Introducing our Food Makers & Changers Series, highlighting amazing people within the food movement doing inspiring work. Today we interview Deena DelZotto and Rachel Kimel, of Bowery Project. www.boweryproject.ca

About Bowery Project:

We believe vacant spaces should be used to grow food. Bowery Project is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to create opportunities for urban agriculture through the temporary use of vacant lots.  Bowery Project designs, builds and manages mobile urban farms in downtown Toronto. We grow food for local chefs/restaurants and charities while engaging the community through fun, creative and educational programming.

Rachel and Deena

What is one change you’d like to see happen within the food system and why?

We want more food to be grown in our city. Why – helps to create a more resilient city, and decreases our carbon footprint.

If you could only have three vegetables for the rest of your life, what would they be and why?

Deena -broccoli, artichokes and orange turnips…love to make stews and need the turnips, artichokes are fascinating — are they a flower or a vegetable? And broccoli steamed & drizzled with soy sauce – can’t live without.

Rachel  – arugula – add to my salads, sandwiches, sides, and simple snack.  Carrots – love the crunch, cleans your mouth as you eat, just like to nibble like a bunny.  Cucumber – love the wet cool freshness.

What has been your most meaningful and rewarding work to date?

Our current 1,500 milk crate farm at a YMCA shelter for youth off Queen, west of Spadina.

If you could only have one non-local food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Papaya and Avocado!

Where do you stand on local vs organic vs simply eating whole foods?  What are your personal priorities when it comes to your own diet?

Organic and local because we care about the environment. Home-cooked meals are our priority.

What would surprise most people about your history with food (and/or embarassing food stories)?

Rachel -I need to eat chocolate everyday.  Also, I turned my front lawn into a vegetable garden using lasagna gardening, then 2 years later to my husbands dismay, due to poor yield and concern over my neighbours opinions, I re-landscaped and changed it all to grasses, trees and flowers (still with as many edibles as I could, but no longer a completely edible garden.)

Deena -While living in montreal I volunteered at Santropol Roulant in the kitchen-they have a massive vermicompost in the basement-all the food waste was composted on site!

Who do you most admire in the food movement?

Creative chefs and restaurants popping up all over the city; Old school visionaries like Jamie Kennedy and Michael Statlander, Ruth Klahsen of Montforte dairy; Small scale organic farmers in the city and out

What is your favourite season and why?

Spring because we see seeds become plants but winter too because everything is sleeping and our energy turns inward.

Do you have any advice for newcomers to the food movement, and how they can make a contribution?

Learn from the amazing existing community – everyone we have met along the way (urban farmers, farm to table chefs, city planners, heads of foundations, business planners and non-profit/charity leaders) has given us invaluable advice, they’ve been sharing and open, and truly excited about any new growth and development within the food movement.

Do you have any advice for veterans of the food movement?

We just keep learning everyday and from all of the amazing people we meet in the field.  I guess our only advice is to keep on sharing and have faith that what you are doing matters…

If you came back to earth for three more lifetimes, what life form would you choose to be and why?

Tree – to shade many generations and make oxygen

Bird – to communicate without words

Earthworm – to make the best compost ever!!

What do you daily or weekly to try and be a part of the solution when it comes to creating a sustainable food system?

Shop at local farmer’s markets.

What is one of your favourite memories of eating in community?

The Stop Dinner for Volunteers.

Is there a fruit or vegetable that you just won’t eat?

Rachel – Olives (just the fruit – love the oil)

Deena – not crazy about dried mulberries

A quick summary of your approach to community development

Build an urban farm and some kind of magic will happen.

What issue/passion inspires you to keep doing the work you do day after day?

Making something happen where otherwise there would be nothing. The cycle of growing food-seeds-seedlings-plants-harvest food-compost.

Favourite junkfood?

Deena – Is chocolate junk food?

Rachel – ice cream!

Learn more about Deena and Rachel and Bowery Project at http://www.boweryproject.ca/

Bowery Installation