Join the Growing Chefs Team!

Do you want to support sustainable and just food practices? Build connections between kids and youth and their food? Make local, healthy food accessible? Connect communities through food? If yes, then we might have the opportunity for you!

STAFF AND BOARD POSITIONS AVAILABLE!

Growing Chefs STAFF TEAM

ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

We are currently looking for an Engagement Coordinator to join our staff team! We’re looking for someone who loves to collaborate, is passionate about supporting food justice, and is fundamentally task driven. This permanent position with the team works closely with and provides administrative support to the Co-Executive Director, Communications & Engagement, contributes to a vibrant team within a collaborative, care-based, person-centred organisation, and helps actively drive a strategic plan centred around food justice. This is a hybrid role, with a minimum of one day per week required at our office located in downtown Vancouver. A valid BC driver’s license is also required.

Click to view position.

To Apply: Please submit your resume and the below to hr@growingchefs.ca. Review of applications and interviews will begin on a rolling basis on January 18th, with an anticipated start date in February. 

We ask that in lieu of a cover letter, please include in your email with your attached resume the answers to the following two questions in 350 words or less:

  1. Why are you personally interested in working for Growing Chefs and our mission?

  2. Why do you feel food literacy education is important for kids?

Deadline: Open until filled.

Growing Chefs Board of Directors

Treasurer & Members at Large

We are currently looking for a Treasurer to join our board as well as Directors at Large. Additionally, we are anticipating an opening for co-chair in the new year and would love to hear from folks who may be interested in the possibility of a leadership position on the Growing Chefs Board.

Click to view position.

To Apply: Please send a statement of interest to governance@growingchefs.ca.

Deadline: Open.

Process for Appointment: Incoming board members are elected by the Society members annually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in March.

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Donor Shoutout: From Farms to Forks 13 Auction

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Thank you to all the people and local businesses that donated products, services, and experiences to the From Farms to Forks 13 Auction. Our winners have been gushing about the quality of the lovely packages, as they happily took them home to enjoy!

Check out the list of our generous Auction Donors below, you might find the perfect local business to support this winter. To everyone that donated to the auction - THANK YOU!

From Farms to Forks 13 Auction Donors:

Abeego

Agro Coffee Roasters

Anita's Organic Mill

Anja Jane

April Lacheur Art

Arterra Wines

Audain Art Museum

Authentic Wine & Spirits

Autostrada

Banyen Books & Sound

BC Lions

Bella Wines

Big White Ski Resort

Bon Macaron Patisserie

Boosh Foods

Canadian Outback Rafting

Climb Base5

Culmina Family Estate Wineries

Dalina

Davis Bay Tea Co.

Dead Frog Brewery

Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort

Dilly Dally

Earnest Ice Cream

Ellen Schwartz

Everything Wine (River District)

Fable Home

Fairmont Hotel Whistler

Fjallraven

Forbidden Vancouver

Four Winds Brewery

Gourmet Warehouse

Grizzli Winery

The Hive, North Shore

House of Knives

Iron Dog Books

Joey Restaurant

JOEY Restaurants

Kics Lemonade

Iris Lord & Lois Gagnon

Kidsbooks

Kitsch Wine

Kizzy's Macarons

Klippers Guest Suites

Klippers Organic Acres

Krause Berry Farm

Kula Kitchen

The Little Butcher

Little Creek Dressing

Little Kitchen Academy

Loot Toy Co

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery

Museum of Anthropology, UBC

Nature Bee

Off the Rail Brewing

Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm

Olé Cocktail Co.

Pacific Coastal Airlines

Pacific National Exhibition

Pacific Theatre

Parallel 49 Brewery

Parkside Brewery

Penguin Random House

Pizzeria Farina

Plot Wines

Pomme Natural Market

Pure Float

Rio Theatre

River Safari

Roberts Creek Wellbeing

Row Fourteen

Saul Good Gift Co.

Sea to Sky Gondola

Search & Rescue Denim Co

Select Wines

Soirette Connections

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub & Guesthouses

Sriracha Revolver

Supported Soul

Swallow Tail Canada

Terra Breads

Tru Earth

Untangled Craft Cider

Vancouver Circus School

Vancouver International Children's Festival

Vancouver Mysteries

Vancouver Mysteries

Vancouver Naturopathic Clinic

Vancouver Water Adventures

Vancouver Whitecaps

The Wildflower

Ziptrek Ecotours

That's a Wrap on Our 2022 Fall Program!

