Revitalizing Community Capacity in Agriculture & Food

Presenting Organization: Farm Credit Canada

Description

How reconnecting with agriculture through land-based learning, brewing beer, and owning a restaurant is opening doors for Indigenous nations and entrepreneurs entering the agriculture and food sector in Canada.

Co-Moderators:

Bernard Gilbert, Senior Relationship Manager, Indigenous Financing (FCC)
Alex Lau, Senior Relationship Manager, Corporate and Senior Accounts (FCC)

Panel Members:

Melanie MacInnes, Locality Brewing – Owner (Langley, BC)
Brent Wingham, Botanacine – Owner (Duncan, BC
Darnell Stager, Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro – Restaurant Manager (Vancouver, BC)

Melanie MacInnes, Locality Brewing - Owner (Langley, BC)

Melanie MacInnes is a Métis entrepreneur and is a proud member of the Waceya Métis Society. She leads Locality Brewing, a “Land to Glass” farm brewery with adaptability and creativity. Her mission is to facilitate connection to the land, ingredients, and people in which we source our food, by using the canvas of the farm in which she grew-up on. Melanie is a second-generation farmer where she learned the value of dedication and perseverance at a young age. Melanie is married with two children, where both children help around the lot. Recently, Locality Brewing received the honor of being awarded the 2022 Indigenous Led Business of the Year Award at the BC Food and Beverage Awards, and 2022 Innovator of the Year at the BC Beer.

Brent Wingham, Botanacine - Owner (Duncan, BC)

Meet Brent Wingham, a proud Métis entrepreneur from Vancouver Island with a passion for sustainability and community development. Brent is the founder and CEO of Botanacine, a company that specializes in creating products from waste materials and promoting healthy and sustainable living. Botanacine is committed to producing high-quality products and raising awareness on the importance repurposing “waste”. Brent is dedicated to finding new and innovative ways to reduce the carbon footprint of their products and operations to be ready for the 2030 emissions reduction plan which is making an effort to reduce carbon emissions. Brent is particularly focused on empowering Indigenous communities to take charge of their own food systems and to preserve traditional farming practices. He truly believes that by working together, we can make a real difference in the world by building stronger and more sustainable communities through sustainable agriculture and food systems. Brent is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience with others who are interested in sustainability and community development. When Brent is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family on their farm. He has a wife and two children where they grow a variety of fruits and vegetables and botanicals and take pride in preserving traditional Métis farming practices.

Darnell Stager, Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro – Restaurant Manager (Vancouver, BC)

Meet Darnell Stager, an Urban Indigenous man born and raised in Vancouver. Proudly a member of Ts’msyen Nation. He has a passion for bringing people together at the table with food. As Vancouver’s only Indigenous owned and operated restaurant, Salmon n’ Bannock is in a unique position to introduce traditional flavours and values to a wider audience. Sharing space at the dinner table promotes an oral history and allows a safe space for questions and education. Growing up in an urban environment, Darnell has learned the importance of reconnecting to roots and finding a vibrant Indigenous community right in the city. When Darnell is not working, he can be found biking around the city and kayaking in and around the Salish Sea. He loves spending time outside with friends and loved ones (including his cat Clive).