For Pride Month, Small Farm Canada is featuring a Canadian organization every week that celebrates community through food and agriculture.
Rainbow Chard Collective is an organization made up of farmers, food activists, and students working to create awareness for LGBTQ+ farmers and promote sustainable agriculture.
This group is designed to make queer farmers feel safe and supported in an industry that can be homophobic.
Mel Sylvestre, a full-time farmer at UBC, helped create the collective on Vancouver Island back in the mid-2000s. Most active members of the Rainbow Chard Collective are based in British Columbia.
She and her farm colleagues recognized they were lucky to be openly queer without much judgement, however not everyone across Canada has it as good.
"We thought there was a need to create a support network for those people who were not as privileged as us, to say, 'Hey you're not alone,'" explains Sylvestre.
Rainbow Chard Collective is an inclusive, casual space. The goal is to be present in the community and talk about the reality of being queen on a farm.
They hold events and workshops, conducts research on sustainable living, and mentors youth individuals by leading workshops at camps.
"We don't own the Rainbow Chard title," says Sylvestre. "Anybody that wants to be part of it can carry the name."
Next, Small Farm Canada highlights Fierte Agricolé, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec.
Want to share your story of inclusion, send and email to editor@smallfarmcanada.ca.
Want to learn ways to celebrate pride month this June? Visit here.