A year ago this past June, 2,500 strawberry plants were planted at the Pye Centre in Labrador to prepare for a community U-pick.

This June, they were joined by another 4,000 strawberry plants that will fruit next year and 18 cold-hardy apple trees, which will create an orchard in the coming years. It’s fruit you don’t often associate with Labrador.

And, for the first time, for four weeks in July and August, the farm welcomed people and community organizations to enjoy the first annual strawberry U-pick, with almost 1,300 pounds of strawberries picked.

Having grown up in Labrador and becoming excited if an orange appeared in my house, you can imagine how thrilled I am.

Food security and food sovereignty

These are some of the great things happening at the Pye Centre for Northern Boreal Food Systems, an 80-acre farm in Happy Valley-Goose Bay that is run by the Labrador Campus. (More on that later!)

Acquired in 2019, the Pye Centre is a community-based and community-led hub for research, education, teaching and community engagement.Watch the video above to get bird's-eye and up-close views of the Pye Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. It is a key part of a community of engaged farmers, Indigenous and local organizations, and researchers working together to strengthen and enhance food security and food sovereignty in Labrador.

But it’s so much more than a university research station — and this summer was its busiest season yet.

As well as research activities and agricultural trials, there were several community wellness programs, public events and talks, training sessions, and the ongoing growing of delicious foods.

This year the farm tripled its transplants and growing capacity and will continue to produce food for community groups, local food banks, seniors’ programs, long-term care facilities and elders. (Thanks to Grade 8 and 9 students from Mealy Mountain Collegiate for helping plant more than 2,000 transplants, including onion, turnip, cabbage, broccoli, kale and lettuce.)  Mealy Mountain Collegiate students had a hand in planting at the farm.This summer also saw the launch of several on-farm wellness programs. Working with Indigenous groups, Labrador-Grenfell Health and local organizations, the programs supported people with mental health issues and addiction, youth with exceptionalities and long-term care living.

The Pye Centre was also the site of the 2022 Labrador Lands and Waters Science Camp, welcoming youth from all over Labrador going into Grades 7-11 for a week of hands-on science learning and enrichment.

And next month, from Sept. 22–25, the Pye Centre is planning a fall harvest celebration week, full of talks, workshops and farm tours, culminating in a Fall Farm Fun Day on Sunday, Sept. 25.

The farm will again welcome hundreds of people for an afternoon of tours, learning, music and — of course —– food. Kids and adults alike will enjoy visits from a curly-haired pig, a miniature horse, chickens and highland cattle.

That’s not all. Over the winter months, the centre will continue to host monthly Heart and Soil talks, farmer’s sharing and learning circles and public learning events, as well as prepare for the 2023 growing season, research activities and educational and wellness programming.

It kind of makes you want to plan a visit, doesn’t it?

Embedded in place

As I mentioned, the Pye Centre is part of the Labrador Campus, which became Memorial’s sixth campus earlier this year.

Really, it is more than a campus; it is a dream realized that was decades in the making. It ushers in a new era of education for Labrador.

University campuses transform regions. They are economic drivers and hubs of innovation. They bring people together and support people achieving education goals at home.

It’s a big win for Happy Valley-Goose Bay, for Labrador, for Memorial and for the province. The campus will be a special place, essential to Memorial’s identity and influence and to the fabric of northern research and education in the country. It will be a unique hub of higher education and truly embedded in place.

Indigenous co-governance

Next week, students in nursing programs will begin their university education in Labrador for the first time.

Future plans include made-in-Labrador master’s and PhD options, and a full undergraduate program, as well as partnered opportunities with other units throughout Memorial University.

Uniquely, the school is governed by an Academic Council and, for the first time at Memorial, the council has voting representation from the three Indigenous governing organizations in Labrador. It is one of the few examples of Indigenous co-governance anywhere in the country.

As you can see, something new and wonderful is happening in Labrador.