New Food Security Coordinator

›› Jesse Wallis

Hi, I’m Jesse (she/they), the new Food Security Coordinator at Fernwood NRG! I am a queer white settler living as an uninvited guest on Lekwungen territory. You can find me stewarding the community gardens and orchards, coordinating work parties and events, and juggling vegetables while I oversee the operations of the Good Food Box.

Food is the heart of what we do, who we are, and how we thrive. Prior to this role, I have been growing, distributing, cooking, and mentoring about food for the last decade, in the hope to reconnect communities with the land they live on and where their food comes from. Over the last two years I have been running a smallscale, regenerative farm using a sliding-scale Community Supported Agriculture model during the pandemic, where I partnered with local food initiative Iye Creative to reduce barriers for BIPOC to accessing local food. I believe that good food is a human right and am determined to build strong, interdependent relationships between farm- ers and their communities, especially with an uncertain future of food ahead of us. My work is driven by a love of community connection and the desire for freedom from the systems of oppression which stand in the way of good food for many people.

If you’re interested in hearing more about food security programming at Fernwood NRG, you can contact me at jesse@fernwoodnrg.ca

Spring Garden Events

Save the date—Get Growing Victoria Seedling Distribution day is back! On Thursday, May 25, Fernwood NRG will be distributing flower and vegetable seedlings grown by the City of Victoria.

Plant varieties include: tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, collard greens, chard, kale, lettuce, basil, chives, nasturtiums, calendula, and shiso.

Join us from 1:00pm to 3:00pm to collect your plant babies! You can also ask any soil and gardening related questions to Kayla from the Compost Education Centre who will also be there.

Interested in volunteering at the event? Contact jesse@fernwoodnrg.ca for info!

Call out for Garden Volunteers!

We are looking for regular garden volunteers for stewarding the gardens at Fernwood Community Centre, which involves the upkeep of the perennial beds, pollinator garden, kitchen gardens, community orchards, and native plant gardens! If you are interested in practising or learning new gardening skills and supporting green spaces in your community, we would love to meet you! Tasks would involve weeding, mulching, planting seedlings, building, and fi xing infrastructure. Snacks and drinks always provided. Contact jesse@fernwoodnrg. ca for more info.