A Year at Growing Chefs - 2021 Year in Review

2021 has been an exciting year at Growing Chefs! And we want to share with you how our year has gone.

A Note from our New Executive Director

2021 you ask? Well, it was virtually, awesome. 

Joining the Growing Chefs team in January had me witness and lead a fully virtual organization and programming. It was unimaginable, yet incredible. We definitely had some challenges, but we remained positive, full of energy, and led a transformation into the online learning community. As my team says, “we didn’t miss a beet”. I am proud to say that this year, the Growing Chefs team had the best recipe for success around. An extremely talented, passionate, efficient team of staff, with the addition of a dedicated volunteer board of directors, and a set of valuable volunteers and advisors all helped propel us along.

Together, we carried out our mission as though nothing changed in our world, yet, the world has been dramatically changed from what we know it to be. We also have the best donors around who are generous, engaged, and most importantly, mission-aligned.

I reflect on this year, seeing that we accomplished not only a new face and audience to our programming, we developed a solid new strategic plan to continue to strive forward over the next three years.

I’m looking forward to 2022, to witness yet again, our small, big-hearted, yet mighty organization continue to creatively and meaningfully help B.C. children build connections to their food, the earth, local food systems, and with one another. 

-Kara-Leigh Bloch

Program Year Review

Virtual Field Trips 

Being outside of the classroom doesn’t mean the learning has to stop! This year, Growing Chefs created virtual field trips with four wonderful community partners. From the comfort of home or from within their classrooms, students were able to visit fascinating venues and engage with local food professionals to enrich their learning about our local food systems. Teachers can choose from the following options:

• Learn about urban farming from Fresh Roots Farms;

• Understand how maple syrup is made by virtually visiting Cheakamus Centre;

• Visit the Sandown Centre to explore regenerative agriculture; 

• Find out how ice cream gets made at Earnest Ice Cream

We will continue to offer virtual field trips in the new year. If you’re a teacher (or know of one) who would like to host a virtual field trip, sign up here!

Victoria 

Although we have not been able to return to in-classroom programming with volunteers in Victoria, we were able to offer an adaptive, distanced food literacy program. This spring, Growing Chefs partnered with Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture for a new way to get elementary school classrooms growing. Our new Seedlings for Sandown project meant kids getting their hands in the soil, planting seeds and sharing in the joy of the growing season, while learning about how food is grown and engaging with their community in a healthy way. This exciting new project saw 230 elementary school students from 12 classrooms helping to plant and grow 250+ seedlings. These seedlings were then transplanted by a group of students from Parkland Secondary where they grew to maturity at the Sandown Centre’s regenerative agriculture site - helping to break ground, regenerate the soil, and brighten this new community space. We love the amazing work being done at Sandown, and wanted to share it with the rest of our community. This partnership led us to create a virtual field trip so children on and off the island can learn more about regenerative agriculture at Sandown.  

Return to the Classroom 

Our team worked hard over the summer to make sure that part of our programming could return to the classroom this fall. We rewrote our curriculum to fit the time and the circumstance, and did our first ever set of virtual volunteer orientations. We are very thankful to have been able to deliver a small pilot program this fall, in person, in 8 classrooms in metro-Vancouver. A small crew of dedicated volunteers and eight joyful grade 4-7 classrooms went through this new four week program with us. Students learned how to make pickles, how best to wash your hands, and discussed the factors that influence our food choices. They even went on a virtual field trip! Even during these times, we’ve found ways to bring our innovative and signature hands-on food systems learning to students in classrooms.

We will be delivering COVID-adjusted in-classroom programming in spring 2022 as well! Please let us know here if you are interested in volunteering with us.

LunchLab 

This fall Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots were able to restart our LunchLAB program at Total Education, serving delicious and nutritious chef and student prepared meals to students and staff. LunchLAB changes the narrative about lunch. Learning with their teacher and a chef-in-residence, student chefs help create the menu, make it, and serve it to their peers. It is an exercise in learning and sharing. And it’s delicious.

