A Prize Pack as Sweet as Honey!

Image by: Kar Harvey, an illustrator and writer who lives on the unceded and ancestral home territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-Waututh people. She is Tsilhqot’in and Syilx and grew up on territories of the Semiahmoo and Kwantlen Nation…

Image by: Kar Harvey, an illustrator and writer who lives on the unceded and ancestral home territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-Waututh people. She is Tsilhqot’in and Syilx and grew up on territories of the Semiahmoo and Kwantlen Nations.

It’s February! A month that is typically abuzz with love - for sweethearts, family, and community.

This month we kicked off our Bee Sweet campaign to celebrate all of our amazing monthly donor program, the Champion Radishes! Have you heard of our Champion Radish program? For the month of February and March, we invite you to join the club! 

Join the club this Feb/March and be entered to win the “Bee Sweet Prize Pack” valued at over $250, full of B.C. goodies. Current Champion Radish Club members can also win by referring a new member, or increasing their gift!

The deadline to enter, March 31st.
The prize draw is on April 2nd.

A big thank you to our generous prize pack sponsors:

Keep an eye out for more posts about some of our amazing Champion Radish members. 

Photo credit: Mavreen David PhotographyPlease note: The gift basket contains items that are not captured in this photo :)

Photo credit: Mavreen David Photography

Please note: The gift basket contains items that are not captured in this photo :)

Virtual Volunteer Spotlight - Meet Rebecca Marshall

When Growing Chefs realized we weren’t going to be able to physically be in the classroom for a while, we quickly began brainstorming how we might be able to connect volunteers with classrooms. It was very important to us that we continue to build connections between local food champions and students, so we asked our volunteers if they’d be interested in connecting virtually.

We weren’t disappointed! Our volunteers were eager to adapt with us by helping to create our virtual Growing Chefs experiences. They have been swapping recipes, filming video lessons, and sharing their knowledge and passion with our learners online, rather than in the classrooms. In the fall we took this one step further by creating our new Vegeta-pals program, where chefs, farmers, and others became virtual pen-pals, communicating directly with a local classroom.

Today we are featuring one of our Victoria-based volunteers who registered to volunteer in the classroom with us last spring. When our programming went completely virtual, she was one of the first to sign on to our new Vegeta-pals program to share her passion for good food with students. Meet Rebecca!

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Tell us a little about yourself

Hi! My name is Rebecca Marshall, and I am a professional cook-apprentice working towards my Red Seal certification. Even after cooking for other people all day, I still love to come home and create a nourishing beautiful meal for myself and my family.

Why did you get involved with the work Growing Chefs is doing right now?

I've found that I learn and reaffirm knowledge best by helping others through the material. Growing Chefs was a fantastic opportunity to explore and deepen what I knew of our food system and to share it with young potential chefs. I'm happy to be part of a program that I know I would have enjoyed when I was a kid!

What advice would you give to a child that wants to become a chef?

Try lots of different food! What a fun thing it is to be able to travel the world in your very own kitchen.

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Can you share a highlight from being a part of the Vegeta-pal program this year?

I had a delightful surprise when I was assigned my Vegeta-Pal partner. I was at that time working on the second level of my program at Camosun Culinary and my assigned partner was Chef Steve Walker-Duncan, who was the Program Chair - his office was just down the hall from my classroom so it was easy as pie to get together to do our videos! Steve is a fantastic role model and a dynamo when it comes to teaching and cooking and I was so thankful to have such an enthusiastic, talented partner who infused our videos with his great energy!


What We've Been Up To

The start of the 2020/21 school year has looked very different for our schools and for the Growing Chefs program. When schools were closed in March last year and learning shifted online, our program team was able to quickly adapt our classroom program to launch our Growing Chefs At Home Program. This program provided weekly lessons and activity content for teachers to share as a part of their online lesson plans, and for families at home to engage with food literacy learning. 

Given the incredibly positive response to these materials, the Growing Chefs program team continued to build out our online programming to continue offering engaging and interactive food literacy lessons to classrooms and families at home… all focused on teaching kids valuable gardening and cooking skills!

Growing Chefs Home-Learning Program

Connecting Classrooms with Local Food Professionals Through Our Vegeta-pal Program

The Growing Chefs intermediate program for grades 4-7 went virtual in the fall, with “Growing Chefs At Home” continuing in a new format specifically catering to families and home-learners. We have just wrapped up the first of four cohorts of learners currently engaged in this new form of our intermediate programming. Our remaining cohorts will be concluding their lessons over the next month. Our 200 home-learners are guided through a series of ten themed lessons delivered on a weekly basis that include video lessons, printable worksheets, learning activity ideas, recipes, and more! All lessons aim to help connect learners with local healthy food in a fun and imaginative way.

