About Us – Group 7
Lindsay Blair
Major: Food, Nutrition, and Health
Interests: One of the things I have learned about myself in the past few years is my passion not only for healthy food and a healthy population, but also for growing healthy food and teaching the younger generations what food is, where it comes from, how it is sustainably grown, and how to use all parts of it; essentially, food justice is my passion. I truly believe that urban farming is more important now than ever before, with food insecurity seemingly on the rise, and climate change wreaking havoc on our crops and weather patterns. Community food security is the main focus of my studies and takes precedence in my future goals as an FNH graduate. I hope to learn from the Gordon Neighbourhood House and the successes and failures of their programs to better my understanding of asset-based community development.
Songpinle Xu
Major: Food Market Analysis
Interests: My main interest is gardening. This is why I signed up for the Urban Farming. I really enjoy the achievement and happiness when I harvest vegetables that are grown and taken care of by myself. Growing process may not be much enjoyable since you have to water and weed frequently, but you can gain a better understanding how our food comes from and gain fresh organic fruits and vegetables with better taste. Gardening also enables family members and neighbors get connected by working together and sharing locally-sourced foods. And I think that is one of the goals that the Gordon Neighborhood House wants to achieve. It is going to be an awesome chance for me to learn more practical gardening knowledge through the visit to the farm and to see the impact of urban farms on the community.
Stéphane LAHAYE
Major: Dietetics
Interests: Being born in Europe’s countryside, where growing your own food is just as normal as brushing your teeth at night, it is without surprise that food as become part of my identity and the driving force of my career choice. Living now in cities in North America, I release that knowing where food come from, how it should look like, how it should taste like, and how to grow your own food is far from being common knowledge as I previously thought. I see on a daily basis how city living can easily take precious and ancestral knowledge away from us, one generation at the time, and turning us into docile consumers relying of the food industry for nutrients and information. My interest, as a future health practitioner, is to invite my patients and the public to go back to their own distinct history and culture, and see what they can learn from their ancestors that could transform their current relationship with food, sustainability, and long-term health.
Moeko Maruyama
Major: Food Science
Interests: Learning more about using fermentation in the production of food. I choose this project because I am interested in the process of growing food, especially in an inner city context and I found the Urban Farming project to be a perfect opportunity. Working in the lab is fun, but I am really excited about the opportunity to get my hands dirty in the Urban Farm Project with GNH! Previous LFS courses have taught me the importance of role of community in a sustainable food system; but I feel that the sense of community is weakening in today’s society. One of the things I am looking forward to the most through this project is to observe with my own eyes how GNH utilizes “food” as a vehicle to successfully bring the community together and learn some ways to combat the loss of sense of community. I am really looking forward to working with the team and the community on the Urban Farming Project!
Karina Song
Major: Food Science
Interests: As a Food Science Major, I mainly study the biochemistry and microbiology of foods and how it pertains to food processing, engineering, and safety. As described, my field of study does not touch much on nutrition and agriculture. However, that is not to say I am not also interested in these other aspects of food and food production! With this urban farming project in cooperation with the Gordon Neighbourhood House, I hope to integrate my studies and supplement my basic understanding of our local food system. This project particularly piqued my interest as I find that urban farming will increasingly relevant and essential in the coming years. This is because climate change and socioeconomic divides have exacerbated and it has become more imperative to effectively and swiftly address these issues. Eating more locally grown foods has a smaller carbon footprint, increase accessibility to fresh and healthy food and provide a tangible connection to our community. I am definitely looking forward to working in the community of the West End and increasing my food literacy!
Athena Yaoutsis
Major: Plant and Soil Science
Interests: I am Athena Yaoutsis, a 4th year Plant and Soil Science student. I love plants and growing food so I’m quite excited to be working on the Urban Farm Project at Gordon House. It’s important to me that people know where their food comes from and how it is grown. As a resident of the West End I see how easy it is to separate city life from an agricultural setting where our food is grown. I’m excited to contribute to the community and observe how the Urban Farming Project gives West End residents an opportunity to see where their food comes from and allows them to have access to healthy, locally grown food.
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