This past year, Growing Chefs has seen a lot of changes. From personnel changes to curriculum changes, 2022 was a big year for us. Our programs team spent time going over the curriculum that was in place and updating it to be more COVID-friendly. We were back in the classrooms full time for the first time in over two years, so we wanted to make sure that everyone felt comfortable and safe

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Thank You Poem: From Farms To Forks 13

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On November 6th, 2022 we hosted our 13th annual From Farms to Forks fundraiser. We have celebrated From Farms to Forks for the past two years online, so it was a special milestone to return to this event in person. In following tradition, our founder Merri Schwartz has written a poem to thank the many people and organizations that made From Farms to Forks 13 happen. Thank you all!

From Farms to Forks 13: Thank You Poem

Oh my, what a joy, to gather in person,

It’s been far too long, our hearts were a hurtin’.

So though we are smaller, and seated, we’re here!

Let’s raise a glass with warm hearts and good cheer.

Now you know the drill—there are thanks we must make, 

To the many whose toil and whose hands it does take,

To pull this together, to get you all fed,

We’ll eat and we’ll drink once these thanks have been said!

And on that note, let’s start off with wine! 

Mission Hill for the pairings, the sips oh-so-fine.

And Bella, the sparkling you imbibed as you entered,

We all know the wine’s where the dinner is centered.

To PICA, for year after year as our hosts,

Without them there’d be nowhere else for our toasts!

To Whole Foods, a sponsor, you’re just so darn generous,

Artona, for printing the programs among us.

Many drinks to enjoy, both boozy and not,

You just won’t believe the refreshments we’ve got!

Plenty Hard, Karma Soda, KICS, Bucha Brew,

Of course there is beer: Strange Fellows, too.

For oysters: Outlandish. From Terra: our bread.

The farms and producers who keep us well fed.

They’re here, they’re among us! So keep an eye peeled,

And thank them for bringing you food from their fields.

SpencerCreo—our office, our home and our space,

You gave Growing Chefs the most lovely place.

Of course, to the chefs, we are ever-so-tickled,

You came and created, you seared and you pickled.

Speaking of chefs, thanks to Ted and to Tret,

Our live auction chefs on whose skills you will bet,

And bid! That’s a hint. So keep your cards ready,

When bidding starts up, keep those hands waving steady.

Our silent auction donors, too many to name,

Our Emcees, without who, t’would not be the same,

Margaret and Shiva, with eloquent chatter,

Who keep us apprised of the flow of the matter.

Our Champion Radishes—25 with us,

They donate each month to keep us in business.

Our Board, for their vision, their guidance so grand,

Our staff, who are truly the best in the land.

The volunteers who showed up to help you all feast, 

Pedersens, for rentals, not last and not least.

To Kym Buna Real Estate, a sponsor so kind,

To Blue Heron/Lumi for blowing our minds…

With cheese! It is vegan! Believe it or not.

With H4H honey, Davis Bay Tea in the pot.

We’re surrounded by flowers, four generous shops,

Donated those bunches to grace table tops.

Edible Vancover and Scout, for spreading the word,

Without them who knows if you’d even have heard,

That we’re back! Back in action. With our 13th darn gala!

And whew! Thanks a lot, that’s all I’ve got to tell ya.

From Farms to Forks is Back in Person!

You're invited! On November 6, 2022, at 5:30 pm, we are holding our 13th annual From Farms to Forks harvest kitchen party. IN PERSON! From Farms to Forks pairs many of the province’s greatest chefs with B.C.'s finest growers and producers. Hosted in the dining room and teaching kitchens of the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, guests watch the chefs in action, meet the growers, and enjoy delicious tasting plates* - each paired with a different wine from Mission Hill Family Estate Winery. This years' seated event includes an in-person silent and live auction for event attendees, as well as an online auction and raffle open to all of our supporters.

The aim is to raise $75,000 for Growing Chefs edible education programming and initiatives throughout the current school year supporting B.C. kids and their families.

Limited tickets are available for $250 each.

To avoid service fees:

Please notify us (afton@growingchefs.ca) if you're planning to purchase tickets outside of the online platform. Seating is limited and we don't want you to miss out.