Fundraising and Development Year Review

Champion Radish Club

Growing Chefs started 2021 with 82 generous monthly donors and an ambitious goal to end the year with 100. We launched the #BeeSweet campaign on Valentine’s Day and before March 31st, we knocked that goal out of the park! Now, we have more than 100 monthly donors who donate over $30,000 per year! 

Members of the Champion Radish Club receive special Growing Chefs perks like promo codes for ticketed events, entries into prize draws, and an invitation to an annual event, just for monthly donors. This year, Chefs Shobna Kannusamy and Bruno Feldeisen hosted a virtual cooking class to celebrate everything apple at our event Apple-y Ever After, complete with apples from Klippers Organics and cider from Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse!

You too can join the Champion Radish Club at www.growingchefs.ca/donate. 

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.

From Farms to Forks 

The heart of From Farms to Forks has always been about celebrating local chefs, restaurants, food growers, and producers. Now, more than ever, we are reminded of the importance of community, food, and connection which is why despite the pandemic, we chose to celebrate the 12th year of From Farms to Forks!

This year, our From Farms to Forks Food Series in October and November included:

• Five virtual events organized and hosted by various members of the Growing Chefs team, featuring some of the province’s greatest growers and culinary personalities

• A hand-delivered Culinary Cache for Food Series Pass holders filled with tasty treats, wine and beer, and products celebrating local food producers and businesses.

• A Secret Menu to purchase $50 restaurant gift cards

• An Online Auction with 85 delicious local packages donated by community members and businesses

• A 50/50 Raffle

What a success! Nearly 120 different people participated in the various events, with half of them purchasing Food Series Passes to attend all five events. We were able to provide over $1,500 to local mission-aligned restaurants throughout the series, and our final amount raised from the community was $55,880.

A giant thank you to all of our chefs, farmers, donors, supporters, and sponsors.

Silver Thyme Sponsors:

• Mission Hill Family Estate

Bronze Fennel Sponsors

• House of Knives

• Il Centro - Italian Cultural Centre

• Modo

• Whole Foods Market

Media Sponsors

• Mavreen David Photography

• Edible Vancouver & Wine Country

• Fiodesigns

• J. Josue Photography

Turnip The Heat 

On Giving Tuesday, November 30th, we launched our winter fundraising campaign, Turnip the Heat! All donations that we receive through December 31st contribute to our $25,000 campaign goal and support food literacy programming for B.C. kids this 2021/2022 school year. 

DOUBLE THE SPICE! Three generous donors: Peter Blitz, Ryan Fan and Jo Da Conceicao, and The Varshney Family Foundation are matching donations up to $12,500 for this campaign. 

This winter, turnip the heat on your generosity and move up the Scoville Scale! Choose what kind of pepper you want to be this year at www.growingchefs.ca/donate. 

• $5,000+ - Ghost Pepper

• $1,000-$4,999 - Habanero Pepper

• $500-$999 - Serrano Pepper

• $100-$499 - Jalapeño Pepper

• Under $100 - Poblano Pepper

Visit www.growingchefs.ca/turniptheheat to see the fundraising thermometer and read a list of our spicy supporters!

We hope you had as exciting of a year as we did! We are looking forward to 2022 and reaching even more kids with our hands-on edible education.

Donor Shoutout: Culinary Cache

We soared through the From Farms to Forks Food Series, but we want to take a moment to look back and spread the love to our amazing sponsors and donors. Today we will be acknowledging those who contributed to our Culinary Cache, a complimentary gift bag that was delivered to our Food Series pass holders filled with tasty treats and products celebrating local food producers and businesses.

A big thank you to: Biota Fermentation, Dageraad Brewing, Davis Bay Tea Company, Earnest Ice Cream, East Van Jam, Edible Vancouver Magazine, Fresh Prep, Fresh Roots, Tempo Gin, Helmer's Organic Farm, House of Knives, KICS Lemonade, Klippers Organics, Legends Haul, Mission Hill Family Estate, Nature Bee Beeswax Wraps, Ono Vancouver, RISE Kombucha, Shaketown Brewing, Spread'Em Kitchen, The Preservatory, and Whole Foods Market.

