bounty to those in need. Other tenants understand that is her caring nature that makes her so important in the community.
L.I.T.E – c/o Tana Hendren
Local Investment Toward Employment (LITE) is a non-profit organization that creates jobs and builds capacity for people who face multiple barriers to employment. Since 1994, LITE has made an enormous investment in local food suppliers, including Neechi Foods Co-op and Fort Whyte Farms. This contribution has not only developed our local food economy, but combated poverty in a substantive and effective manner.
Donald Beham
In addition to working at Winnipeg Harvest, a non-profit organization which helps individuals who are struggling to feed their family, Mr. Benham teaches at the University of Winnipeg and reviews books for the Winnipeg Free Press. He is a real go getter and a very passionate person!
Northern Community Food Champions
Chuck Stensgard - WINNER
Chuck Stensgard has been working as a northern gardener for the last three years. He has created gardening facilities in Leaf Rapids and helped establish a year round growing garden and two green houses at the school. He constantly shares his knowledge with students and community members who are interested in learning more about gardening.
Dennis Hydamaka - WINNER
Dennis Hydamaka was a key component in setting up the community food bank in Flin Flon eight-teen years ago. In addition, Dennis’s team applies their skills and knowledge to grow gardens that produce vegetables like peas, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries and herbs for human food consumption through the “Container Gardening Program”.
Annie McIvor
Through her dedication and gardening skills, Annie McIvor has been actively gardening and sharing these skills with others. The community has benefited a great deal from her skills!
Caroline Sanoffsky
Caroline has helped create a strong gardening community. Her energy and knowledge are an integral part of engaging her community. Her passion is seen through her every action.
Byron Beardy
Byron Beardy has provided undivided support, expertise and assistance to Food Security initiatives. Byron has also worked extensively with the University of Manitoba to develop programming in a number of Island Lake schools.
Shirley Leask
Shirley Leask started her greenhouse and canning business named “Wild Things” after she retired from her teaching job. Shirley has been the driving force to bringing the raised vegetable beds to our community, and has made herself available to anyone who needs advice.
Turtle Lodge
The Turtle Lodge was built in 2002, based on a vision. Turtle Lodge is founded upon spiritual, land-based teachings that bring balance to life. It was been built for our children--the center of our lives.The Roundtable went beyond the issue of food, to the connection and relationship with the food chain and all of life that for Indigenous people is found in the land and the Spirit. Earlier this year Turtle Lodge also hosted The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.
Education Community Food Champions
Lauren Sawchuk - WINNER
Lauren has been teaching human ecology at Sisler High School since 2008. She has used the study of food to engage students in school and in the community. She uses food beyond teaching cooking and nutrition and shares the importance of topics like organic gardening, fair trade, sustainable development, world hunger, environmental issues, and personal responsibility.
Audrey Logan - WINNER
Audrey has done workshops and taught budget minded people how to buy and prepare healthy food. Anything is possible when you put the effort required to make it happen…she believes it and lives it! She lives and breathes teaching people what she knows. Her wisdom is invaluable and her willingness to share with anyone willing to learn is unique.
Livia Gloux
Livia incorporated local foods into the foods and nutrition program by utilizing local food products by working with local farmers. She used these connections to teach students where their food comes from and generate an understanding of local food resources in the area and in Manitoba.
Fort Whyte Farms - Kristen Sinclair-Henderson, Dustin Hoft and Ethan Nobiss -
All three of Fort Whyte Farm assistances have made outstanding contributions to Fort Whyte Farms and in their own community to grow good food, share their farming experiences and promote local eats. Dustin has multiple garden plots in his family's backyard, friend's backyards and at Fort Whyte Farms and is growing food for himself and his family. He has been seed saving for years and promotes heritage varieties. Ethan is an experienced beekeeper (5 yrs) and gardener, and alongside Dustin is self-taught in hunting wild meat on and off the Farm. Kristen is invaluable to the Farm for her positive attitude, encouragement of others, and dedication to the well-being of livestock on the Farm.