* Many tasting plates will have a vegetarian alternative, however, the food may not be suitable for those who choose to eat vegan or have severe allergies. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

The Talented Chefs Behind From Farms to Forks

We have a premium selection of local chefs responsible for creating mouth-watering recipes for us to taste!

This Year's Bountiful Harvest is Courtesy of...

Each dish begins with high quality ingredients donated by some of B.C.'s most incredible growers and producers.

From Farms to Forks Sponsors

We’re grateful for the generous support of our sponsors who helped us put this event together. Click on the logos below to learn more about each of them!

Please Donate Today

If you're not able to attend our upcoming fundraising events, we ask that you consider making a donation to bring edible education to B.C. kids and youth!

Your gift will help build connections to the earth, local food systems, and with one another through edible education programs.

Growing Chefs is where kids’ connections to food take root.

A Growing Team at Growing Chefs - Welcome Madi!

AMANDA LEFT BIG SHOES TO FILL DURING HER PARENTAL LEAVE, BUT WE FOUND SOMEONE WITH PERFECTly SIZED FEET. WELCOME TO THE TEAM MADI!

Hi! My name is Madi (she/her), and I’m really excited to be working with Growing Chefs in my role as interim Co-Executive Director, Programs & Operations. I’m joining the team as a white settler based on Lək̓ʷəŋən lands where I’ve been entangled in local food for the last seven years. My days in the dirt started as a youth in the juicy berry fields of Ka’tarokwi on Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee lands and I’ve been grateful for all the tired, full, and silly moments growing food ever since. 

For me, food is connected to everything I hold close. I love the slowness of knowing my neighborhood farmer, butcher, and cheesemaker; the feeling of deep care and connection in the queer farming community; witnessing my nephew drool mid-moose meat indulgence; memories of suffering with pals through 6:00am rainy harvests; and the vastness of knowledge and culturally rich story-telling weaved throughout our communities. 

I feel drawn to this work for the ways that it allows me to move with slow and ongoing curiosity. The more people I meet and ingredients I taste, the more my eyes widen to the essence of good food. With an understanding that our food system is inseparable from broader social structures— for me, good food asks us to envision worlds that honour people– our relationships and responsibilities to each other and place. In any case, it’s the simple question of what goes unseen before those delicious shisto peppers make it into my belly that keeps me moving in my own processes of undoing disconnection from food, land, and collective.

I hope this all goes to say— I’m grateful for the opportunity to support the vision that Growing Chefs, our partners, and communities have been tirelessly working on to create possibilities for a more just and accessible food system. It reminds me of all the caring, imaginative, and skilled people in my life who time and time again show me what is possible when we orient towards collective abundance. 

A Growing Team at Growing Chefs - Welcome Kat!

I inherited my love of all things green and leafy from my mother, whose passion for dirt, moss, and snails is unsurpassed. She had me out in the yard growing strawberries and zucchinis, and pulling great clumps of potatoes from the ground. I loved eating the fruit right off the plant and helping her wash the mud from our haul. Some of my best memories from childhood centre around the kitchen baking or cooking something delicious with my mom. I am grateful for the gift of knowing how to prepare healthy food inexpensively, especially now as the world continues to change around us and make food security and sustainability more prevalent concerns.

I am also grateful to have grown up on the west coast of BC, which is just so beautiful, but also has a lengthy growing season! I spent several years in Toronto, and while it had many amazing benefits, the long winters and harsh summers were hard to get used to. I tried several times to plant a few pots, but they never survived the extreme August heat. I love that here in Vancouver I can start to see little sprouts popping out of the ground as early as mid-February, and that they will happily keep growing with little maintenance until Halloween.

When I'm not out enjoying the lushness of my neighbourhood I spend my time writing, performing, and producing music. My grandfathers on both sides were noted audiophiles, and with a brother in radio it seems destined that I would also follow the path to music. I've been singing since I could talk, and writing my own songs since I was 14. Most recently, I released my first single with a UK-based indie label and with an album due out this fall, I am
excited for what the future holds.

Fun Fact: I have 14 cat mugs.

A BIG GROWING CHEFS WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST TEAM MEMBER! WE’RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU KAT!

