Although Ratinenhayénthos was formed in 2018 and a garlic crop was planted on the site at 1462 York Rd that fall, 2019 was the first full growing season for seed crops on this very special site. This means that the 2024 growing season was the fifth full season of seed keeping for the Kenhté:ke Seed Sanctuary and Learning Centre! Since then so many of you have supported our growth as an organization, in so many ways, and we are grateful. The Future Generations Fund, in particular, helped out a lot this year! May this organization continue to be as beneficial as a bean seed planted in good soil: bearing an abundance of fruit many times greater than the one seed that was planted.
Many milestones were reached this year: not one or two but five young people worked onsite as learners on the land, 50 crop varieties were planted, maintained and harvested, new areas were made ready for cultivation for the future and a greenhouse was finally erected! A driveway now makes the site much more accessible, and two hoophouses were donated, one of which was actually put up -with a LOT of help! We buried fish guts, burned future planting sites and covered others, and with borrowed equipment, one of our interns bravely tilled up a whole acre for a much larger 3 Sisters planting planned for next year. We learned Seed Songs, cleaned seeds and heard bean stories with Elders, and feasted on produce from the gardens, generously prepared by amazing chef Caitlin Noel-Drews. As we clean and count the seeds we tell their stories -their trials and tribulations, and their successes -and get ready to package some for sharing just after mid-winter.
We close 2024 with thanks, and greet 2025 wishing many blessings to all our relations: including you! <3
