Ontario Farms. All Summer Long.

Join us for a private brunch at Paradise Fields! This buffet style brunch is $55 per person, check out below for the menu!

Join us at No.9 Gardens on August 22nd from 11am–2pm for a special workshop with No.9 Gardener Elizabeth Lenell Davies and Haudenosaunee Artist JP Longboat.

Explore traditional processes of caring for Indigenous seeds and regenerative growing practices through an organic garden rooted in the reclamation of First Nations (Eastern Woodland) foodways and ecological knowledge. This collaborative garden initiative considers the original ways of seasonal diets, along with the cultural renewal of First Nations knowledge and holistic growing practices that are land-based and relational.

The workshop will include an artist talk, food sampling from the garden, and hands-on experiences with First Nations land-based practices. Discover how reclamation garden’s caretake seeds, nurture biodiversity, preserve native plant varieties, and reconnect us with the land through knowledge sharing and reciprocity.

Purchase tickets here or visit No.9 Garden’s webstie here.

 

Those who identify as Indigenous can get a free ticket by entering the code FRIENDSOFNO9.

 

 

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Indigenous Foodways at No.9 Gardens – A Collaborative 

This Indigenous food garden collaboration has been inspired by parallel work being done with natural clay cooking vessels and their design in relation to the cooking preparation of Indigenous foods and natural medicines. 

This initiative is multi-purposeful with efforts to restore traditional ecological knowledge and First Nations food sovereignty, while preserving and cultivating native plant varieties. This is a space of experiential learning and knowledge sharing while we strive to grow culturally significant food, medicines, and ceremonial plants like our Onkwehón:we tobacco, brought to us by Skywoman as part of the Creation story.

This garden initiative focuses on soil wellness and regeneration, ecological stewardship, organic growing process, companion planting exemplified by the Three Sisters, harvesting wild foods, and natural medicine preparation.

Key Plants & Practices

Indigenous food gardens rely on Traditional Ecological Knowledge to foster sustainable, biodiverse ecosystems. 

Crops and practices include:

• The Three Sisters: Corn provides a climbing stalk for beans, beans pull nitrogen from the air to enrich the soil, and sprawling squash leaves retain moisture and deter weeds.

• Traditional Medicines: Cultivation of sweetgrass, sage, and tobacco for ceremonial uses. Tubers, roots, barks and flowers for natural remedies.

• Foraging & Perennial Guilds: Incorporating native berries, edible seeds, nut trees (like walnut, hickory and butternut), edible ferns, mushrooms and into the surrounding landscape to mimic natural forests. 

• Diverse varieties: Over time, reclaim and nurture variety diversity successful for this region. 

• Planting Method: Seeding and planting process to facilitate longer harvest cycles across the summer months and support soil regeneration. 

• Preserving methods: Renew possible storing, drying, smoking, and fermenting processes for the longevity of ripened foods.

Indigenous food crops are edible plants native to a specific region or local ecosystem. They have naturally evolved in the regions and form the foundation of traditional, culturally significant diets. Because of their deep roots in local history and environment, these crops offer several notable features: 

• High Nutritional Value: Indigenous crops are often richer in micronutrients (like iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C) than many globally popular, introduced crops. 

• Ecological Resilience: Native to the local climate, they are naturally well-adapted to local soil conditions, meaning they can thrive in drought or harsh weather with minimal water. Many native varieties were lost due to colonized land and territorial displacement, 

• Regional Diversity: They include a wide variety of plants—such as leafy greens, legumes, roots, tubers, and grains—that diversify diets and support food security.