Biota Fermentation

Dageraad Brewing

Davis Bay Tea Company

Earnest Ice Cream

East Van Jam

Edible Vancouver

Fresh Roots, Helmer's Organic Farm & Klippers Organics

Tempo Gin

Growing Chefs

House of Knives

KICS Lemonade

Legends Haul

Mission Hill Winery Family Estate

Nature Bee Beeswax Wraps

Ono Vancouver

RISE Kombucha

Shaketown Brewing

Spread'Em Kitchen

The Preservatory

Whole Foods Market

An extra thank you to J. Josue Photography for capturing all of these images, Il Centro, Italian Cultural Centre for providing a safe space to pack our caches, our amazing volunteers from Traction on Demand for helping to pack everything, and Modo for zipping us around town! Below are photos of our team hard at work, and our donors LOVING their caches!

Four Season Foraging

FOUR SEASON FORAGING

Wednesday, October 13th at 7:30 pm (PST)

Spend time with Robin Kort of Swallow Tail Tours, Lori Snyder, Indigenous herbalist & educator, and Steph Ganea of Seeker’s Club to learn the ins and outs of foraging safely, ethically, and sustainably year round!

• $75 ticket - Includes $25 tax receipt, reference materials, dish ingredients and recipe, and wine. Pickup on October 12th from 4:00-7:00PM at the Italian Cultural Centre, 3075 Slocan St, Vancouver.

• $20 zoom-only ticket - Includes virtual access (no beverages/ingredients).

Guests will receive the ingredients and recipe to prepare a dish designed by Chef Devon Latte of The Acorn, and a bottle of wine from Mission Hill Family Estate.

Maple + Sherry Glazed Vancouver Island Chanterelles from Lance "Wildcraft" Staples, Caramelized Chanterelle Purée, Toasted Haida Gwaii Wakame. Finished with Harissa Olive Oil from Victoria Olive Oil Co.

Special Guests

Photo Credit: Food Network

Lori Snyder

Lori Snyder is a Métis herbalist and educator who shares the wisdom and traditions of her Indigenous roots. Tsuu T’ina, Anishinaabe, Cree, Nakoda, and Nipissing Nations are mixed with her Scottish, French, and Celtic ancestry. She shares knowledge with people of all ages, reminding us of the practices of reciprocity with all that exists.

My favourite local ingredient is: Any fruit or vegetable that grows locally, like salal berries.

The best advice I can give a child who wants to become a chef is: Try not to eat sugar so you can educate your palate and really taste the wonderful world of flavours.

My favourite meal to cook for myself is: Roasted vegetable lentil cumin soup.

If I could have any superpower it would be: The ability to clean up the ocean.

I believe programs like Growing Chefs are important because: Food is the gift of life, and anyone who shares that love is important.

Chef Robin Kort - Swallow Tail Tours

My favourite seasonal vegetable is: Tomato.

My favourite local ingredient is: Sea Urchin.

The best advice I can give a child who wants to become a chef is: Play with your food!

My favourite meal to cook for myself is: Congee with wild mushrooms is my comfort food.

My favourite food memory when I was a kid is: Picking berries with my Grandma and making Saskatoon berry pie.

I believe programs like Growing Chefs are important because: Having a healthy relationship with food and knowing where it comes from is just the right thing to engender in a kid, both for their own health and to show respect for the earth.

Steph Ganea - Seeker’s Club

My favourite seasonal vegetables are: Perfectly ripened heirloom or cherry tomatoes.

My favourite local ingredients are: Chanterelle or Lobster mushrooms.

The best advice I can give a child who wants to become a chef is: Help in the kitchen as much as you can! If you’re curious about an ingredient, ask, or research it yourself. Ask if you can experiment with one new ingredient or recipe a month. Try to grow a garden. Learn about your local wild edibles to really take your cooking skills to the next level.

If I could have any superpower it would be: Definitely flying. It would make getting to the best foraging spots a breeze.

Chef Devon Latte - The Acorn

My favourite local ingredient is: The bounty of local wild foraged mushrooms and greens!

My favourite food memory when I was a kid is: Gardening with my mom, grilling in the summers with my dad!