Do you remember the excitement of having a pen pal when you were in school? In an effort to continue building connections between schools and the local food community, as well as continuing to engage our skilled and passionate volunteer base, Growing Chefs launched a pilot for a new “pen pal” style program in October. Teachers around B.C. signed up to be connected with a local chef or farmer, and we paired their class with local food champions who registered to volunteer as our “Vegeta-pals”. Vegeta-pal pairings exchanged email and video messages and, with support from our Growing Chefs team, these volunteers helped students learn more about healthy local food. Keep an eye out for the opportunity to join our upcoming spring cohort of Vegeta-pals coming soon!

Virtual Field Trips now available for Classrooms and Home-learners

In order to foster community connections and interact more directly with students, Growing Chefs has been developing a series of interactive virtual field trips for classrooms and home learners. After piloting our first field trip with three classrooms in December, we are so excited to announce that these field trips are now open for teachers to register their classes to take part in!

These virtual field trips allow students to explore their local food systems, interact live with local food experts related to the theme of the field trip, see and explore unique locations, and think critically about new ideas… all while staying in the comfort and safety of the classroom or home.

Check out the video below for a teaser of what we’ll explore on our field trip to Fresh Roots Urban Farm and sign your classroom up for one of these upcoming workshops today!

More to come this March!

As Growing Chefs continues to adapt, we recognize that this is still a challenging time for everyone. We are continuing to listen to educators and families to ensure that the programming, content, and support we provide is designed to meet the needs of the community. Our spring primary program for grades 1-3 will be run in a virtual format once again, starting up just after spring break. Since spring is the perfect time to get students’ hands in the dirt, start gardens, and get outside, we are working on some additional materials and support with the Master Gardeners Association of Vancouver to help teachers and schools get their students growing this year! Stay tuned for more updates as spring approaches.

Introducing Growing Chefs' New Executive Director: Kara-Leigh Bloch

Growing Chefs’ friends and family:

HAPPY HEALTHY 2021 to all! My name is Kara-Leigh Bloch and I have the honour to be the new Growing Chefs’ Executive Director. I am very excited to get to work with an amazing and inspiring group of staff, board members, volunteers, and their supportive partners, along with funders and collaborators. I have a deep respect and appreciation for local farmers and producers, chefs and restaurateurs, all who take pride in fresh, local, sustainable foods. Together, we will continue to connect chefs, kids, and communities, and promote healthy, just, sustainable food practices. 

Originally from Edmonton, I grew up playing competitive women’s hockey and 10 pin bowling. I studied Human Ecology at the University of Alberta (Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science) where we used an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to examine the many contexts of people’s lives. In particular, my focus was on the inter-relationships people have with their near environments: family, community, and environment. While completing my double degree, I spent a semester abroad at a sister school in Lille, France. This was the beginning of my love of exploring new places, food, and culture.

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France changed my personal motto from “eat to live” to “LIVE TO EAT”. I jumped at the opportunity to live in a rural community with a host family that had two small children. My favourite memories are going to the Sunday marché, then making a big pot of soup with all the previous week’s leftover vegetables and enjoying it with a fresh baguette and some cheese. They crafted such impressive meals and exposed me to the French cuisine and the French way of life. When I tried my first freshly steamed artichoke (thinking they only came in a jar), it immediately became one of my favourite foods. My appreciation, relationship with, and my love of fresh local food deepened. After I graduated, I worked with the University of Alberta in Research on Aging Policy and Practice, then moved to Dominica/Grenada in the Caribbean to work with Help the Aged Canada as a Seniors Outreach Worker. Eventually in 2008, I settled in Vancouver to live in the same city as my now husband. By this time I was lucky enough to have lived in Montreal, Toronto, France, Dominica and travelled through Europe and Asia, and many other parts of the world!

It’s crazy to calculate it but I have been working in the non-profit sector for 20 years, mostly in senior housing and the homelessness sector.  Most recently, I spent 11 years at Seniors Services Society of BC, 9 of those years as the Executive Director. 

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I have two daughters (four and six years old), and the sweetest furbaby, Kobe, a labradoodle. Over the last few years, I started to shift my focus and priorities, and decided to redirect my career in an equally meaningful sector to me: food security and community development.

I love food and wine, cooking, entertaining, and may have picked up the nicknames of “snack queen” or “Charcuterie Kara”. Since moving to Vancouver, I always say living here is like being on permanent vacation. The food and the activities around the city, from sea to sky, is the full meal deal. 

My plan for the next few months as I onboard with Growing Chefs is to listen, to learn, and to take small meaningful steps through collaborating both inside and outside the food sector. Food connects us all. I see there is considerable opportunity to join forces with other social justice movements to dig into and address power imbalances and inequality and move towards food justice. I strongly believe that we need creative collective action to ensure that this new generation of kids learn to have healthy connections with food and understand its connectedness to our environment.

That’s it for now, I hope to meet you all at some point whether it be virtually or at long-awaited in-person gatherings when the time comes! We will have lots to celebrate! 

