Project Update: July 2025, Circle of Champions
At the last Athabasca Grown workshop, some excited and committed participants signed up to be on the “Circle of Champions.” These are the individuals and organizations who will move the Community Passive Solar Greenhouse in Athabasca forward. The Circle of Champions had their first meeting on June 23rd via Zoom. It was a small but mighty group, and a good initial meeting.
The conversation revisited a few of the themes we have been discussing in the workshops. What should be grown? What business structure would be best? Who could the customer/s be? What type of greenhouse should be built, and does everyone involved know the difference between the types of greenhouses? In fact, should we shift to referring to the greenhouse in our vision as a “deep winter greenhouse” instead of “passive solar” since it’s likely to include some active elements (like modest light/heat)?
We identified an overarching theme that the greenhouse was seen by most to be a way for the community to connect, something that wasn’t seen as currently available. In fact, the “growing” part wasn’t necessarily the main focus for about half of the May 8th workshop participants. Growing food then in this scenario, becomes a way to expand involvement in an intentional community. One participant expanded this idea by describing building a "community as a campus," where the greenhouse becomes a node in a well-connected network of physical and social infrastructure. Making sure existing community assets are leveraged and not duplicated was highlighted as central to the project’s success.
The winter produce gap vas reaffirmed as a pressing first opportunity in an intentional food system, with a winter greenhouse presenting a solution. Even though Champions identified that profit wouldn’t be the main reason for selling produce, to have a sustainable enterprise, the product would have to be sold at a margin that makes sense. It was agreed that a co-op would be a well-suited business governance model that naturally fosters buy-in through shared ownership and decision-making.
Some highlights from the workshop series:
What’s Next?
The meeting finished with some folks coming away with tasks to do…
Refining the draft vision statement
Identifying who else could/should be in the Circle of Champions
Find out more about forming a cooperative
Filling some knowledge gaps on the type and quantity of crops
In the spirit of fostering a well-connected local food community, the Athabasca Grown project is stepping up with Athabasca Grown branding for use by our local producers. This branding is a step toward building visibility, pride, and support for our local food economy. Keep your eyes open!
The next Circle of Champions meeting will be in person (TBD) on July 24 at 7 pm. Please RSVP here.
If you would like more information on what it means to be a part of the Circle of Champions, contact us at info@athabascagrown.ca.
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