Building Labrador Resilience: The Living Lab Legacy of the Pye Centre

The Pye Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL has built a solid reputation in cultivating relationships based on regenerative agriculture, plant-based research, and authentic community engagement. It's cultivating hope, sovereignty, and resilience for sustainable agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Located in the heart of Happy Valley–Goose Bay, Labrador and surrounded by the vast boreal forest, the Pye Centre for Northern Boreal Food Systems is a beacon of innovation, community, and climate resilience. Operated by Memorial University's Labrador Campus, the Centre's 80-hectare farm redefines what northern agriculture looks like when it's rooted in place and guided by Indigenous knowledge.

Partnerships

Through partnership work under the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Lab program, the Centre works directly with farmers, Indigenous governments, and researchers to test climate-smart practices grounded in local realities.

This is not a matter of bringing in southern solutions; this is a matter of listening to Labrador. Whether using biochar to build soil fertility, passively aerating compost made from local organic wastes, or installing season extension infrastructure to fend off frost and pests from carrots and rutabagas, every decision is tailored to northern soil and northern psyche.

Reciprocity

And perhaps most remarkably of all, at the very centre of the Pye Centre is a philosophy of reciprocity: knowledge is not extracted—it's co-created. Elders are not just advisors—they set agendas for research. Youth are not just participants—they become stewards of the future. From incubator plots that cultivate novice farmers to summer work that engages youth in caring for the land, the Centre fosters intergenerational learning and pride.

Community Events

Farm Fun Day and the Strawberry U-Pick are just a few community events inviting hundreds of volunteers to become involved in the harvest, share stories, and reconnect with the land. With over 4,000 pounds of produce donated annually to food banks and First Nations communities, the work here nourishes body and soul.

Research

Of course, none of this takes place in isolation. The Centre's work is situated within broader conversations of northern sovereignty and climate adaptation. Labrador's extreme climate and short growing season present unique challenges but also breed uniquely suited solutions. Sustainability here is not solely environmental—it is social and cultural.

Research carried out at the Centre educates local practice and national policy and supports initiatives like Living Labs. By disseminating open-access guides, webinars, and collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Pye Centre ensures that its knowledge reaches far beyond the farm gate.

Collaboration 

Ultimately, the Pye Centre tells another tale of northern food systems—where rural and remote communities are the focus, not an afterthought. It's cultivating more than crops through regenerative agriculture, plant-based research, and authentic community engagement. It's cultivating hope, sovereignty, and resilience.