Yours in community,
Kara-Leigh

Donor Profile: Champion Radish Club

The Champion Radish Club is currently made up of 83 generous individuals and families who donate to Growing Chefs monthly. They share our vision of a world with healthy, just, sustainable food practices and we’d love to introduce you to a few of them! Keep scrolling to learn more about their food stories, and how they feel about Growing Chefs.

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LINDA OLSON

Linda is a phenomenal chef, formerly of Culinary Capers, and now working with Truffles Fine Food Catering. She is a star at our annual From Farms to Forks Harvest Kitchen Party and is a long-time (since 2007!) volunteer with Growing Chefs in the classroom. She has been a Champion Radish since 2019.

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SEVAN KADIAN
& TRAVIS LAMARCHE

Sevan and Travis volunteer at our annual From Farms to Forks Harvest Kitchen Party and help to make it a blast for our guests. Sevan works for another local charity, the Take a Hike Foundation, and Travis works for a small ship cruise line, Windstar Cruises. They have been Champion Radishes since 2018 and 2019 respectively.

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VIVIAN CRUISE

Chef Vivian volunteered in a Growing Chefs classroom in the Comox Valley in 2012 and 2013. She is a Red Seal Chef, a natural story-teller, a cookbook author, and an all-around wonderful supporter of our mission. She is a wealth of knowledge and character. Vivian has been a Champion Radish since 2020.





Do you have a garden at home? What do you like to grow? 

Linda: I live in an apartment, so I don’t have a yard to grow a traditional garden. However, I grow herbs in pots outside and I, also, have indoor AeroGarden - that I grow tomatoes and basil in year round. I also joined a project last year that connects apartment dwellers that want to garden with homeowners who have lots of space and don’t want to garden so I get to grow a garden in someone else’s yard!

Sevan & Travis: Yes, we bought a cabin in a remote area at the start of covid and gardening has been quite the adventure. We used to live in an apartment in downtown Vancouver, and keeping houseplants alive was a struggle. Now we have a little orchard with fruit trees and lots of sunlight and space for garden beds. We enjoyed growing tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, kale and rhubarb this past summer. We’re currently renovating the landscape, and have big dreams of what we’ll be able to do next!

Vivian: I don’t have a garden now, as I live in an apartment,  but years ago I liked growing snow peas, corn, and a salsa garden of tomatoes, jalapeños peppers, coriander and onions.

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What's your favourite seasonal vegetable?

Linda: I love Brussels sprouts in the winter but fresh ripe tomatoes are probably a close second.

Sevan: I’d like to tie in a herb as well and say tomatoes and basil. Such a great combo fresh from the garden.

Travis: Potatoes. They are incredibly versatile and can be used for so many different world dishes from French fries to curries to pancakes. I’ve also recently learned that Pemberton (where we currently live) is famous for their potatoes. Delicious German butter potatoes are my local favourite.

Vivian: Tomatoes, there’s nothing quite like a freshly picked tomato still warm from the sun and summer’s heat.

What’s your favourite meal to cook?

Linda: I love making homemade pasta and tossing it with basil pesto made from my own plants.

Sevan & Travis: We cook a lot of Asian influenced dishes. Curries and stir fries are our favourites, using as many veggies as we can pack in.

Vivian: I love to make a nice Ratatouille and serve it on polenta with a fried egg and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  

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What is your earliest food-related memory?

Sevan: I grew up in a middle eastern household. I ate things like hummus as a staple as a young child. I remember all of the neighborhood kids loving coming over and eating my families cooking, because it was so different (and delicious) than what they were used to.

Travis: Growing up in Alberta, my Grandparents had a garden at their house and also one at their cabin. I always remember going into the garden with them and pulling up carrots from the ground, snapping peas, and picking raspberries from the bush.

Vivian: My dad making ice cream and butter at home, from milk that he bought from a dairy farmer and that my dad pasteurized at our home.  

What about Growing Chefs most resonates with you?

Linda: I’m a long time volunteer with Growing Chefs and becoming a regular donor was just another way I could support an organization I care about so much. As a chef, I think it is so important to understand where your food comes from and getting people passionate about growing and cooking food at a young age is a great way to start educating people.

Sevan & Travis: Healthy and good food seems really unaccessible to a lot of families in the lower mainland. Cost and time are barriers, especially for families with young children. We love bringing this food education into the classroom and getting the kids to have fun and experiment hands on with produce. Food/cooking is such a warm and connecting activity to gather around, and really promotes community.

Vivian: Helping youngsters to see where food comes from. I made ratatouille for my students and they LIKED it! 

How does being a part of the Champion Radish Club make you feel?

Sevan & Travis: We’re each happy to provide some small form of assurance to the team at Growing Chefs, knowing that they can count on our funds each month. We know that not only does it cut down on administrative time (further costs) doing annual collections, it lets them plan for the future more confidently. It’s pain free and simple, and the annual get togethers are the BEST. (Can’t wait to do them in person again!)

