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The Heartbeat of the Land: Hwiemtun Fred Roland Brings Indigenous Songways to the Root to Bloom Centre

At a time when many people are asking big questions—about sustainability, reconciliation, food systems, and how to live well within limits—Indigenous wisdom offers learning that is rooted in ancestral knowledge and attentive relationship with place. On Sunday, February 15 the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust (SSIFT) is honoured to welcome Hwiemtun (Fred Roland) for a special course that invites participants into a deeper relationship with land, food, and responsibility. Hwiemtun (Fred Roland) will braid a wealth of knowledge from his Cowichan and Hawaiian ancestors for a daylong hands-on workshop that will guide participants in making a traditional hand drum from cedar and elk hide. Hwiemtun is known for teaching in a way that is thoughtful, generous, and quietly transformative. He invites learners to slow down, listen, and reflect—about the land as teacher, about food as a living system, and about our roles as stewards. His approach resonates strongly with SSIFT’s miss…
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Baking Belonging: A Day with GIFTS at The Root

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgugE6ycIe8 Video made by Gary McNutt We’re delighted to share this wonderful glimpse into a special day at The Root, Salt Spring Island’s community food hub and culinary business incubator. In this video, participants from the GIFTS program — a vibrant group supporting adults with diverse abilities — come together for a fun and delicious cookie-baking party. Watching everyone measure, mix, bake, and laugh together reminds us why community spaces like The Root matter so much. The Root, created by the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust, is more than just a certified commercial kitchen — it’s a place where people of all abilities learn new skills, build confidence, and connect with others through food. As part of the Farmland Trust’s mission to help local food take root, The Root offers accessible commercial kitchen space and food-safe facilities for both individuals and small food businesses. It supports emerging food entrepreneurs an…
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From Indigenous Stewardship to Settler Farming – Two-Part Series Explores Salt Spring Island’s Foodways

Salt Spring Island, BC Salt Spring Island’s foodways have sustained people for thousands of years. Yet today, the majority of the food consumed on the island is imported. A new two-part public series hosted by the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust (SSIFLT) invites the community to explore how this shift occurred — and what the island’s agricultural past can teach us about building a more resilient food future. Hosted as part of SSIFLT’s Root to Bloom Centre, the series brings together leading researchers and local historians to examine the full arc of Salt Spring’s food systems, from Indigenous land stewardship to settler-era farming and beyond. Part One: Indigenous Food Systems Tuesday, January 20 • Salt Spring Centre of Yoga • In person & Zoom The first event features Chris Arnett, historian, archaeologist, and author, who will guide participants through the deep history of Indigenous food systems on Salt Spring Island and throughout the Gulf Islands. Drawin…
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New Neighbourhood Farmer Training Launches on Salt Spring Island

Immersive, community-based program prepares new farmers with land access and mentorship Salt Spring Island, BC A new full-time Neighbourhood Farmer Training is launching on Salt Spring Island in 2026, offering emerging farmers a rare opportunity to gain hands-on experience, deepen their skills, and secure land to grow food for their local community. Hosted by Island Natural Growers, the local chapter of Canadian Organic Growers, the training is an immersive, community-rooted program designed to prepare emerging growers to confidently start their own Neighbourhood Farm. The first year of the program runs full-time from April through September 2026. Participants will receive practical, field-based training, mentorship, and direct connections to Salt Spring Island’s food network. In the first year, trainees will be matched with land through established partnerships with local landholders. In the second year of the program, participants will grow food for the communit…
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Salt Spring Farmers: We Want to Help You Thrive in an Emergency

Salt Spring’s farmers are the backbone of our island’s food security — and when emergencies strike, the entire community feels the impact. That’s why the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust is launching an island-wide call to farmers: tell us what you need to stay resilient when things get tough. Whether you’ve weathered storms, droughts, infrastructure breakdowns, or power outages, your experience matters, and the support you identify now will directly shape how our community prepares for future crises. What Do You Need Most in an Emergency? We’re asking farmers across Salt Spring to share: What disrupts your farm operations the most What resources, tools, or supports would make the biggest difference What barriers keep you from fully preparing And what ideas you believe could strengthen our island’s resilience as a whole Tell us about it here. Your voice will directly inform how the Farmland Trust, local partners, and emergency planners can better…
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From Resistance to Renewal: Farmland Trust Seeks Community Support This Giving Tuesday