Dr. Joyce Slater
Dr. Slater is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Human Nutritional Sciences and Community Health Sciences. Her current research is focused in community food security, and the role of food and nutrition literacy in health promotion and disease prevention. Over the past two years, Dr. Slater has been investigating the social good of Home Economics/Food and Nutrition programs in Manitoba schools, the perceived importance of this type of education, enrolment trends, and teacher training and succession issues.
Dr. Bonnie Hallman
Dr. Hallman has worked for over a decade at the University of Manitoba, and one of her specializations is Food Geography. More recently she has moved into more of an administrative role, but continues to support the education and development of students and staff. Her interest in food continues and most recently she continues her own education in the area of food safety.
Hilda Dysart
Hilda has been advocating towards consuming traditional foods in South Indian Lake. She is one of the food champions to create the community traditional food gathering. They named it Kiwikapawetan. The gathering is a community effort to teach the young generation on healthy traditional way of eating, food processing, storing and preparing and how to live off the land.
Shirley Ducharme
Shirley Ducharme is a member of South Indian Lake reserve/O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation. In the community Shirley created Kiwikapawetan, a community group to teach the youth on traditional way of harvesting, preparing and store food. Shirley Ducharme is a key advocate for healthy eating in the community.
Media Community Food Champions
Getty Stewart - WINNER
Anyone who has ever seen professional home economist, Getty Stewart, talk about food or any of the food projects that she is involved in knows that Getty is a dynamic and passionate communicator on behalf of healthy and local food. She shares her love of food through speaking engagements, workshops and through her blog, Veggie Delight. She is the founder of Fruit Share and this year released her extremely popular Prairie Fruit Cookbook after writing a free resource called “Sharing the Harvest”
Jodi Lee
Jodi Lee is a local human ecologist, professional home economist, and food blogger. She writes about eco-smart living and began gluten and soy free at LifeFromScratch.ca. Jodi has been an important part of Dig In Manitoba by writing regular articles for the DigInManitoba.ca website and school newsletters. Jodi is co-owner of Gluten Free Wellness and offers workshops and support to anyone on a gluten-free diet.
Winnipeg Folk Fest
The Winnipeg Folk Festival is a not-for-profit charitable organization, with a massive audience and communications platform. Folk Fest is constantly sharing importance of environmental sustainability and food plays hugely into their long term goals. In 2012, the Winnipeg Folk Festival offered 21 Manitoba businesses, many providing local, nutritious, local, organic, and/or fair-trade food, the opportunity to showcase their delicious cuisine to thousands of attendees.
Business Community Food Champions
Jennifer Morrison - Farmers’ Market Association of Manitoba (FMAM) - WINNER
FMAM has been the bridge between local producers and consumers for many years. This past year, despite losing their Executive Director, the Volunteer Board has continued its service. They have pushed through adversity and are continuing to help Manitobans access healthy food, while supporting small, local farmers. It is hard to imagine a sustainable food system in Manitoba without Farmers’ Markets; just as it is hard to imagine this committed organization ever being blown over by the winds of adversity.
Assiniboine Credit Union (ACU)
The members of (ACU) contribute to something bigger than just banking. Their money stays here in Manitoba and helps local co-operatives, businesses, and communities thrive.There are four ways ACU supports a strong local food economy. One is through ACU’s community grants stream for “environmental sustainability”, which includes food security. Many non-profits, co-operatives, and social enterprises are beneficiaries of these grants, including Urban Eatin’ Gardeners Worker Co-op, St Norbert Farmers’ Market, and the Soup Bee.
Joanne Gobeil-Filby - Fried Green Tomatoes
Over the last 5 years her love for cooking and passion for sharing healthy homemade food without preservatives has exploded! In November 2011 she was the first winner of Fosse au Lion, which has helped expand her kitchen to try and keep up with her clients’ demands. Joanne provides you with an ample variety of foods prepared in her kitchen. She offers evening cooking classes as well to try and share all she can with her community, using produce from her own garden or local businesses.