Vivian: Quite nice, I assisted with the Growing Chefs group in the Comox Valley and as a Red Seal Chef, it is part of my job to educate people about food and cooking techniques.

A Growing Team at Growing Chefs – Welcome Back Morgan!

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Hello!

My name is Morgan Shupe and I am the new Communications Coordinator for Growing Chefs. Some of you may already know me, as I was formally working at Growing Chefs as the Program & Operations Assistant. After having my second daughter in 2019, I decided to take an extended leave off to spend with my family but now I am back and happy to be able to rejoin Growing Chefs!

When I first started working at Growing Chefs in early 2018, I wrote a similar introduction blog post where I talked about how food was my life long passion and how I have been cooking in the kitchen since I was a toddler - really my parents couldn’t get me out of the kitchen if they tried. Well, I am happy to report that over my time off I have continued to pass down my love of the kitchen and the garden to both my daughters.

Lucy, age 3.5, is now slowly learning to use a real knife and stir food at the stove but her favourite thing to do is roll dough out for pies and pizzas. Addy, age 19 months, loves to taste everything, “wash” dishes, and turn the blender button on. They both, of course, love to measure and mix things.

Both girls love to garden with me. Since we don’t have any winter crops in our small garden, we have been trying to grow microgreens this winter. The girls are eager to get back into the garden this Spring and Lucy has big plans of growing lots of flowers.

We also spent some time last Spring and Fall foraging in the forests close by our home. I love that I am able to share my passion for food and plants with my daughters, and that I get to work at an organization, like Growing Chefs, where those same passions align.

I am so happy to be back to continue to advocate for a just, healthy, sustainable food system and to be able to help build the Growing Chefs community.

Morgan, Growing Chefs is so lucky to have you back!

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Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival

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We’re writing to amplify the 11th Annual Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival run by City Food Magazine! Vancouver’s best chocolatiers, pastry shops, bakeries, cafes, gelato, and ice cream makers are coming together, again, to create delectable hot chocolates to warm your bodies and cheer up your soul during Vancouver’s’ damp and gloomy Winter.

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The initiative started in 2011 and was the first city-wide initiative in the world to use the hot chocolate beverage as a way to support small, local businesses. The initiative also donates a portion of proceeds to three charitable partners, including Growing Chefs; The Downtown Eastside Women’s Job Training Program of the PHS COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY - run by East Vancouver Roasters; and Fresh to Families - Farmers Market Nutrition Coupon Program for low-income families, run by Vancouver Farmer Markets. This past year has been especially hard on local businesses and the Hot Chocolate Festival has allowed donations to their charitable partners to be optional for 2021.

The Hot Chocolate Festival encourages all participants to follow covid-19 safety protocols. And has modified the festival to respect BC Health Authority rules and regulations, including encouraging social distancing, mask-wearing, and offering takeout options. Some vendors will also be offering DIY hot chocolate kits that you may purchase to take home or mail to friends who will not be with you this year.  For a full list of covid-19 measures, click here.

If drinking hot chocolate isn’t sweet enough, the Hot Chocolate Festival will also be having a photo contest on Instagram with $975 in gift certificate prizes available from participating vendors. You could be enjoying sweet treats for months to come if you win. For details on the contest, click here.  

Our Growing Chefs team members and volunteers will be making their way across Vancouver, Burnaby, and White Rock to try a few of the hot chocolate creations. Stay tuned on our Instagram for updates on what we try!

Thank you to all the vendors who are participating in the festival. For a list of vendors and flavors, click here. And for a virtual map of vendors, click here. 

We’d also like to extend a big thank you to Daily Hive, BC Food + Wine Radio, Made in Print, and Vancouver Farmers Markets for sponsoring the festival.

And of course, a huge thank you to City Food Magazine for putting on the Hot Chocolate Festival and including Growing Chefs as a charitable partner for the 4th year. We’re so grateful.

List Of Vendors

Click on vendor names for a link to their available flavours.
🌱plant-based options available

Vegeta-pals

Our program team and our chef and community volunteers really missed being in the classroom this year. Although we couldn’t visit in person, we came up with a new way to connect with B.C. kids.

The Vegeta-Pal Program!

A modern and tasty pen pal project… with a twist! This fall we paired elementary school classrooms across the province with volunteer food systems champions to build relationships, interest, and connection around growing and cooking food. The Vegeta-pal program provided a new way for us to deliver upon our mission of connecting chefs, kids, and communities to foster systemic change towards healthy, sustainable, and just food practices.

What do the teachers think?

Our classroom has had the opportunity to work with the Growing Chefs program for the past few years. It was an awesome program, very informative and hands-on for the students. We loved having the chefs in the classroom as they were very knowledgeable and interacted well with the kids, their enthusiasm about food was infectious! This year, we have been given the opportunity to work with vegeta-pals as we cannot have the chefs physically visit our classroom. So far, they have been great! The students loved the first video and activity. We are looking forward to the next few weeks of the program.

