Episode #44 with Pamela Huerto
Fresh out of high school, Pamela Huerto followed her interest in technology to become a computer programmer & web developer. Pam later changed careers, earning her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and becoming a Registered Dietitian (RD). She took a job with a remote Health Authority. Shortly after, Pam relocated her entire life (along with the lives of her husband and their large orange cat) 1000km to the far north of Saskatchewan.
Pam and her family lived in Stony Rapids for six years, and traveled almost exclusively by small plane. This region of the province is expansive and home to a small but proud group of five communities, including two First Nation reserves of Dënesųłiné people. Access to healthy, nutritious food in these communities is a daily challenge & was a major focus in her health promotion focused role.
During her time with the Athabasca Health Authority, Pam filled a wide variety of roles and accomplished a number of significant achievements. This included organizing land based education events, implementing a staff wellness program, installing over 200 vertical garden towers in homes & classrooms across the north, developing & supporting garden programs, starting Free Little Libraries in every community, publishing a monthly 16-page newsletter for the organization which was recognized nationally, overseeing the construction of a therapy garden for the new women’s shelter, creating a communications & social media presence for the organization & finally publishing a cookbook call “25 Ingredients, 50 Meals” in collaboration with Sage Sustainable Solutions very own Roxane Wagner, RD.
When starting out in the role, she was told that the Dënesųłiné were simply not adapted to eat plants. That aside from blueberries & cranberries in the fall, they just didn’t partake in vegetation. Yet from her science-based profession, she questioned this theory. What did the Dënesųłiné of the past traditionally consume? The land offered fish & game, but what plant foods were available to them?
These questions, and paired with a desire to help others find ways to affordably and sustainably supplement their diets were what led her to develop a passion for wild foods & foraging.
This summer she exchanged her far north home for a homestead closer to the centre of Saskatchewan. It is full of new adventures and places to explore. And although she grew up in this area, foraging has given her new eyes to view it through & she delights in each discovery. Her hope is to now share these joys & knowledge with others through her new YouTube channel “Deep Woods Dietitian”, which she has been developing alongside her husband, Charles.
If you are interested in learning more about the free, local, nutritious foods that are all around you, check out the links below!
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyJOuu1u_QrWs2cGRE4SfKw
Website: www.deepwoodsdietitian.com
Facebook: facebook.com/deepwoodsdietitian
Instagram: @deepwoodsdietitian
Twitter: @deepwoodsRD
TikTok: @deepwoodsdietitian