The best advice I can give a child who wants to become a chef is: Start cooking as much as possible in your younger years, read plenty of books on technique.  Understanding food is the most important part of cooking!

I believe programs like Growing Chefs are important because: This program is amazing.  Having the younger generation understand what it takes to grow food, even in urban environments, is extremely important.  In this new world of ultra-take out, cooking at home is becoming more and more rare. The act of showing and teaching kids to grow and cook food, how delicious and nutritious it really is, it's priceless!

From Farms to Forks 12 Culinary Kick-Off Thank You Poem!

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She is a wiz in the kitchen, and a wiz with her words. From Farms to Forks just wouldn’t be the same without the poetic finale from our Founder and Chair, Chef Merri Schwartz. At our Culinary Kick-Off on Sunday, October 3rd (the first of five great events), Merri closed the evening with the following:

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Well, who could have known that we’d be here again,

United, yet distant, and still all good friends.

Though we love Zoom, we hate Zoom! We’re grateful you’re here,

You showed up tonight to support and to cheer.

Right off the bat, we’ll say thank you for beverages,

Mission Hill donates wine and it gives us some leverage,

To lure you, to lull you, to get you involved,

Though you’re not here for drinks, to our mission you’re called! (right?)

As always—thirteen years now—Artona we thank,

Whole Foods for the cash we can take to the bank.

Il Centro for being our stalwart home base,

And Modo for getting our team to each place.

For sweet auction prizes, Chef Tret of Miantiao,

Goodridge & Williams Distilling, what a prize! Simply wow!

A few of our allies helped spread the word widely,

Chefs Table, Les Dames, SVP—thanks obligingly.

Our same dear four friends always help out with media,

Edible Vancouver, Jana Josue, Mavreen David--we see ya!

fiodesigns your design, as it graces our booklet,

Our words may be basic, but they sure don’t look it!

When farmers help out, it’s more moving than most,

Fresh Roots, Helmers, Klippers, it sure would be gauche…

Not to show our sincerest, heartfelt gratitude,

Zaklan Heritage—all of you—for donating food!

The Cache—I hope all of you sampled delights,

Its donors were many, though we set our sights…

On highlighting those who divert wasted food,

Cause isn’t it cool, that preservation attitude?

Big thanks for tonight, our highlights were many,

Thanks right off the bat, to Chef TJ Conwi.

Jeremy Fisher, the music that started our night,

Amber Bruce for teaching us cocktails done right.

Margaret Gallagher, your presence is simply required,

And though we’re on Zoom, you’re so nicely attired.

Farmer Gemma, Chef Phil for the interesting chat,

Collaborations like yours are just where it’s at.

We’ve got so many guests for events coming up!

I hope you don’t mind if we raise up a cup.

To Steph, and to Robin, to Devon, and Lori,

We can’t wait till you guide us and tell us your story.

Karima and Trixie, Linda, Amanda, and Matt,

Cassandra—each one of you, off come our hats!

As you teach, and you cook, and you quiz us with trivia,

Your talents are huge and we can’t wait to have ya!

Our staff and our board, though I say it each year,

We love you and truly you’re all why we’re here.

Volunteers too, we’re incredibly glad,

That you joined us and helped us. A good time was had!

With driving, and packing, and coordinating pick-ups,

You managed it all, with few to no hiccups!

Our usual thank you to dear SpencerCreo,

For providing our office, you truly are heroes.

A serious moment, to remember Ken Spencer,

A jovial, kind, and compassionate member…

Of the Growing Chefs family. His presence is missed.

His impact is felt through his generous gifts.

Amazing! We made it through all of the verses,

Thanks once again for opening your purses…

And hearts! To our cause, we are ever-so-grateful,

We’ll thank you in person, as soon as we’re able.

See you online at our next four events,

Now go drink your drinks, these thanks were intense!

Welcome to Our Newest Student Intern, Alex!