- Michelle Cavanagh
Grade 5/6 Classroom Teacher Champlain Heights Elementary, Vancouver

How do the volunteers feel?

The Vegeta-pal Program through Growing Chefs has been a fantastic inspiration for us. This virtual program has allowed us to connect with local children to share our favourite food stories, culinary inspirations & ultimately, to really connect with our future foodies, farmers, & chefs on what they love to eat & where the food they are enjoying comes from. A bit of culinary education, geography & math is added to the pot for good measure. One of us is a farmer, & the other, a Chef, so we were inspired to become vegeta-pals simply to connect kids to their food. Where it comes from, how it grows & to encourage a healthy understanding of their favourite foods. We are hopeful that our vegeta-pals will be inspired to learn more about their favourite foods, hopefully just as inspired as we are to teach them about the process involved from growing to eating!"

- Miche & Patrick
Vegeta-pals, Vancouver Island

And most importantly, what do the kids think?

“We have had lots of learning and fun, such as our online field trip and learning about the six parts of a plant (stem, roots, leaves, seeds, fruits, and the flowers) from our vegeta-pals. Some other things we learned are planting in an urban environment is called Urban Agriculture. Urban Agriculture is important because we can’t always rely on imported food. A good way to help is to plant seeds on your balcony backyard, or somewhere else.

- Brendan, age 10

Right now we can’t have anyone come into our class, but we are in the new Vegeta-pal Program. I am a vegetarian and enjoy eating and cooking with vegetables.

- Sabrina, age 10

“My Vegeta-pals are amazing and cool. I can’t wait until I learn about every vegetable so I can make salad every day.”

-Arianna, age 10

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45 Children’s Books for the Growing Chefs in Your Life!

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Cozy up over Winter Break with some of these books, all about food - from seed to plate to compost. Let’s celebrate our food system while diving into some great stories about urban agriculture, cuisines around the world, farming, gardening, cooking, composting, and so much more! Buying gifts for the growing chefs in your life? These books may just be what you’re looking for!

Search for these books at your local library or a favourite local bookstore such as Kidsbooks, Dilly Dally Kids, or Russell Books on the island which has a GIANT selection of used books.

Picture Books for All Ages:

A Day With Yahyah by Nicola Campbell

This story invites us to learn about a First Nations family set in the Nicola Valley of British Columbia where an Elder passes down their knowledge of foraging, edibles in the woods, and about plant life. A local story, sharing Indigenous knowledge.

Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock by Dallas Hunt

This beautiful picture book shows the reciprocity between the natural world and humanity and also honors the Cree language and storytelling traditions. Also included is a recipe for bannock bread, as well as basic Cree words with a pronunciation guide.

Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Pat Brisson

This story highlights the many characters who play a role in bringing our food to the table. Meet some of our food systems heroes in this farm-to-table tale.

Bread Lab! by Kim Binczewski and Bethany Econopouly

Baking bread during isolation has been a toasty trend this year. This author sneaks a pinch of science into a story about transforming a kitchen and baking bread. Get the kids in your life excited about integrating science and math in the kitchen, while baking tasty treats!

*this author is up to some amazing work as the managing director of the Bread Lab at Washington State University in Mount Vernon, where her work includes field research, community outreach, and connecting farmers with bakers, chefs and businesses

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals

This is one of our favourites that we bring into the classroom with us each year - beloved by our volunteers, staff, teachers and students alike. This rhyming story takes us on an educational journey to learn about what everyday items can be composted to make your very own nutrient-rich plant food. From apple cores to zinnia heads - learn how to stew up your own compost at home. A family fun activity we can all do!

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

Slink into the life of a worm with this hilarious read. It will surely have you wriggling in laughter, while learning about the daily happenings in the life of a worm - a critter that has a very important role in our world.

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

Growing Chefs' mission of educating kids about the food cycle: from seed, to plate, to compost is truly told in this story. Included in this book is a perfect winter comfort food recipe to make your very own vegetable soup together!

Harvest by Kris Waldherr

Celebrate the abundance of harvest season year round with this story. With all the bounty that harvest can bring, this family goes to work to savour all their hard work by preserving all the fruits, vegetables, and herbs that have been produced in their garden.

How to Feed Your Parents by Ryan Miller

This story may feel awfully familiar to many parents - but with a role-reversal twist! This laugh-out-loud funny, book may just be the secret ingredient to inspire picky eaters to try something new, and try their hands in the kitchen! We couldn’t wipe the smile off of our faces reading this one.

Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt

We love this story, that explores how one kid can make a difference in helping out a friend, and fighting against food insecurity. A book filled with so many important lessons around friendship, trust, empathy and that activism can begin at any age.

Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli

Have you heard the true story of Nobel Peace Prize Winner “Mama Miti”of Kenya, who founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977? This is a powerful story for the whole family to enjoy, that depicts the power that one person can hold to impact the future of others. 

