The annual gathering of the Interior region of First Nations Food Systems (FNFS) project was hosted by this community. After a big wild fire in 2012, the elders and council realized the need for Food security in their community. The nation’s economic development authority oversees their Food Security Project which recently was named AMLEC and they grow, harvest and process under this cooperative. Thompson River University ran a horticultural program for one year, the current AMLEC manager took that program but for some unknown reason, that partnership didn’t persist. He and the elders see the need for such training, for them but also five other first nations of the St’át’imc Nation territory in that region (namely; Xwísten (Bridge River), Sekw̓el’wás (Cayoose Creek), Ts’kw’áylaxw (Pavilion), Tsal̓álh (Seton), and Xaxli’p (Fountain).

In hopes to continue to have some form of agriculture training, they reached out to ISFS for an initial conversation in January 2019 on how we can possibly help them incorporate a farm school program within the AMLEC Project. The three main staff involved in this conversation are Kent Mullinix, Payal Batra and Caroline Chiu. We spoke with Mathew Davidson, the current Project Manager, over skype along with representatives from ASETS who recognize the need of such a program in Lillooet and are willing to provide support. At this time, the project is still in its initial phase of planning (January 2019 – on-going).

Kent Mullinix kent.mullinix@kpu.ca - Institute for Sustainable Food Systems (ISFS)

Payal Batra payal.batra@kpu.ca - Community Nutrition

Caroline Chiu Caroline.Chiu@kpu.ca - Farm School Development