Hey friends! My name is Alex (she/her), and I will be joining Growing Chefs! this fall as a student intern while I pursue a degree in Sustainable Agriculture at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. When I was younger, I dreamed of my future career and I read books about massage therapy, mixology, and the behaviour of wolves, but I never imagined that I would one day be interested in agriculture. While I have always been a HUGE fan of tasty food and environmental studies, I did not realize this intersection at sustainable agriculture until I was in university. In school I discovered the amazing work that people do to push growing food to be more earth-friendly and community-friendly and this inspired me to change my school direction.

My school days are now filled with classes on an organic farm, collecting insects, learning about food systems, and joining Growing Chefs! in their quest to educate our communities. Much of the work I will be doing will be virtual, but it does not mean I feel any less a sense of togetherness as I did when I volunteered with Growing Chefs! in the fall of 2019. I am so pleased to be joining the team this semester and I encourage you to say hello to me if you see me around east Vancouver or on the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Campus.

In my free time I work to develop my mini jewellery business, spend time with my friends and family, exercise, listen to funny podcasts, grow vegetables, help run the Sustainable Agriculture Student Association at Kwantlen and volunteer with amazing groups such as Fresh Roots and the Astoria Urban Farm.

Thanks for reading!

It's Back! From Farms to Forks Year 12!

For Immediate Release
Vancouver + Victoria, BC:

Growing Chefs’ From Farms to Forks is returning for its 12th year this October! Like our palates, this event has evolved over the years and has grown from a one-night event into a series of events that are accessible across Vancouver and Victoria-- and virtually for those across B.C. and Canada! 

This series of events is a celebration of local chefs, restaurants, and food producers while highlighting the importance of community and connection surrounding food. For the safety of all including chefs, restaurants, and guests, From Farms to Forks will remain online this year but each online event will be jam-packed with energy, education, and eats!

The aim is to raise $65,000 for Growing Chefs edible education programming and initiatives throughout the upcoming school year supporting B.C. kids and their families. This is an opportunity for foodies around the province to show their love for the Industry while supporting the next generation of food lovers. 

With five online events plus an online auction and 50/50 raffle there are multiple ways for food lovers around B.C. and Canada to get involved throughout the five-week fundraising event. The online auction and 50/50 raffle will run from Friday, October 1, 2021 until Sunday, November 7, 2021 that is open to everyone. 

Tickets for the five-week event go on sale on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 9am. Tickets are limited.

The 2021 Lineup of Events are: 

• Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 8:00PM - Culinary Kick-Off & Secret Menu takeout dinner*
  Join us for the kick-off party and enjoy menus from a small selection (shhh it’s a secret) of Vancouver and Victoria restaurants with special guests popping into the event to say hello! Part of the series pass only.

• Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 7:30PM - Four Season Foraging*
  Spend the evening with Robin Kort of Swallow Tail Tours and other foraging experts and educators to learn the ins and outs of foraging safely, ethically, and sustainably year round! Part of the series pass or individually priced.

• Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at 6:00PM - Catching Fillings - For the Love of Dumplings (Cooking Class)*
  How do dumplings connect to us, our cuisines, and our cultures? Let Chefs Karima Chellouf, Matthew Murtagh-Wu and more guide you through a dumpling-folding class as they share their techniques, their stories, and their love of dumplings! Part of the series pass or individually priced.

• Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 8:00PM - Trivial Charcutes Local Food Trivia*
  You’ll be served up 12 courses of delicious local food trivia  hosted by Growing Chefs’ own trivia buff and Program Director Amanda Adams! Halloween costumes are encouraged and there will be lots of treats to win! Part of the series pass or individually priced.

• Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 10:00AM - Choose Your Own Brunch Adventure (Family Cooking Class)*
  Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but Brunch is an event with this Family Cooking Class which allows the kids in your life to get their hands dirty and start their day with food, fun, and family! Part of the series pass or individually priced.

*Please note these events may include a drop-off or pick-up of partial ingredients/beverages from a central location in either Vancouver or Victoria.

Passes for access to all five events of the Food Series are $250 per person or $450 per couple (and include a $200 or $400 charitable tax receipt, respectively). The Secret Menu takeout dinner for October 3rd is an added $50 per ticket which goes directly to the restaurant. All pass holders will receive a Culinary Cache filled with tasty treats and products with a focus on preventing food waste and food preservation from local food producers and businesses. The Culinary Cache is limited to the first 100 pass holders- so get your tickets early! 