Say “Yes” This Giving Tuesday: Be a Friend of the Farmland Trust I remember the day I laid my newborn son down in a meadow along Beaver Point Road. In that moment I looked at my boy, his tiny chest rising and falling against the great green heart of this island, and I thought, “We’re home.” That sense of belonging — of being rooted in this place — has shaped everything I’ve done since. I’ve spent 25 years here learning how, just as the grand trees of this coastal rainforest are nourished by a shimmering web of mycelium, my humble kitchen table could become the launchpad to organize festivals, start non-profits organizations and grow a network that has spread like dandelion seeds from this tiny island to the mountains of Africa and the bighouse of Bella Bella. No matter where on Earth my work has taken me, I’ve always been sustained by my connection with the forests and fields of Salt Spring — forces that hold the magic power to restore my faith in the possi…
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A Day with Qwustenuxun: We Are the Land, Walking on the Land

“When we work to regenerate Indigenous foods, we’re not just regenerating what we eat — we’re literally regenerating the land we’re on. And without realizing it, we’re regenerating ourselves.” – Jared Qwestenuxum Williams On a misty fall morning at Xwaa’quum, a group gathered under the golden maple’s leaves to hear stories and teachings from Cowichan chef and food systems expert Jared Qwestenuxun Williams. He opened with a song, inviting us to close our eyes and imagine, as he beat his drum, the sound of dozens of Cowichan people approaching the estuary village from the water, creating rhythm by gently tapping their paddles on the edges of their canoes. As we stood beneath what many know as Mount Maxwell, Qwusetenuxun shared the legend of Hwmet'utsun (“the Hunched-Over Mountain”). “Stories live in the landscape,” he explained, sharing how the mountain got its name through its role in defeating a fearsome aquatic monster. He told the story — in which the mountain i…
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Root to Bloom Centre Cultivates New Learning Landscape on Salt Spring

Salt Spring Island has long flourished as a hub for regenerative agriculture. Now, the island is about to grow into an immersive education destination with the official launch of the Root to Bloom Centre. Root to Bloom evolves the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust’s popular learning series into a full fledged regenerative foodways education centre. More than just a series of workshops, it’s a seasonally grounded, community-powered learning hub that offers locals and visitors a chance to deepen their understanding of how we grow food, steward Indigenous lands, and build climate resilience: from the ground up. “We’re excited to be working in partnership with Royal Roads University, who are undertaking a community-informed strategic planning and community engagement process to inform program and service design and delivery at the SSI campus, located at the Bloom Castle by the Sea on Beddis Beach,” says Farmland Trust executive director Andrea Palframan. Salt Spring Farm…
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Join us this Friday for a conversation about Food!

Come join your friends, farmers, and anyone who loves to eat for a dynamic conversation with the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust and others working on food security. We’ll be at ASK Salt Spring from 11-1 on Friday to talk about what we need to do to make sure we have enough healthy and delicious local food to eat no matter what happens in the crazy world beyond our shores. Bring your questions and ideas! Here are a few of the topics that are on the menu: The Food Summit – hear about the exciting new connections, conversations and island-changing projects that have come out of the Summit! 50 Farms – we’ll be announcing a sizeable grant to jumpstart our 50 Farms project with a focus on emergency preparedness, in coordination with the CRD and based on its POD system. Includes ideas about finding, funding and mentoring new farmers, and developing local, walkable food sources for everyone on Salt Spring. Easy ways to eat local – localsalt, Free Rangers, restaurants and…
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Sustainable farming takes center stage at SSI Farmland Trust's Biochar Burn Workshop

In a bid to promote sustainable farming practices, the SSI Farmland Trust recently hosted a Biochar Burn Workshop led by local historian and biochar expert Brian Smallshaw. The event, held last Saturday at the Root, drew a keen crowd eager to learn the ins and outs of biochar production. Participants gathered around two fires, engaged in hands-on learning, and discovered the art of creating biochar from start to finish. The highlight of the workshop was the premiere screening of 'Biochar Kiln,' a comprehensive how-to video filmed on Salt Spring Island by local filmmaker Elisa Rathje at appleturnover.tv. The production, generously supported by the Salt Spring Apple Festival, delves into biochar's historical and practical aspects, providing insights into its creation and benefits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdglw0bOsSQ Ancient Wisdom in Modern Agriculture Biochar as an ancient soil amendment was at the forefront of discussions. Known for its ability to sequester …
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