Centuries of innovation can be found at Country Heritage Park. We turn our history into a future for all to learn about food and farming. countryheritagepark.com
May • 2022
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Planting the Seeds of Change At least once in your life, you need a doctor, a lawyer, a police officer, and a preacher, but every day, three times a day, you need a farmer. Farmers are the backbone of the agricultural system—they are the source of our food supply, countless jobs, and their practices can improve the health of our soil and water supply. Their jobs are far from easy; at the best of times, farming is difficult and even brutal. Between rising energy and food costs, declining water quality, and a growing population, farmers face many challenges within their everyday work. More than 80 percent of Ontarians live in urban areas, all but cut off from the natural environment, leading to a lack of understanding of where the food they eat comes from—and what goes into growing it. As the next generation enters schooling, it is critical to ensure that children know the importance of farmers’ work, including how farming practices contribute to climate responsibility and sustainable living. Country Heritage Park (CHP)
is a centre of excellence for food and farming education, inspiring change within the most diverse global sector. Nestled in the shadow of the Niagara Escarpment in Milton—a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve—CHP’s 80-acre site offers unique facilities and programming about the past, present, and future of the food and farming sector. Passionate about educating students and adults regarding food literacy, arts, history, outdoor education, environmental awareness, and sustainability, CHP is on a mission to bring together community, private, and public partners to innovate, interact, and collaborate on the deliverance of events, education, and hands-on experiences. Going beyond telling the stories of farmers, CHP shows and discusses the challenges facing farmers in ways that everyone can understand. Through strong curriculumbased educational programs with hands-on learning opportunities, students from Kindergarten to Grade 10 can examine, brainstorm, and understand how sustainability
is essential to our personal growth and local responsibility. Sustainability, environmental protection, and awareness are fundamental to maintaining a balanced ecology. Food literacy is at the core of CHP’s activities, addressing issues like energy conservation, water preservation, food waste reduction, and much more. Just like farmers provide more than food, CHP provides more than stories. Through their programs, summer camps, service clubs, and connections with local and regional organizations, CHP delivers a deeper understanding of the history behind farming innovation and links it to the present, showcasing the progress of farmers and food, including what a future without food would look like. Young people can discuss critical issues regarding habitats, recycling, food production and waste, and learn lessons they can take back to their classrooms. On top of that, CHP is building a community within a community, giving back and contributing where and whenever possible. In 2017, CHP contributed more
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than $380,000 in give-back to communities by providing rental space to ensure their events were successful and increased that in 2018, almost doubling it to more than $660,000. Through collaborations with organizations like Indigenousled Grandmother’s Voice, which works to create awareness of healing through the land and proper diet regimes, and Halton’s No One Goes Hungry, which is dedicated to using food waste that would otherwise be
cast-off to create meals, prepared in CHP’s Community Kitchen, CHP is making nearly 12,000 meals per month for people in the Halton region and beyond. Their impact is only building as they continue to engage with community-led organizations that seek to provide food education and security to families in need. Cultivating the seeds of change takes time and requires getting your hands dirty—but it is making an impact.