My name is Kat Morrow and I'm thrilled to be joining the lovely team at Growing Chefs as the Communications and Engagement Assistant. I strongly believe that the divide between the food on our plates and our understanding of the places it comes from have deepened greatly over the past 100 years. I'm excited to be part of an organization that is striving to bridge that gap and helps current and future generations understand food production and sustainability. The more we investigate and comprehend where our food is coming from the more equipped we are to make better decisions for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

I became interested in the path of seed to produce at a young age. Although my adult life has kept me in cities with no yard to harvest, I have always managed to fill a container or two with herbs, beans, lettuce, and even the occasional tomato. I also enjoy cooking and there is so much pride in eating something you've grown with your own hands. The end product always seems to taste better.

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2021/2022 School Year: Program Update

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The end of the school year has been busy for us at Growing Chefs. We have so many new faces on our team, some going out on parental leave, some going on vacation to enjoy the summer, all at the same time as program planning for next year. But before we get there, we’d like to recap and celebrate the end of the school year! 

2021 FALL PROGRAM

We had many celebrations in the 2021/2022 school year, the biggest one being our return to in-person programs! Thanks to our incredible volunteers, we delivered a safe and fun program that warmed everyone’s [artichoke] hearts. It’s so good to feel the energy of being back to school!

Over the course of four weeks, our fall program covered a wide range of subjects. To begin, the chefs helped the students plant a small windowsill garden.

Students monitored their gardens, and through a series of games, activities, art projects, and lessons focusing on plant growth, vegetables, sustainability, and food choices, they learned more about where their food comes from and how they are a part of their local food system. 

The kids were curious to try new scientific methods as they planted seeds and observed how plants grew over a few weeks. As a class, they came up with ways to test how different conditions affect plant growth and development.

Unfounded hypothesis :-)

Students learned how to read a recipe as they made pickled vegetables together with the chefs. They had the opportunity to take the recipe home and try it with their families, which was a big hit! Some kids returned to school the week after saying their caregivers also wanted to learn how to cook with us.

We love the willingness these kids show to try the salad, and more often than not, they pile their plates with seconds! Our plating and tasting activity promotes creativity and open-mindedness. The end result is a colourful, beautiful plate worthy of pictures.

“It was such a lovely experience volunteering with Growing Chefs! I really enjoyed seeing the students excited to learn about the different aspects of food and for some to break out of their comfort zones to try new foods. I was amazed that many students at such a young age were already very knowledgeable about the gardening process. I definitely learned a lot through this experience from the students and fellow chefs.”
— Helen Z., volunteer

They also had a Virtual Field Trip to either Earnest Ice Cream, Cheakamus Centre, or Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture, followed by a live inquiry Q & A session where students could speak directly with their respective teams. It’s amazing to see how engaging these conversations can be, and the types of questions that come up from the students. We have so many brilliant minds in our classrooms!

Check out a teaser of one of the Virtual Field Trips:

2022 SPRING PROGRAM

Historically, our Spring program is our longest one. Over the course of 6 weeks, chefs and students not only learned how to take care of their garden but also learned what composting means and how to do a compost stew, which is the perfect way to close the gardening cycle.

The kids explored their five senses as they examined vegetables and tried to guess what they were. They were also open to tasting different leafy greens and eating the very same greens that they planted in the first class.

One of the most exciting activities - for the chefs and the kids - is to cook together. We can see some sparkles in their eyes when they are able to cook a meal with what they have grown and worked so hard to take care of. This time, they prepped a delicious stir-fry!

“I like to think that Jennifer and I had more fun than the kids did, and that is hard to say because they had a blast. The kids we had this year were extraordinary, they gravitated so well towards the program, and they truly enjoyed it. I think one of our favorite memories was the knife cutting class we did with them in lesson 5. Once they realized they would be handling a knife, some of the kids went a little quiet and shy, perhaps a bit afraid, but as we walked each once of them individually through the drill, everyone was super proud to have used a knife to cut veggies with. Personally, I really enjoyed watching some of the kids go from non-veggie eaters to slowly getting into them with every class that passes by. Every week we had a better bond as a class and a better bond with our food. As per usual, the Growing Chefs salad dressing is always the rockstar of the show, and we heard the kids tell us that they keep making that salad at home.”
— Alex, school teacher at Pleasantsid

THE NUMBERS

  • 48 classrooms engaged in programming!

