TRADITIONAL FOOD DEHYDRATION SKILLS & NATION-TO-NATION TRADE
dehydration
nations
DEHYDRATE
& TRADE
GOOD FOOD
Welcome here. This project is a grassroots, indigenous-led initiative which hopes to empower individuals and communities to harness the traditional method of food dehydration and pair it with nation-to-nation trade as a way of promoting food sovereignty in Treaty 1 territory and beyond.
Food dehydration is a low-energy preservation method which extends food shelf life, eliminates the need for refrigeration and reduces freight costs- all of which make dehydrated foods excellent things to ship in the mail.
Many northern communities face market-based food insecurity due to high prices and spoilage while southern and urban communities often do not have access to traditional meats and other wild foods. By sharing practical food dehydration skills, and building an database of indigenous organizations and communities working with food, we hope to facilitate a system of trade which will connect communities and strengthen indigenous food sovereignty.
Imagine: You have extra moose meat, we have extra berries. Let's dehydrate and trade!
Who are WE?
Dehydration Nations is an informal, grassroots project led by traditional foods teacher Audrey Logan with the help of business consultant Laura Tyler and food researcher Anna Sigrithur.
Our community partner is Canadian Feed the Children.
We are based in Winnipeg, Treaty 1 Territory.
WHY DEHYDRATION?
Low energy preservation method
Reduces weight and volume for shipping
Extends shelf life of food
Adds easy nutritional value to less nutritious dishes
Easy to use/ cook with
Delicious!
Can reduce cost of food/ food expenses
Can reduce food waste
Traditional method of food preservation
Builds relationship to traditional foods
Opportunity to use dehydration as a way to practice cultural knowledge (esp. Around growing, harvesting, cooking)
Opportunity to include a water ceremony in rehydration
Opportunity to use dehydration as the means to facilitate Nation-to-Nation food trade and sharing.
Practical Reasons
Cultural Reasons
join us!
Our goal is to build a grassroots network of communities and individuals and share skills around dehydration and food processing, and soon build an online platform to facilitate trade routes between nations.
Join our Mailing List (Below) or
dehydration gallery
zine
Download our zine,
Out to Dry: An Urban Bushwoman's Guide to the Traditional Art and Science of Food Dehydration
Click below to get it free!
To Print the Zine Yourself:
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Print double-sided
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Select print option of "short-edge binding"
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Select print option of "scale to page"
Or, order a print copy directly from us: email dehydrationnations@gmail.com.
For larger orders, we may ask you to cover the cost of printing and shipping.