Prices for individual events vary. Individual event tickets range from $20 (for virtual access only) to $75 (includes ingredients and/or beverages).

Tickets and additional information will be available on www.growingchefs.ca. 

We’re grape-ful to have Mission Hill Family Estate Winery back this year as our wine sponsor. 

-xx-

For additional information please contact:

Media Contact
Kathleen Beveridge
kmhbeveridge at gmail.com
604.999.1934

Development & Communications Director, Growing Chefs
Jaydeen Williams
jaydeen at growingchefs.ca
604.710.1677

Seedlings for Sandown

This spring, Growing Chefs partnered with Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture for a new way to get elementary school classrooms growing. Our new Seedlings for Sandown project meant kids got their hands in the soil, planted seeds and shared in the joy of the growing season, while learning about how food is grown and engaging with their community in a healthy way.

In April, Growing Chefs provided 230 students in 12 Greater Victoria Area classrooms with windowsill gardening kits. Each kit included sunflower and popcorn seeds from Metchosin Farm - a local farm and seed producer on the island - as well as a classroom gardening resource guide with information on the plants they are growing, and interactive activity guides for teachers to incorporate the gardens into their teaching. Students had the opportunity to plant seeds and nurture them into seedlings, while learning about the parts and life cycle of a plant, how they grow, soil, and our food system.

“Our corn seeds started to sprout this week ….. Yeah! The students are very excited and eagerly visit them first thing every morning! We talk to our plants and give them kindness to make them grow fast and healthy! We just planted our sunflower seeds yesterday so we are anxiously waiting for them to sprout soon.”

— Teacher, Quadra Elementary

In June, over 250 seedlings were transported from these participating elementary schools to the Sandown Centre’s new 83-acre regenerative farm site, where they were transplanted by a group of students from the nearby Parkland Secondary School. The Parkland Secondary class then had the opportunity to get their hands in the dirt while learning about regenerative agriculture. They heard from a few of Sandown’s farmpreneurs to learn about their start in a career in regenerative agriculture. The seedlings will grow to maturity at the Sandown Centre’s regenerative agriculture site - helping to break ground, regenerate the soil, and brighten this new community space!

2020/2021 Program Update

As the school year comes to a close, so does another year of edible education and food literacy programming at Growing Chefs. And what a year it has been! Despite not being able to visit elementary schools in person, our programming did not miss a beet. This past school year, we were still able to reach 87 classrooms and over 2,500 kids. Here’s a look at what we got up to!

By the end of the 2019/2020 school year, we missed seeing our learners in person. So during the summer of 2020, our team worked on developing ways we could interact directly with learners to continue to create meaningful connections between students and those working in the local food system. We may not have been able to bring chefs and farmers into school classrooms, but we found ways to connect them to classrooms digitally, and brought the classroom to our local food systems for a highly interactive, virtual behind-the-scenes look.

With pre-recorded on-site videos, live interactive activities, printable worksheets, and a live Q&A with local food experts our new Virtual Field Trips allowed students to explore their local food system in a completely new way. Each unique session provided students with the opportunity to interact with local food producers, chefs, and other food experts, see unique locations related to our food systems, and encourage them to think critically about these systems all while staying in the comfort and safety of their classroom or their home.

Engaging 28 classrooms in this new program we visited:

• Fresh Roots Farm to showcase the full growth cycle of a plant and learn about urban agriculture on a schoolyard farm, and

• Cheakamus Centre near Squamish, to learn from Chef Wade and Cultural Educator Aura about the science behind maple syrup making and to take a look at maple trees from an Indigenous perspective.

• At the end of the school year, we also began to pilot a virtual field trip to the Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture, exploring natural connections and the importance of these connections to farming and food production.