My Food, Your Food by Lisa Bullard

A story that takes place during food week at school, where kids bring in their families cultural foods and share them with their class.  Explore the many different types of food from around the world, the similarities they share, and the cultures that celebrate them.

My Soca Birthday Party by Yolanda T. Marshall

Who doesn’t like a surprise birthday party, especially one this delicious!? Canadian author, Yolanda T. Marshall invites us to a celebration with a fusion of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of African and Carribean cuisine, music, dance and culture.

Right This Very Minute: A Table-to-Farm Book About Food and Farming by Lisl H. Detlefsen

Right this very minute, right in front of us, are many available opportunities to learn about and give thanks to our food systems heroes that have helped bring the food we have to our table. This story is a beautiful reminder and gentle nod to all the hard working folks behind the scenes that make up our food system. Follow up by checking out our food systems heroes thank you video.

Stone Soup by Heather Forest

This ancient tale, retold by Heather Forest teaches that making something from nothing, is a lot easier when we work together. This book is about food, community, and sharing while sharing an important lesson of how a small contribution from one, can lead to a collective impact that is so much more.

The First Fry Bread: A Gitxsan Story by Dr. M. Jane Smith

Fry bread has a significant role in the Gitxsan culture. It is often served both at home and at feasts. The fry bread story has a message for children on the importance of building up their spirits.

The Perfectly Wonky Carrot by Chris Newman

This story ticks all the boxes - a fight against food waste, with a little dose of self-love and a celebration of diversity. This confident little carrot shows that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes - and to consider giving a little bit more love to the rare looking fruits and vegetables in the produce section during your next shop.

Plant’s Can’t Sit Still by Rebecca E. Hirsch

Move through the lessons on the life cycle of a plant with this fun book that showcases the side of plants that we don’t always see. After story time - follow up with our vegetable stretch video that we love to use to teach kids about how a plant grows, and get a little movement break in when we need to readjust our energy levels!

Picture Books for Ages 2-6:

Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root

At Growing Chefs, we are huge supporters of inclusive gardening, and believe that you can grow food anywhere! And that is why we LOVE this book that takes us on a rhyming journey exploring all the different places a garden can grow. This story can be a child's first introduction to a DIY garden using repurposed materials. Apologies in advance if you find one of your boots filled with dirt one day!

And the Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson

What goes into taking care of a vegetable patch? It’s not just planting, and harvesting. It takes a lot of time to dig, plant, weed, water….and wait! But taking on this task with family, makes it that much sweeter. Journey through the cycling seasons, and explore all that the good brown earth can offer in lessons and in harvest. 

Busy in the Garden by George Shannon

Carrot-all to join in on rhyme time with 24 poems about the growing season? Adults who have a strong appreciation for puns may even enjoy this book more than the kiddos. Riddles, rhymes, and rockin’ thymes.

Because of an Acorn by Lola Schafer & Adam Schaefer

Missing adventure these days? This story invites us down a path, journeying the seemingly simplest aspects of our layered ecosystem while learning about the life cycles of a plant.

Carrot Soup by John Segal

A story that follows Rabbit through the seasons of tending to a very precious patch of carrots. Come harvest time, the carrots are gone, and Rabbits friends have a lovely soup-rise in store for him!

Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A-Z by Lois Ehlert

Practice ABC’s, celebrate fruits and vegetables from around the world, and increase food vocabulary! Included in this fun picture book, is a tasty glossary showcasing where each item is grown, and how it is usually eaten - a perfect read before snack time!

Little Pea by Amy Krauss Rosenthal

“If you don’t eat your sweets, there will be no vegetables for dessert!!” Wait...what!? A sweet story for picky eaters, and their parents who find themselves in a common pea-dicament when it comes to meal time - but with a twist!

Pizza at Sally’s by Monica Wellington

We can’t think of a tastier way to learn about the intricacies of where food comes from then over a big pizza pie. Sally is doing pizza, in the coolest way possible. Buying flour right from the mill, making pizza sauce with tomatoes from the community garden. We’re all about it!

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

We love this story about the power of believing in yourself, determination, patience and following your gut. Despite everyone telling a young boy that his carrot seed will not grow into anything - he doesn’t stop watering, weeding, and waiting. An important story that is a fundamental part of being a successful gardener.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Let’s follow the lead of Liam in this story by daring to dream about a more green world. Environmentalism in an urban setting. As we turn the pages of this book, the dark, grey world transforms before our eyes into a vibrant, lush, green one.

Picture Books for Ages 5-9:

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang 

Trial and error in the kitchen is something that we have probably all experienced during this pandemic. No need to get discouraged! In this story, Amy Wu is determined to make one of her cultures traditional recipes despite her many failed attempts - I wonder what the secret ingredient is?

Eddie's Garden: And How to Make Things Grow by Sarah Garland

This fun story showcases all the hard work that goes into making a garden grow. But as we know, there is more to it than just a gardener's hard work! Eddie gets some help from the sun, rain, and many little critters. An inspiring story that inspires the youngest of gardeners to grow anywhere they can!