Turning Point: How Students in Saskatchewan Are Encouraging Conversations About Mental Health ALLIE MURRAY
What started as a school project turned into an entrepreneurial journey for Logan Curle and Tayson Smith: two students in Saskatchewan who founded Turning Point, a clothing brand dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and money for mental health initiatives. In their Grade 12 entrepreneurship class, the students were tasked with creating a business to help them learn the skills to start a business. Curle and Smith worked alongside two other students—Rianne Renner and Skyler Briere—and when they began working, they knew they wanted to make an impact. “We knew we wanted our business to bring awareness and support to mental health and suicide prevention in one way or another,” co-founder Curle explained. “The reason we wanted to bring awareness
to this topic is because every one of the founders of Turning Point have had their own personal experiences with suicide and the devastation that comes along with it.” Turning Point sells sweatshirts with the branded phrase, chosen to represent
the brand because most suicide survivors describe their experience as a “turning point” in their life. When Turning Point became more than a class assignment and turned into a business, they found a local charity that aligned with their mission to
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give back to. They partnered with The Johnny Z Healthy Minds Foundation, a charity founded in memory of Johnny Ziegler, who passed away from suicide in 2020. Johnny was an alumnus of the Turning Point team’s high school—Miller Comprehensive High School in Regina, SK—and a well-known person in their community. “The Johnny Z Healthy Minds Foundation supports foundations and organizations that bring awareness to mental health, they also fund therapeutic treatments for people who are unable to afford it,” Curle said, noting the organization has recently focused its treatments around grief, trauma, and PTSD counselling. “They help bring education to the topic of mental health, hoping to end the stigma around it and start the conversation.” With their hoodies, they donate 20 percent of all profits, and earlier this year, they were able to donate more
than $2000 to the cause. Similarly, Turning Point partnered with the Jaxon MacDonald Foundation, releasing a limited edition hoodie that Jaxon designed before he died, “He wanted to create a brand that promoted mental health before he died, which is like what Turning Point has created. That is why we are honoured to be continuing his legacy, even if it’s just in a small way,” Curle said. Going forward, Turning Point hopes to further their conversation around mental health. They are expanding to offer shipping worldwide, and some stores have shared interest in stocking Turning Point merchandise in-store. “First and foremost for our future we hope to make a difference in the mental health of people all around the world, whether it’s through our donations or our social media,” Curle explained. “We are just trying to make a difference.” ADVERTORIAL
An Innovative Approach to Providing Healthy Food for Those in Need Kerr Street Mission (KSM), Oakville’s Mission of Hope, is a non-profit that provides a variety of essential services to low-income families in Oakville. The KSM team has worked hard to focus on what their clients need. Rather than just distributing canned food and whatever other food was donated or reclaimed, the team developed the Choose Fresh program, which ensures healthy food options, fresh produce, and proteins are consistently available. Choose Fresh is an innovative approach. One week, clients receive a curated pack of fresh produce, and the following week they receive a dozen eggs and their choice of milk and meat products. Protein is locally sourced and catered to meet the clients’ diverse dietary and cultural needs. Clients register and contribute a small portion of the cost monthly (25 percent), and KSM covers the remaining cost. The KSM team has established relationships with
local suppliers to maximize buying value. Products vary week to week, and so the team consults with a local chef and nutritionist who provides clients with healthy recipes so they can learn how to utilize the fresh food they receive to cook meals for their families. Over 250 families access KSM’s Food Market every week, representing approximately 700 individuals. As food prices have increased, the desire for affordable, quality, fresh food has
© IMAGES COURTESY OF KERR STREET MISSION
grown among clients who want to eat healthily but can’t always afford to do so. As of March 2022, KSM had over 200 families registered for their Choose Fresh program, and the number of registrations has continued to increase every month. One client said, “[Choose Fresh] is such a huge help in accessing quality, healthy food for my family. I was getting to the point of cutting things off my grocery list because we couldn’t afford them. Because
of this program, I’m still able to give my kids healthy fruits and vegetables as their snacks.” Clients registered for Choose Fresh can also access the KSM Food Market weekly. They can receive reclaimed produce and protein, fresh bread, non-perishable food items, hygiene products, and delicious and nutritious takehome meals cooked by volunteers. Through a variety of fundraisers and sponsors, KSM has been able to cover the costs for the Choose
Fresh program. However, with the increase in registrations, KSM needs more sponsors to help provide quality, fresh food for the clients. This innovative program has had a significant impact on their clients’ health and wellbeing. One client said, “[Choose Fresh] has saved my life! Since starting at Kerr Street Market, I have completely changed the way I eat, and this program has improved my health, which has such a huge impact on my mental wellness as well.” Please consider sponsoring a family by making a monthly donation to KSM’s Choose Fresh program. A $60 monthly (recurring) donation will make it possible for KSM to provide for an additional family. One hundred percent of your donation to the Choose Fresh program benefits clients, as the funds are used to purchase the fresh food for the program.
