Mayo Food System Indicators Project

In partnership with the Na-Cho Nyäk Dun Development Corporation, the Mayo Food System Indicators Project provides a holistic view of the food system in Mayo.

By investigating the Mayo region, the current food system, and community hopes and values, we developed indicators that reflect the story of Mayo’s food system. To create these community-informed indicators, our team began research and outreach in September 2025. Through community engagements, surveys, school workshops, and one-on-one interviews, we co-created indicators that reflect the stories, challenges, and hopes for Mayo’s food system.

This project provides a framework for capturing food security in rural, Northern communities for filling in the gaps that are left by standardized quantitative research.

Read The Report

How are residents accessing food? What is being done to ensure the lands, waters, and air are protected for future harvests? How does food knowledge move through the community and between generations?

This project was woven together from the voices of Mayo, shared through engagements, surveys, interviews, and workshops. The resulting indicators reflect the stories, challenges, and aspirations for the community's food system.

By creating a shared vision grounded in current data, we hope to inspire further action toward food sovereignty and track progress over time.

Explore More Resources

Over the course of this project, we put together resources to share back with the community. These include a visual depiction of what we heard at our first engagement in November, 2025, an information pamphlet about the workshop we hosted at J.V. Clark school in February, 2026, and subsequently what we heard at that workshop along with a worksheet for students. Finally, we created posters for our project showcase summarizing the indicators for each food system's pillar.
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November Engagement: What We Heard

Food Mapping & Youth Voices Workshop

Youth Voices: What We Heard & Worksheet

MUSSI CHO

Thank you to everyone who made this project possible.

To the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun for your unending generosity - it is with the deepest gratitude that we get to share food stories from your Traditional Territory. To Food Banks Canada for their unwavering support and flexibility. To the Na-Cho Nyäk DunDevelopment Corporation and Ihdzí’ team who have devoted their time, energy, and passion not only to this project, but also to the food system in Mayo. To the Yukon Food Security Network for providing capacity and resources to bring this project to life and supporting conversations around food in the community. To the Thunder Bay and Area Community Food System Report Card for inspiring an adaptation of your work in our community.

Most of all, thank you to everyone who spoke to us for this project and provided meaningful feedback, suggestions, and insights. To those who completed our survey and trusted us with your stories. To those who showed up at our engagements, events, and workshops, graciously sharing your experiences, challenges, and hopes over a locally prepared meal. Thank you to those who have catered our gatherings, Leanne Hoogland, Irene Melancon, Jodie Buyck, Doug Van Bibber, and Velma Olsen, keeping us well fed with delicious food. To J.V. Clark students, principal, and teachers who welcomed us into your classroom for our Food Systems Mapping workshop. And thank you to those who sat down with us one on one: Mark O’Donoghue, Sandy and Ashley Washburn, Félix Plouffe, Don Hutton, and Ava Cairns-Locke. We are deeply grateful for the time you spent sharing your expertise with us.

Mussi cho,
Catherine, Nikki, Syd, Sage, & Rachel

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Left to right: Sage Brown, Rachel Sherman, Catherine Littlefield, Syd Anderson, Nicole Hutton