Support our primary food production

• We grow over 20,000lb of vegetables each year at Tea Creek and donate the production into our Indigenous communities in our region.
• We had over 5,500 indigenous site visits in 2022 - a 350% increase over 2021. Most of those visitors benefitted from Tea Creek vegetables through meals and free veggie giveaways and distributions. 

Our concept for 2023 is for different organizations to sponsor a field block at Tea Creek. 

The cost will be $15,000 - $25,000 per field block. The blocks will be different sizes - larger 1/4 acre tractor fields, or smaller, more dense hand-farmed field blocks. 

The organization that sponsors will have right-of-first-refusal on the harvest from the block, and an opportunity to shape the plant-in, and to participate as much or as little as they want in the field over the year. Please note that ALL fields are subject to use all year from school and community groups. 

The proceeds will go towards paying dedicated farmers for the season, and will cover input costs such as fuel, seeds, water, compost, and tools. 

Please let us know if you would like to fund-a-field in 2023! We need to have all field blocks committed by end of January, 2023! Plant-in will range from March - May!

Local Accommodation Options for Out-of-Region Trainees and Guests

• Support the accommodation costs for out-of-region Trainees to attend Tea Creek's training.
• Directly support the development of our existing accommodation property to add RVs (in the short term) and guest cabins (in the longer term). The site is 3 acres. We can add 'camp' style accommodations such as trailers or RVs in the short-term. 
• Support a local Indigenous entrepreneur to create their own B&B, and we could refer guests to them.
• Support an Indigenous Carpentry cohort to build a Cabin(s) or Tiny Home(s) over 12 weeks, including all costs. This would also include sponsoring trainees as ITA BC Carpentry apprentices.
• Support the larger vision for accommodations, affordable housing, and incubators for Indigenous farmers and entrepreneurs! Click here to view the design brief.

Using wood waste to build soil, compost, and heat structures

In land clearing, trees and brush are usually put into slash piles and burned, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Instead, we chip as much as possible and use the chips as weed-suppressing mulch, and also as important soil and compost builders. Our wood chipper runs for much of the growing season, and trainees learn how to safely operate the chipper and use the chips for soil building and different food production such as bedding. We also process trees by hand for heating fuel, as most of our structures in the north are wood heated in the winter and shoulder seasons - and we can go through a lot of fuel heating structures during training.

Some Ideas

• Support the purchase of another wood chipper, to be lent out to communities for their own foodland development
• Support a firewood processor, to process slash piles
• Fund the creation of an on-site small scale compost facility (structure with at least 6 bays), which would ideally also feature heat capture
• Support a local Indigenous entrepreneur with startup costs for a firewood/ wood chipping business

Transport Equipment to Communities for Foodland Development

Indigenous communities in our region have very limited capacity to re-develop farm and food-producing lands (including food forests, etc). Currently, we have 1 "car hauler" trailer but need larger trailers and diesel towing trucks to effectively move machinery around community to community with the required attachments. Last year we used our own trainees, and deployed them to one community to rototill farm and garden spaces. We currently have four communities signed up who need equipment provided to get going.

Some Ideas:

• Support for fuel, insurance, and maintenance is appreicated.
• We could use two triple-axle equipment-moving trailers, and at least 1 more diesel truck.
• One of our Indigenous instructors has his class 1 license and can operate heavy trailers. We could run a training program to help others get their commercial licenses. 
• Fund an Indigenous entrepreneur to start up a regional transport business, who we could then hire to move equipment.
• This activity could be self-sustaining once the equipment is in place.

Help Reclaim Farmland

In our valley, over 600 acres were once in active food production, and all of it has become overgrown. 

The most efficient way to reclaim foodland is through forestry mulching. The mulcher, if large enough, and chip entire trees and mix the chip into the soil up to 2". When left to rest, the mulched brush and trees compost and we can then start re-establishing food production on this land.

Other crucial tools include brush mowers, plows, roto-tillers, and rock-pickers to prepare fields

Some Ideas

• A forestry mulching unit could be loaned or donated to Tea Creek
• A brush mowing deck for a skid steer costs about $20,000
• A mulching head for a a skid steer costs about $45,000
• A rock-picker costs $35,000
• Plows and Roto-tillers cost $1,000 - $7,000
• A new top-of-the line compact track loader with mulching head costs around $250,000