"The programming was thoughtful, engaging, and informative. The presenters were equipped with a wealth of knowledge and professional experience. They even brought along physical items that were used to share and present concepts over Zoom. My students found this useful for understanding from afar. Importantly, we were given the opportunity to work, not only with Chef Wade from the Cheakamus Centre, but also Indigenous knowledge keeper Aura, who provided historical and traditional stories and information to ground us in the land and cultural traditions of the area. This was very special. I will absolutely be booking with Growing Chefs again in the future!"

- Whitney Wiliams, Grade 2 teacher at South Island Distance Education School, Vancouver Island

In the fall, Growing Chefs piloted a program that would allow chefs and food experts to directly connect with kids in the classroom, even if they couldn’t join the classrooms in person this year. Through our digital pen-pal program we called Vegeta-pals, 12 classrooms across the province were paired with food experts and chefs to engage one another in exploring our food systems. Vegeta-pals exchanged video messages, artwork, and letters, engaged in learning activities, and some even had live interactive video chats continuing to build connections with kids and where their food comes from.

“We are having a great time with Chef Patrick and Mich from the Vegeta-pal program.  Our students are LOVING IT. Our class is so jazzed to be part of the Growing Chefs program, in this virtual sense.  It is amazing, how creative we are getting during these times. Our class is full of energy, enthusiasm and joy.”

- Kimberly Baker, Grade 3/4 teacher at Maywood Community School, Burnaby

This spring, Growing Chefs provided 47 classrooms with the materials needed to get growing in the classroom. We provided planters, seeds from our friends at West Coast Seeds, soil, a classroom gardening resource guide developed by Growing Chefs with our friends from the Vancouver Master Gardeners. With online support for teachers, we were able to continue getting students’ hands in the soil and engage kids in the concept of how food grows.

In the Greater Victoria area, these classroom gardens extended beyond the walls of the school through our new Seedlings for Sandown program. 12 Victoria classrooms grew carefully selected seed varieties from Metchosin Farm and nurtured seedlings that would later be transplanted into a special area at the Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture. Over 250 corn and sunflower seedlings were delivered to Sandown’s new 83-acre farm site where students from Parkland Secondary, visited the farm to help transplant the seedlings while learning about regenerative agriculture from Sandown’s Farmpreneurs. 

Our corn seeds started to sprout this week ..... yeah! The students are very excited and eagerly visit them first thing every morning! We talk to our plants and give them kindness to make them grow fast and healthy!

- Jeanette De Biase, Grade 1 teacher at Ecole Quadra Elementary

With many families at home and looking for things to do during Spring Break this year, Growing Chefs put together a series of fun, interactive online experiences for elementary school-aged kids. These events provided kids and their families the opportunity to explore their local food system, meet local food champions and continue their learning of growing and cooking healthy food.

From storytime with celebrity Chef Bruno Feldeisen, to garden planning tips with the Vancouver Master Gardeners, to a choose-your-own-adventure-style cooking class with Chef Linda Olson from Truffle Fine Foods and more! The six-event series engaged all ages from families across the province providing something for everyone.

Reaching an entirely new audience of learners this year, we connected with home learning and distance education groups to provide students, and families, with curated food literacy learning opportunities. Growing Chefs’ Virtual Home Learning Program connected with over 300 students from across Canada who were learning from home, in school, or participating in a hybrid program.

Students in our virtual home learning program attended live virtual field trips and interacted with weekly themed lessons which included videos, worksheets, recipes, and hands-on food literacy activities to do at home. Students learned about growing food, food systems, urban agriculture, healthy eating, how to read and create their own recipes as well as other culinary skills, and more.

“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). 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

While our programming this year has perhaps looked a little different, our goals have remained the same. We continue to adapt and teach kids about healthy food and healthy food systems through connecting them with food experts and engaging them in hands-on interactive learning thanks to the help of our supporters and community partners. We are excited to integrate this new programming with our regular Classroom Gardening and Cooking Program next year and beyond. We look forward to enriching and deepening the learning and experiences Growing Chefs brings to classrooms and families.

We are incredibly grateful to all those who helped us to shift our programming and create new, innovative ways to continue teaching kids and families about healthy food and healthy food systems from a distance. If you are looking for ways to get involved, check out the volunteer and donate pages of our website!