Food Truck Fest! by Alexandra Penfold

Feeling stuck at home? Travel the world of food, exploring with these restaurants-on-wheels, and get a taste of adventure! A celebration of the vibrancy food trucks bring to our communities, that showcases all that goes on behind the scenes to gather, transport, prepare and cook delicious food for us in the most unexpecting of places.

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

A delicate introduction to understanding how a plant, flower, or tree has come to be - sharing important vocabulary around the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination. A perfect companion for early science lessons, and curious young gardeners. Our favourite part? This book includes instructions for a fun seed-growing project!

Grandma's Garden by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton

This timeless, heart-warming, and cross-generational story that showcases all the power a garden has. Imagining one space that holds opportunities to learn, discover, celebrate and share in stories and moments of solitude. Snuggle up with a loved one, and enjoy the comfort of a garden with this book.

How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry

This cheerful story has all the good feels, while educating young readers about the many cycles and elements of gardening. Most importantly, this story drives home the importance of community, and that we all need a little help from our friends. Author Lynne Cherry is on a mission to inspire kids to grow their own food at home or at school. Growing Chefs approves!

Picture a Tree by Barbara Reid

Canadian author and illustrator Barbara Reid, invites you into this soothing story that has us giving gratitude to the bounty of nature, and all that a tree can offer. This book is sure to help sprout in our imaginations, a magic that will never have us looking at trees the same again. 

The Garden of Happiness by Erika Tamar

This is a serious, feel-good book about urban agriculture! Marisol is inspired by a vacant lot in her community that is transformed into a community garden. She wants to get involved, but there are no available plots left - but that doesn’t stop her! She passes along the inspiration to so many others, with her sheer determination to plant a seed.

The Pea Blossom by Amy Lowry Poole

A retelling of an old tale of Five Peas in a Pod, one pea finds its destiny and purpose on the windowsill of a house near the city of Beijing where a young, sick girl finds hope and healing in this little pea.

The Ugly Vegetable by Grace Lin

Join us in celebrating all the fruits and vegetables that don’t get enough appreciation in this world with this story! We don’t carrot-all about whether or not our produce looks perfect - it's equally as delicious! This story includes a scrumptious recipe for ‘Ugly Vegetable Soup’ with a complete guide of Chinese pronunciation for some decadent produce.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

This story paints a picture of the combined forces in a garden: the busy bees swirling in the green, and the less noticed, wriggling worms and vital work being done down in the dirt. This rhythmic story provides comfort that we are not alone in our hard work in the garden!

Up We Grow!: A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm by Deborah Hodge

We are invited to get to know the hardworking farmers who plow, plant, compost, mulch, harvest and market fruits and vegetables. We learn about the chickens and goats, buzzing bees, and many of the farmers’ friends, working in synchronicity that help make it all happen. This informative book explains to children the importance of small local farms while touching on soil science, pollinators and sustainable agriculture.

Watch Me Grow!: A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City by Deborah Hodge

This book features photos taken locally in Vancouver that highlight all the possibilities of urban agriculture, and growing food in the city and how kids can be involved!

Zora’s Zucchini by Katherine Pryor

Zora was warned that she was planting A LOT of zucchini, but like most kids, she wasn’t focusing on the potential problems, when there was so much possibility! When her family was all zuked out, and ran out of creative ways to eat zucchini - Zora started her own neighbourhood vegetable swap! We love this story that highlights a community growing food, and coming together to share in their harvests.

Books for Ages 9-12:

Seed Folks by Paul Fleischmen

In this short novel, a seed is planted in a diverse neighborhood that sprouts and grows into a community garden. A great novel, for intermediate aged readers that covers topics about urban agriculture, community, and that one person can make a big difference in their community.

Seed Savers: Treasure by Sandra Smith

Treasure, is Part one of the ‘Seed Savers’ series that gently depicts a dystopian society where seeds and gardening are illegal. Two kids, meet a friend who teaches them about seeds, and real food.  This leads them to let their curiosities take them on an adventure where they plant a forbidden tomato plant. This series of 5 books showcases the importance of the seed savers in our world, and may plant a seed for the kids in your life to discover the magic that is in a seed.

The Vanderbeekers and the Secret Garden by Karina Yan Glaser

We love this second book in the Vanderbeekers series that is a mega-feel good story about the neighbourhood children joining forces for good to create a secret healing garden in their urban community of Harlem for one of their elderly neighbours who is sick. Jam-packed full of warmth, community, and caring.

The Recipe for a Happy Holiday

Monday, December 14th, 2020
NEWS RELEASE: THE RECIPE FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY

Local food-focused charities partner with chefs and local businesses to support edible education this holiday season

Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots Farms have written the recipe for a happy holiday

  • Start with two local food-focused charities (Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots) 

  • Engage three talented local chefs (Chefs Robert Clark, Tasha Sawyer, TJ Conwi) 

  • Add generous philanthropists (Willow Grove Foundation and more)

  • Throw in a boatload of sustainable seafood (Organic Ocean) 

  • Mix with 345 spatulas and ladles (House of Knives)

  • Finish with a cup of creativity, teaspoon of generosity, and pinch of love.

