Home Garden Program

Status: Closed

About

Hunting, fishing, trapping and being on the land have been important to many Métis peoples’ way of life throughout history and remain important to Métis culture and identity today.

To continue providing some level of food security for Métis households in the face of climate change and other emergent crises, the goal of the Home Garden Program is to help participants access nutritious food and give them a chance to connect or reconnect with nature.

What the Service Provides

 

Availability

Maarsii (thank you) for your interest in the Home Garden Program. The 2025 application window is now closed, but we invite you to follow MNBC on Facebook and Instagram for program updates and to explore other MNBC programs and resources!

View the 2023 Home Garden Program manual.

View the 2022 Home Garden Program manual.

Project Pilot

Its first iteration was considered a pilot project for 50 Métis households. The initial application process was such a success that further funding was added to double the capacity to a total of 100 applicants for 2021. Households were provided with a $200 grant to purchase gardening supplies as well as seeds of 12 different vegetables and flowers. 

Given the success of the pilot project, a Home Garden Program was also offered to Métis Citizens in 2022 with a further expansion in size to 150 Métis households and a total of 14 different vegetable and flower seeds. In 2022, participants were also provided with a $200 grant to purchase gardening supplies. In addition to the seeds and grant, MNBC’s Gardening Manual and a newsletter were created to support participants in their gardening journey. In 2025, the program was expanded to 500 households.

“Métis food sovereignty [is] the interconnectedness of food and culture.”

Devonn Drossel, host of the podcast Our Foods: Chatting about Métis Food Sovereignty, produced by The Rupertsland Centre for Métis Research.