Growing Chefs! Ontario: Meet our Growing Staff!

Learning to cook was where it all clicked for me. It was the first time I understood that all of the things I had struggled to put in a practical context in school, like why we learn math, history, geography, or science. Turns out that it all comes into play when you’re cooking. For me, learning to cook was the first time in my adult life that learning became fun and exciting again. Through cooking I discovered a platform that allowed me to be creative and artistic. It was one of the first times I felt excited to be challenged. All of a sudden, all of the healthy eating messaging that I had been hearing my entire life (but not listening to) became applicable for the first time. I suddenly understood that food that is good for you can be unbelievably delicious! For me, Growing Chefs! Ontario is an attempt to help children come to this realization earlier in life than I did.

For me, it's personal. I have two young daughters at home and I want to be able to impress upon them the importance of making smart food choices at an early age. Luckily they both share my passion for cooking, so I feel it's my role to teach them how to use the best ingredients available to us. That means I need to learn all I can about it as well!

Food is a universal language; everyone needs to eat and the choices that you have to make with food are endless. By encouraging kids to have fun with food and explore different foods and techniques that they have not explored before, we are empowering them to make life changing choices for themselves and those that surround them.

Food education is important to me because we need to inspire the next generation of gardeners, farmers, cooks, chefs, and eaters to come together and create a more healthy and sustainable food system. Everyone eats, but not everyone knows where or how their food was produced, processed or prepared and I think we should change that.

I wish I had somewhere like Growing Chefs! when I was younger. Learning food skills and food literacy came to me later in life, with a lot of the learning (and unlearning) from my family, my community and friends. I love how food fosters connections and brings people together. Creating these connections and building food skills will only become more important to future generations.

Cooking has always been central to my journey, fostering a sense of family and community. Working with Growing Chefs! Ontario, I aim to inspire others to make mindful food choices that support local communities, promote biodiversity, and reduce environmental impact. Promoting food literacy allows us to take a significant stride towards positive changes in sustainability and well-being. It is immensely rewarding to collaborate with this team and deliver these impactful programs to our community.

Food education is becoming more and more important as our global economy and climate
evolves. Learning about food encourages individuals to make environmentally conscious
choices such as reducing food waste and supporting local, organic, and fair-trade products.
Learning about food also cultivates culinary skills, allowing people to prepare nutritious meals
from scratch and reduce reliance on processed foods. Also, food education can contribute to the
preservation of cultural heritage by teaching traditional cooking techniques and recipes,
ensuring that they are passed down to future generations.

Nate works in the Beet supporting our Hot Lunch Program.

Food education gives the power back to the consumer, and allows for healthy impactful choices for generations to come.

As someone who has always been passionate about food, I believe that food education is vital — not just as a valuable skill, but as a way to create connections with others. It opens doors to exploring diverse cultures and flavours while emphasizing the importance of making healthier food choices. It is essential to learn how to source ingredients locally and reduce food waste, and finally, discover the joy of cooking.

Food literacy is incredibly important to everybody's lives and our ecosystem. It is our first major step in making positive changes towards sustainability and healthier lifestyles, and bringing this type of literacy to the forefront is what I consider to be a very important task. Food is survival, food is bringing friends and family together, and food is fun! Cooking has always taken a huge role in my life and career, and I couldn't be happier to be on the frontlines with this team bringing these programs to our community.

I recognize gastronomy as an art and science capable of transforming ingredients into experiences through aesthetic food dishes, that are beyond just flavours and have the power to stir feelings and bring cultures to life. It is art transformed into passion, creativity, and knowledge. That is why I consider culinary education worthy to be shared and to give others the satisfaction that goes into creating food dishes in an artistic, healthy, and nutritious way!

Everyone eats, sometimes not everyone knows exactly what they're eating. Food education is more than just cooking a delicious meal but finding out where each ingredient comes from. Food education is important to me because ever since I can remember I've loved to learn about different types of food, how they taste and where they come from. I think it is important to show the next generation that cooking at home is just as easy as buying processed take out.

Everyone deserves the right and dignity to equally access healthy food. Appreciating the efforts that go into our meals, from the work of farmers and Indigenous Peoples who have steward this land for generations, helps tell a story of connection that inspires us to care for our environment and about the food security of our community.

Learning about food systems is a journey through history, culture and self-discovery. Food education has taught me to appreciate the work of all the hands that have grown, processed and prepared the foods on my plate, including my own! Today, food education is not only essential for a sustainable future but also thought provoking and fun! With every growing mind that walks into our gardens and kitchens, I hope we can help to build a healthier, happier and more connected local community.

Once you start your food journey, you will never stop. I’ve spent my whole life surrounded by food and the impacts it has on every aspect of my life. By teaching kids the basic building blocks of food in a fun and positive way, we pave the way for them to continue to learn and explore food on their own. We aren’t just teaching kids about food, we are empowering them, and helping them grow and gain the confidence they need to teach others.

Food is a key building block of our personal health, our social calendars, and our communities/cultures. Our daily lives are built around eating times and cooking / food sourcing, meaning food is at the very core of how we live every day! Healthy bodies and happy minds start with good food choices, which is why I think it's important for children to learn about the vast world of food and gain the skills to feed themselves properly.