Soowahlie First Nation Enhanced Garden Plan

Food Sovereignty and Consumer Packaged Goods Feasibility Study for the Métis Nation Columbia River Society

(2025)

Upland was contracted by Metis Nation Columbia River Society (MNCRS) to support the community in developing a comprehensive, sustainable, and culturally grounded food production system that enhances food security, promotes learning opportunities, and addresses market challenges in the region. Upland’s role was to assess the feasibility of undertaking a food production initiative to benefit the community and undertake a market demand analysis for Indigenous food products. Key components included:

• Asset inventory
• Market analysis for Métis food products
• Growing methods and technologies analysis
• Recommendations

First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun Agricultural Business Plan

The First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun (NND) based in Mayo, Yukon, has requested the services of Upland Agricultural Consulting to develop a plan for their farm property. The resulting end deliverable will provide a set of NND-specific recommendations for new agricultural business endeavours.

The main goals of the Plan are to:

• Determine the agricultural viability of the farm site;
• Increase the amount of, and access to, locally grown and produced food;
• Examine economic opportunities related to food production; and
• Provide rehabilitation and horticultural therapy as a co-benefit of agricultural enterprise.

For the purposes of this feasibility assessment, the following assumptions were made:

• There are dual objectives of 1) revenue-generating economic development and 2) community amenity benefits (healthy food for community members) that are related to this project.
• While there is a relatively large amount of potentially productive land available, the business development opportunities analysis must also focus on economic scale, capacity, and feasibility.
• The opportunity to partner with neighbouring communities and existing organizations from outside the community should also be considered.

Fort Nelson First Nation Agricultural Feasibility Assessment

(2021-2023)

Upland Agricultural Consulting is working with Fort Nelson First Nation and Tu Deh Kah Geothermal to explore commercial agricultural endeavours available to the community. The project is examining if, and how, a community-led geothermal project could contribute to future agricultural greenhouse and fields production scenarios. The project involves facilitating a Project Steering Committee, liaising with the TDK Board, and developing business plans for several production scenarios. Community-based food security workshops (including canning, salves, and foraging) are also a part of the scope of this project.

The project is being funded by the Federal Indigenous Agriculture Food Security Initiative (IAFSI) through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Nisga'a Village of Gitwinksihlkw Food Security Project - Phase 1

(2021)

The Nisga'a Village of Gitwinksihlkw Food Security Project sought to understand the current realities of food security in Gitwinksihlkw and provide recommendations towards supporting and enhancing food security that are at the intersection of health, cultural traditions, jobs, business opportunities, and sustainable practices. The project involved engaging the community and conduct a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis. The objective of the assessment was to provide a well-informed foundation for a future, larger in-depth agriculture and food study in the area. This initial report culminated in a set of recommended actions for initiating community-led food and agriculture projects.

Upon completion, the Nisga'a village of Gitwinksihlkw was successful in securing federal funding to complete the Agriculture Assets and Opportunities Study, for which Upland was also contracted.

Salmon Arm Métis Association Food Security Assessment

(2022)

The Salmon Arm Métis Association (SAMA) Food Security Assessment aimed at identifying the needs of the community and finding opportunities to improve the food security of its members within the SAMA region. The Assessment considered the many food assets and cultural traditions within the SAMA community, as well as the needs and interests of SAMA community members and was crucial in ensuring food security at both the community and household level for SAMA members. The assessment resulted in a set of 8 recommendations to improve food security.

Developing the SAMA Food Security Assessment included comprehensive background research which involved a scan of relevant policies, community health profiles, statistical information and reports. This was followed by a situational analysis was completed by gathering information on past and current food and agriculture initiatives in the community. Subsequently, engagement with individuals and organizations in the Salmon Arm area and Métis community area took place through interviews and a survey to better understand the experience of community members as well as the agri-food resources available to them.