VIU students design sustainable food systems

VIU students Matt van Dinther and Savonah MacLeod gained hands-on learning experiences during a VIU study to support food security and wellness in a remote BC community.

Students from Horticulture, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Engineering, and the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic programs worked with the Heilsuk (Haíłzaqv) Climate Action Team to design aquaponics and aeroponic tower gardens as a land-based solution to food security and food sovereignty. 

We caught up with Matt and Savonah to learn about their experience working on the project. Below they share their experiences.

Real-world learning

Matt, a VIU Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic student who graduated this June, worked on the project with his three-person team. They built the water cooling and heating system to ensure the temperature was correct for fish and plants. Matt says the work allowed him to apply his learning to real-world systems such as equipment selection, piping, brazing, electrical wiring, testing and overall design.

“Our instructors were very helpful and enthusiastic through this project, lending us their experience and knowledge to close any gaps we had,” he says. 

A highlight of the project for Matt was working with students and instructors who are passionate about the refrigeration industry.

“Gaining real-world knowledge and experience while contributing to such a bigger-picture project was rewarding,” says Matt. “Food security is paramount moving into the 21st century, and something especially remote communities will have to deal with sooner rather than later. I believe that COVID proved how sensitive the supply chain can be and these communities must start taking steps to thrive moving forward.”

Savonah, a VIU Horticulture student, worked on the project along with her class. The class researched how to improve greenhouse production knowledge, practices and skills related to aeroponic production technology. They also investigated the Nation’s needs.

“My group’s research was on the production or growing schedule required to supply a household with fresh produce options twice a month grown from an aeroponic tower,” says Savonah. “We seeded, grew and made predictions about harvest times to create and present a 12-month schedule to Heiltsuk Nation community members.”

She learned about production schedules and how they are used in the industry to identify key crop production events and deadlines to ensure plants are ready to harvest on time.

“A highlight from this project was presenting our findings to other students and representatives from the Heiltsuk Nation at VIU’s Nanaimo campus. This event encouraged conversations that brought new ideas to help work towards food sovereignty in Bella Bella,” says Savonah.

The Horticulture class received the Keynote Award and Indigenous Book Award at VIU’s CREATE Conference for their work on the project.