Chef Tasha Sawyer Photo Credit: Mavreen David Photography

Chef Tasha Sawyer
Photo Credit: Mavreen David Photography

LunchLAB is a collaborative project between two local charities, Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots. In LunchLAB, students learn to grow their own food, supplement that food from local farms, and with the support of their teacher and chef-in-residence, learn to cook for themselves and their peers. This week, hundreds of children will go home with one of their favourite LunchLAB dishes and a special gift to help them keep cooking at home.

““We are not able to be in schools right now and our LunchLAB chefs and team miss spending time with the LunchLAB students,” said Amanda Adams, Growing Chefs’ Program Director. “We wanted to let them know that we are thinking of them this holiday season. We can’t wait to be in the kitchen with them again.””

At Total Education High School, 45 students who regularly would be a part of our LunchLAB program are receiving a pasta meal kit with ingredients and instructions so they can practice their cooking skills at home by creating a nutritious meal for their family, all created by Chef Tasha Sawyer. Additionally, Chef TJ Conwi has bottled up the kids’ favourite salad dressing from the salad bar for 300 LunchLAB students at Lord Roberts Elementary School. They will also receive the recipe for this healthy dressing so they can teach their caregivers how to make it at home. All students will also receive a special gift from our friends at House of Knives to help them keep cooking.

Additionally, 80 local families in need will receive a generous gift of healthy, sustainable seafood (frozen shrimp and salmon, and canned tuna) from Organic Ocean, made possible by a donation from the Willow Grove Foundation. These families will also receive a recipe and cooking tips by Chef Robert Clark, recently appointed to the Order of Canada in November 2020 for establishing a world-renowned program to help businesses and customers identify and purchase sustainable seafood.

Seafood hampers will be distributed to families by Vancouver Coastal Health's Leadership and Resilience program team and Vancouver Technical Secondary School. These are many of the same families that were provided with weekly meals earlier in the pandemic through our LunchLAB pivot, Chefs for Families.

““We are incredibly grateful for such a seamless collaboration between organizations and blown away by the number of people reaching out to volunteer their time and donate food, space, services, products and money. The resilience and support from our community is truly inspiring,” says Alexa Pitoulis, Executive Director of Fresh Roots.”

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About LunchLAB 
Both Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots believe food can be a catalyst for positive change and a source of joy and inspiration, even during challenging times. LunchLAB is a collaborative project between two local charities, Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots. In LunchLAB, elementary and high school students learn to grow their own food, supplement that food from local farms, and with the support of their teacher and chef-in-residence, learn to cook for themselves and their peers.

About House of Knives
House of Knives’ vision is a simple one: to improve the quality of life of all those they encounter through education and innovation. Their goal is to match our customers with quality and functional tools, and to educate them on how to use and maintain their tools. To achieve this, they strive to create an inclusive atmosphere within each of their stores where customers who appreciate quality feel comfortable entering and inquiring about their products and services. If customers' needs are not obvious, they listen openly, and without prejudice or bias, to help them determine what their needs are and how to fulfill them.House of Knives aims to have their customers view them as not only as a destination where one can purchase fine quality tools and functional gifts, but as a resource for the service, knowledge, and education required to use and maintain their investments.

About Organic Ocean 
Organic Ocean was established by fishers who recognized that sustainable livelihoods rely upon sustainable fisheries. Driven by the growing demand for responsibly sourced seafood, Organic Ocean has evolved into a community of seafood producers — traditional, modern, and indigenous — all dedicated to ecosystem and social stewardship. The top chefs were the first to recognize that by making choices for the good of our oceans, they were also being provided the finest ingredients. Now Organic Ocean fish and shellfish is also available for contactless, door to door delivery to the home or office. Organic Ocean is a Certified B Corporation and a member of 1% for the Planet and was named one of the Top 25 Sustainability-minded Seafood Suppliers That Have Transformed The North American Industry. 

Websites:

Donation Websites:

Instagram:

Photo and interview opportunities available. 
Download High Resolution Images Here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JSpuxcrbfls0-H988HPkhkt5doKkZhR4?usp=sharing

Media Contacts:
Jaydeen Williams - Co-Interim Executive Director at Growing Chefs
jaydeen@growingchefs.ca
604-710-1677

Caroline Manuel - Communications and Engagement Manager at Fresh Roots
caroline@freshroots.ca
778-764-0DIG (0344), ext. 108

Program Contacts:
Amanda Adams - Program Director at Growing Chefs
amanda@growingchefs.ca 
604-916-2556

Alexa Pitoulis - Executive Director at Fresh Roots
alexa@freshroots.ca 
778-764-0DIG (0344), ext. 101