PORT ALBERNI – The Healthy Harvest Farm is an enterprise sponsored by Port Alberni’s Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). The initiative, in its 6th year, grew out of a desire to give CMHA clients meaningful work in a calming environment and to give the community a source of fresh, local produce.
The farm helps clientele gain a transferable skill set, learn how to work as a team member and feel appreciated for their contribution. It also increases personal wellness by giving participants the opportunity to get grounded by having their hands in the soil and nurturing plants in a peaceful setting. The farm also provides work experience for clients of INEO, a local employment services agency.
Fifteen CMHA Clubhouse members, 8 INEO clients, more than 30 community volunteers, and 2 classes of Alberni District Senior Secondary students have been on the farm this growing season. Having a broad cross section of the local community work alongside participants helps decrease the stigma around mental illness and reduces the isolation of the participants.
The farm is on fee simple land owned by the Hupacasath First Nation and leased to CMHA for a small annual sum. An interesting aspect of the lease is that the production of organic vegetables only is written into it and while these are non-certified at the present time, they follow, as much as possible, the biodynamic calendar.
The Hupacasath are on the same farm site and share a greenhouse as they expand their own food production initiatives. The two groups have been working together to increase the capacity of the farm by expanding the irrigation system (with financial assistance from the Alberni Valley Community Foundation) and investing in other infrastructure to extend the growing season.
This year the farm was expanded to more than double the growing capacity. This increased the scope of training for the participants and will increase production and revenues.
At this point the farm also relies on grants and has a joint application in with INEO hoping to capture federal funding for a youth training program; a joint application with the Hupacasath for fencing for the site; and other applications which would help to cover participant’s wages. A grant from the Vancouver Foundation spread over the last two years has been crucial to the operation of the farm.
To learn more please email healthy.harvest@cmha.bc.ca or call 250.735.0520.
– Pat Deakin is the Economic Development Manager for the City of Port Alberni. He can be reached at 250-720-2527 or Patrick_deakin@portalberni.ca.
