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Lori Mccarthy is a food and culture expert who offers workshops on everything from foraging to harvesting to preserving to storytelling. I had the pleasure of attending many of her workshops over the last few years, and I'm looking forward to doing another one this summer along with Mark.
I am inspired by Lori because she is so dedicated to the cultural and traditional foods of Newfoundland and Labrador. She embodies cultural heritage, shares traditional dishes and helps others reclaim their cultural identity through food all while promoting environmentally sustainable. Lori has inspired us through her workshops and programming to develop our unique cultural culinary food Tourism offers which make the Upper Humber Settlement what it is.
We are both very grateful and appreciative of our opportunities to work with, learn from and be inspired by Lori. This post is a summary of our training. It is also a big thank you to Lori for her ongoing support and guidance as we continue our journey of the cultural foods of Newfoundland.
Learning with Lori
Natures Table
A 4-week online workshop was provided in partnership with Gros Morne Institute of Sustainable Tourism with Lori as the instructor. This program was a unique online learning experience that explored the guiding principles and practices for developing memorable culinary experiences in nature. It was full of networking with other Atlantic Canadian Operators looking to do Culinary Tourism or already doing it.
As my first workshop, it was pivotal for bringing to life what Upper Humber Settlement is today. As I learn more, I can also envision what it can be in the future.
Wild Pantry Workshop
This unique workshop was offered to the Qalipu band members to help reconnect individuals with the traditional foods of our native land. It was designed to help us better understand the unique cuts of wild game and learn realistic meal options which add a modern cuisine flare to our everyday food. Although eating wild game was already an integral part of our everyday diet, we did learn more about wild game butchery, unique cooking tips and preservation methods which we now use today.
Enjoy a sample of wild game as part of our Farm and Forage Experience.
Online Curing Workshop
An intro to more traditional methods of curing to help us expand on our current practices. We have already cured bacon a number of times but are always looking to grow our knowledge of more traditional and sustainable practices.
Taste our homemade bacon paired with our farm fresh eggs at your next FarmStay visit!
Wild Wonders
Hosted in partnership with Lori and Qalipu, this custom Wild Wonders workshop was a wonderful, absolutely amazing in-person experience. It was a great network opportunity with other Indigenous Tourism Stakeholders in NL too. Foraging and wild food are very important to indigenous peoples because it is a connection to our traditional ways of life.
Today, many indigenous people are reconnecting with their traditional ways of living, and foraging is an important part of reclaiming our identity. Foraging is not only a way to gather food, but it is also a way to connect with the land. You learn all about the plants and animals that live there. It is an opportunity to slow down and appreciate the natural world around us.
What's Happening Next with Lori McCarthy?
We are always learning. As descendants of the Veteran settlers and the Indigenous peoples of the area, we use workshops like this to re-connect to our personal history. We also love increasing our knowledge to share with our guests and farm volunteers as part of our experience offerings.
Up next is our Culture Residency Program, which we are VERY excited about. For 2 days, Lori will visit us at The Settlement to help us better understand what we have on our land and how we can integrate new flavours to improve our foraging experiences. Then, we will spend 4 days in Avondale with Lori where she will be teaching us more about sustainable foraging, traditional wild game preservation and butchery.
Lori is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about her subject matter, and she really knows how to engage her audience. Her workshops are always enjoyable and informative, and I always come away feeling like I've learned something new. I would highly recommend Lori's workshops to anyone interested in exploring food and culture in Newfoundland and Labrador.