There was a great article in the Battlefords News-Optimist this September about the Midwest Food Resources Community Garden in North Battleford! It showcases the hard work and creativity of all the gardeners involved in the project. Good job!

Please check out: http://www.newsoptimist.ca/article/20140902/BATTLEFORD0101/140909995/-1/battleford/

This year’s community garden was a success–and a great learning experience! We tried 2 methods of chemical free quack grass reduction; both were effective.

One method we tried was placing clear plastic staked over areas with lots of quack grass growth for 3 months. The other option was putting layers of cardboard with a thick layer of bark mulch for several months around the perimeter.

An article by Midwest Food Resources is featured in the September/October issue of Lloydminster SportsXpress. Check out page 16 for fun and simple lunch ideas!

Link: http://www.mirabelsmagazinecentral.com/DigitalEdition/index.html?id=8d617608-06f8-48f2-8eb4-4e4cff4cd269

November 30, 2013 at 7pm: North Battleford Legion (1352 100 St.)

Tickets are $15 each and all proceeds support this local charity. Come on out and have some great food and fun! Volunteers, corporate sponsors and silent auction items are needed. Please contact chair@midwestfoodresources.com for more information.

October 8, 2013 at 5pm: Crandleberries in North Battleford

The planning committee for the NB Collective Kitchen will be meeting. Stop by if you’re interested in joining the group! Cooking will follow on Wednesday evening.

Midwest knows that our communities (Lloydminster, Battlefords, Meadow Lake and Turtleford) have many people who are passionate about healthy eating, gardening, cooking, and food security. We are looking for volunteers to help make our organization stronger. We couldn’t do it without you!

We have many volunteer opportunities to work with your interests and schedule. We will provide orientation and training for all our volunteers.

Why volunteer? You get the opportunity to make a difference and help ensure everyone in your community has access to healthy foods. It can be a lot of fun, you can meet new people and gain community experience for your resume.

Current opportunities include:

• Director on our board: Meet monthly by teleconference to approve financial reports and other reports, promote Midwest Food Resources to the community, fundraising and marketing tasks as well. Participate annually in strategic planning and board training.
• Fresh Food Box community contact: promote the fresh food box to others, collect orders and distribute fresh food boxes.
• Harvest Rescue: Help pick foods ready for harvest and distribute to customers or others in the community.
• Office Volunteer: Our funding is all for program staff who provide programs in the communities we work in. We need volunteers who can answer phones, photocopy, answer emails and promote Midwest Food Resources in the community.
• Garden Helper: are you a green thumb? Our community gardens always could use another pair of hands with tasks such as seeding, weeding and harvesting.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the Midwest Food Resources office in your community.

Regional Office/Turtleford: Phone: 306-845-3903 Email: debbie.mwfp@sasktel.net

Battlefords: Phone: 306-446-2684  Email: battleford.mwfp@sasktel.net

Lloydminster: Phone: 306-825-2606  Email: lloydminster.mwfp@sasktel.net

Meadow Lake: Phone: 306-236-3966  Email: meadowlake.mwfp@sasktel.net

Midwest Food Resources is happy to announce that we have received funding from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation to support our new garden group in the Battlefords! A big thank you to the TD FEF!

The Board of Directors of Midwest Food Resources is accepting applications for Directors to fill a vacancy on the Board. The organization is seeking community members who are interested in community action to make healthy foods more accessible and affordable. Midwest Food Resources is a vibrant community-based organization that is run by a volunteer Board of Directors.

This is an opportunity to gain professional experience and guide an organization that improves community food security.

A Director must be 18 years old or older and should live in (or near) one of our communities: Lloydminster, Battlefords, Meadow Lake, or Turtleford. The time commitment required is approximately 3 hours per month; the board meets once per month by teleconference. More information can be obtained by contacting the Chair of the Board of Directors at chair@midwestfoodresources.com.

If you are interested in joining our board, please send an email expressing your interest (including a brief biography) to Jessica Isaak, Board Chair, at chair@midwestfoodresources.com.

The gardeners and volunteers with the Gagne Avenue Community Garden met yesterday and we need donations of the following items: eaves troughs, wheelbarrows, rain barrels, pallets, volunteers, organic bark, straw, compost materials, garden tools. If gardeners are thinning their rhubarb, berries, herbs and other permanent plants we would be interested in accepting donations for the Gagne Avenue Community Garden in North Battleford. Contact us at 306-446-2684 or battleford.mwfp@sastkel.net or debbie.mwfp@sasktel.net

Midwest Food Resources was at the April job fair in North Battleford. Congrats to the winner of our prize draw for a slow cooker!