In 2013, a group of volunteers from the Aron Theatre Co-op were discussing opportunities for hosting a TedX conference at the theatre. When they came across an uplifting presentation by Pam Wurhurst about Incredible Edible Todmorden, they were totally inspired, and decided to shift their energies in a different direction: to recreate a version of this great organization in our community. Like Incredible Edible Todmorden, the Trent Hills version of the vision was created by woman around a kitchen table. They discussed how, unlike Todmorden, we already had so many well-established farms and food operations and a growing number of unique producers and restaurants. That perhaps, the key thing that was missing here, was a space to recognize this unique abundance and to celebrate it.
In 2014, Campbellford Incredible Edibles Festival was federally registered as a not-for-profit federal corporation. The purpose of this organization (as per the articles) was for, “The establishment of an annual festival to showcase and celebrate local and sustainable farming production in the Campbellford/Trent Hills area. We are focusing on promoting the local and varied farming operations; providing education regarding the source and production of food; and showcasing local food producers, chefs and entrepreneurs in the food industry.”
With this mission in mind, the Festival operated on the second Saturday of July for six years. Two streets were closed in downtown Campbellford that were lined with 20-50 local food vendors. Tents on the green space housed various activities throughout the day. One tent offered educational workshops about canning and fermenting, growing mushrooms, starting sprouts, etc., or activities for children. One showcased static displays of the various farms in the area, local food-related clubs and initiatives, and information about farming practices and techniques, new and old. The entertainment tent offered all day live music, with a small bar. Entertainers also played on the streets. Each year, 3,000 to 5,000 people would be in attendance, consisting of roughly 50% locals and 50% visitors.
After the sixth year of the festival (2019), the last of the original founding members stepped off the board, and a new board re-envisioned a broader role for the organization. The new team wished for the organization to continue to showcase farmers and food producers, but also to play a larger role in servicing the food related-needs of the community, and to move beyond a one-day festival to a year-round operation of community and partnership building. While these conversations were in place, we were hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down the festival for two years. Not only could the Festival not operate at this time, issues of food security and the need for local economic support became more prevalent than ever.
This series of unfortunate events gave the organization some time to take a step back and reshape its direction. In the final months of 2020, the corporation changed its operating name to “IncrEdible Trent Hills”, and began operating with a new mission and purpose. We absorbed the Campbellford Community Gardens on Doxsee Avenue and with a grant from the Campbellford-Seymour Community Foundation (CSCF), built the new Simpson Street Community Garden. In 2021, also with a grant from the CSCF, we piloted a new school program for Grade 8s: the IncrEdible School Nutrition Program. We relaunched the Festival in 2022 post-pandemic, and continued to operate as a year-round organization that would bring the community together around food.