  • 1,500 kids engaged!

  • 8 Intermediate classrooms in the fall for our Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program!

  • 15 Primary classrooms in the spring for our Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program, including our return to programming in Victoria!

  • 90 volunteers recruited, trained, and supported!

  • 25 classes/groups on Virtual Field Trips!

We all love numbers, but nothing warms your heart more than stories from the students:

LunchLAB 

For those who don’t know, LunchLAB (a collaboration with Fresh Roots and the Vancouver School Board) is a fun, education program that serves healthy, delicious lunches prepared by a chef-in-residence, student chefs, and their teachers. Learning with their teacher and a chef-in-residence, students help create the menu, prepare the food, and serve it to their peers. It is an exercise in learning and sharing. And it’s delicious! 

Fall 2021 saw the return of LunchLAB at Total Education, while we were able to restart Lunchlab at Lord Roberts in Spring 2022. We can’t wait to return to LunchLAB in our 2023/2024 school year.

We’re incredibly grateful for each and every person who has helped to make these programs possible. After two years of online programming, we missed the energy of the teachers and students, and nothing would have been possible without our dear volunteers, our talented team of staff, and generous supporters. Let’s all continue to teach kids more about healthy food and healthy food systems. If you are looking for ways to get involved, check out the volunteer and donate pages of our website! 

HAVE A DELICIOUS SUMMER!

A Growing Team at Growing Chefs - Welcome Julia!

A GIANT GROWING CHEFS WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST STAFF MEMBER! WELCOME TO THE TEAM, JULIA!

Hi there! My name is Julia and I couldn’t be more excited to join the Growing Chefs team as their Communications Assistant.

I feel like my life has always revolved around food. I’m from Brazil and we’re known to be great cooks, family-oriented, and chatty people. I don’t want to put every Brazilian person in the same bag, but that’s exactly how my family has raised me to be.

I have spent a lot of time in the kitchen since I was a teeny tiny Julia. Every Sunday my family would gather for lunch at my grandmother’s place. I would arrive early in the morning, and all of our aunts would cook together. I remember placing a chair close to the sink so I could stand up and help my grandmother as she cooked delicious gnocchi for the whole family - I remember eating raw pasta too. We spent hours and hours talking at the table as we ate and drank freshly squeezed lemon juice. I also remember rolling brigadeiros with my family with my tiny hands. We always celebrate our birthdays with homemade food and handmade party decorations.

Me and my mother prepping for one of our many family barbecues.

As I grew, I noticed that food was something that brought my family together. I was always keen to help my father - a very patient man - to prepare our barbecues. It was a very special moment when I was finally old enough to cook my first rice. I was nine years old and I remember feeling proud and accomplished after cutting onions and garlic, frying them, and smelling the amazing spices after adding water to the pan. This is a smell that most Brazilians grow to love.

My grandmother and I. I wish that I had a picture of us cooking together.

Cooking has always been that one self-care act that I took very seriously. I grew up as a semi-professional swimmer. I spent a lot of energy - and vitamins - practicing from Monday to Saturday for 3 hours per day. I began my swimming career when I was six years old, and I would travel around Brazil competing with kids who had practiced just as much as me.

When I was around nine, we found out that I wasn’t getting enough vitamins into my diet, because I was spending too much energy swimming! That’s when my mother started taking meal planning very seriously. She was the person who supported me all the way from taking me to swimming practice to planning every piece of food that I’d put into my mouth. I woke up every morning with a slice of whole-grain bread with requeijão, half papaya with oat, two Brazilian nuts, two cashews, and two walnuts. That’s precisely what my body needed to grow healthier and perform better.

My parents and I after I won a medal.

After going to the nutritionist once a month for years and years, I grew up taking food planning very seriously. I’ve always been the person who spends two hours of my Sunday night prepping my meals for the week, and I do that until today.

My journey with Growing Chefs started in 2019, when I volunteered for the first time. Eating healthy food was crucial for me, and I was amazed to see that the work that Growing Chefs does was exactly what I needed when I was young.

When I’m not working, I’m usually taking my dog, Shuri, for a walk at the park, lake, or at the beach. I also love spending time with my partner watching TV shows, and reading a good book to start my day.