James Cohen and Linda McGarva Cohen – Gendis Inc.
James Cohen and Linda McGarva Cohen donated Winnipeg Harvest’s first ever refrigerated truck. This truck is use in Winnipeg Harvest’s Meal Share Program. This program entails picking up flash frozen food from hotels, cafes, restaurants, etc. Winnipeg Harvest has increased its food distribution because of this truck and its goal is to increase awareness to other outlets to donate the food that would normally go to the landfill.
Jerome and Fabienne Boulanger - Le Croissant Bakery
As an alternative and antidote to mass produced, and often harmful, processed food sold in most grocery stores bakery departments, Le Croissant leads the pack with handmade, healthy French traditional baking that will remind you what wholesome ingredients do for your palate. You really don’t know what a croissant is until you’ve eaten one from Le Croissant.
Hermann Grauer – Nature’s Farm
Hermann Grauer is an innovative egg farmer, who is particularly motivated by continual improvement. The Grauers attribute their successful egg and pasta business to a solid work ethic and stringent adherence to best practices. Hermann says “our philosophy is rooted in a commitment to sustainable farming and a healthy world.” As part of their commitment to ecological sustainability and stewardship, the Grauers have developed innovative new packaging that minimizes environmental impact. This includes a 100% wood-pulp film pasta-bag that is compostable.
World Wise Distribution – Wayne Doerksen
Wayne is extremely passionate about the local food movement. He will never hesitate to tell a customer, friend or even a passing stranger about the benefits of local food. He is a true believer and an advocate for the movement. Mr. Doerksen has a management certificate from the University of Winnipeg and was one of the youngest chefs in Manitoba to receive Red Seal Certification. Wayne now serves as a local food advocate and is considered to be an expert and role model by his peers in the culinary field.
NEW - YOUTH Community Food Champions
Abel Chubb - WINNER
Abel is very interested in being a gardener. He helps his grandma garden and maintains his own garden as well. He has a lot of respect for his elders and is very grown up in his own way to be able to recognize that healthy eating plays a huge part in our lives and also our community. He always tells his friends to grow a garden and he has convinced a few to do so.
Hudson Mealy
Hudson Mealy is 11 years old and is working towards his second year of producing a market garden. Since his first year went so well, he decided to triple the size of his garden to 1 acre of land on his parents’ property. He raises fruits and vegetables to sell. He is very proud of his work and reads books on gardening before going to bed.
Jessica Chamberlin
Is a young inspirational leader! Her continued commitment to learning and growing her gardening skills is an incredible attribute! People love to be around her positive energy and she continues to make big impacts in her community!
Mike Melnychuk
Mike is a student at Stonewall Collegiate in Stonewall, MB. Mike is a young entrepreneur who runs his own vegetable farm. He also takes the time to pickle many of his vegetables. He was excited to sell his produce at a local farmers’ market. Mike also donated food to the Red Hot Chili Peppers Local Foods Competition and to the school for a local foods dinner. His determination to operate his own business (with the help of his friend and manager Chase Griffith) is an inspiration to all who meet him.
Troy Beardy
Troy is very active in his community gardens. He is always striving to learn new skills so that he help teach others. Eating healthy food is very important to him!
Sisler After School Cookers
This extra-curricular group gets together 1-2 times a month at a minimum to learn how to cook their own food. Due to class time scheduling, many students are unable to get Cooking into their timetables, this group of students wants to learn the techniques and gain the confidence to be able to prepare their own food. They are exposed to a wide range of foods and ingredients they may never have seen (I push local sustainable food) and are taught how to prepare them.
Students of Mel Johnson School in Wabowden
As a result of their commitment, skill and enjoyment of gardening fresh fruit and vegetables, these children are now also changing the way they and their families now eat.
2012 awards were designed and created by Laurie Green.