BIPOC New Farmer Initiative 2022
Sorauren Farmers’ Market is excited to offer the BIPOC New Farmer Initiative to provide ongoing support in a welcoming environment for a new farmer who identifies as Black, Indigenous or a Person of Colour. The initiative will provide a subsidised spot at the market and holistic mentorship covering a range of topics tailored to the specific needs and interests of the participant(s).
What’s expected?
A willingness to engage with the mentors. Mentorship schedule will be determined by the new farmer(s) and mentors
Attend the market each week for the entire outdoor season: 24 weeks. There will be the option to participate during the indoor season if you have produce available
The cost of the market spot is covered by the initiative, however, as a gesture of your commitment to the programme, a deposit of $150 will be collected prior to the commencement of the first market . This will be returned to you at the end of the outdoor season if you participate in all 24 markets and work consistently with your mentors
You are new to Sorauren Farmers’ Market - you haven’t vended with us in the past
What is offered?
A spot at Sourauren Farmers’ Market each week from May 23 - October 31st to sell what you grow
Equipment: tent, table and weights
Holistic mentorship covering a range of topics (e.g. organic food production, composting and the soil food web, spiritual connection with the land) with a special focus on your personal needs and interests
Information and tips for success selling at a farmers’ market
Business basics and the opportunity to explore the creation of a value-added product
How to apply?
Fill in a farmer application form no later than February 7th, 2022
Sorauren Farmers’ Market offers one spot for the initiative at this time. Please note this can be filled by a collective or an individual.
Meet YOUR Mentors:
Susanna redekop
Susanna Redekop is the Communications Coordinator at Local Food and Farm Co-ops. Susanna supports co-operatives, food businesses and farms with their internal and external communications, design, marketing, strategy, social media, digital and print content. She is also the Southern Regional Coordinator for the Local Food and Farm Co-ops, supporting the development of food and farm co-ops in Southern Ontario. Formerly a foundational Coordinator of the West End Food Co-op retail store, Susanna played a key role in opening Toronto’s first multi-stakeholder food co-op and co-managed the store for 6 years until its closure in 2018. She also volunteered for years on the Market Committee at Sorauren Farmers Market and still shops at the market frequently as it's her favourite neighbourhood market. Susanna holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Toronto and is currently working on her Masters of Environmental Studies at York University researching the intersections of BIPOC food sovereignty, cooperatives and climate justice. She has spent over 10 years working in the food security and co-operative sector in Toronto including being a founding member of the Toronto Youth Food Policy Council in 2009, and has been involved with a variety of co-operative organizations from housing to childcare to food. Susanna was awarded the Parkdale-High Park Community Leadership Award in 2018 for her community contribution to the West End Food Co-op and the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust.
ANAN Lololi
Anan Xola Lololi is one of the founders of the Afri-Can FoodBasket (AFB) a non-profit Food Justice & Food Sovereignty organization that began in 1995 in Toronto.
Anan has a master’s degree in environmental studies from York University with a focus on Community Food Security and a diploma in Business Administration from Centennial College. Anan is presently a Research Associate Fellow @ Ryerson University. Anan since 2018 has founded the Black Food Sovereignty Initiative Toronto and has been the Chair of the Black Food Sovereignty Working group since that time. He is a food sovereignty community consultant with the City of Toronto’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism unit (CABR).
He was a board member of the City of Toronto Food Policy Council, past Chair of Food Secure Canada Diversity Working Group, past Committee Member of Toronto Region and Conservation Authority Humber Watershed Alliance, urban agriculture & food justice consultant for FoodShare Toronto, founder member of the Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative based in Milwaukee was an executive and founder member of the Community Food Security Coalition of North America –outreach & diversity committee.
Anan’s work of recent has been focused on Black Food Sovereignty in Toronto, engaging the dynamic Black sustainable food systems individuals and organizations in the Black Community in conversation on Black Food Sovereignty. Since 2002 he has started and managed 2 urban farms in the Cities of Toronto & Brampton Ontario and has taught more than 500 youths the basic skills of organic gardening and farming, while also engaging the Afri-Can FoodBasket's Cultivating Youth Leadership program youth in complex social and environmental issues surrounding sustainable agriculture and food systems.
Anan through his work with Afri-Can FoodBasket has started over 100 community/backyard gardens and engaged over 1,200 gardeners in Toronto in community garden animation and leadership training.
Anan is dedicated to increasing youths' & adults' knowledge on ecological sustainability and social justice in the food and agriculture system.
Ekow stone
Ekow Stone is an emerging artist and farmer based in Toronto. He studied Environment and Urban Sustainability at X University and is now applying his knowledge of environmental science and urban systems to agro-ecology and food justice. He’s part of an artist collective called the Black Artist Union whose aim is to support and promote Black artists in the GTA and beyond. He is continuously striving to root his creative and farming practice to land and spirituality, all with the intent of cultivating authentic connections to other people and the more-than-human world of nature.
Carolynne Crawley
Carolynne Crawley, founder of Msit No’kmaq, is Mi'kmaw and also has Black and Irish ancestry and is from Mi’kma’ki territory, also known today as Nova Scotia. But Tkaronto has been her home since a young child. She is dedicated to social and environmental justice and supporting Indigenous led community work related to Indigenous food ways and food security. Carolynne is passionate about reconnecting people with the land, waters, and all beings as there is no separation between us. From many Indigenous perspectives around the Earth they are all our relations to be treated with as much love, respect, and reciprocity as we do with our human loved ones. Carolynne leads workshops for the public and the private sector that support the development and strengthening of healthy and reciprocal relationships based upon Indigenous knowledges that Indigenize existing interactions with the land and with each other by deconstructing colonial thoughts, language, and actions. She also shares Indigenous life ways such as bird language and harvesting ‘wild’ foods and medicines from the land.
Carolynne is also a certified Forest Therapy Guide and was a Trainer and Mentor for five years in the practice. She is a Blanket Exercise Facilitator, a Holistic Nutritionist, Storyteller, a Co-Producer of the documentary Reckoning with the Wendigo, and a member of the Tkaronto Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle. She is currently working for Canada's largest food security organization as the Indigenous Network & Knowledge Sharing Senior Specialist while operating her small business. Carolynne can be found speaking at events that center around social, food, and environmental justice.
Previously, Carolynne worked with one of Toronto's largest food security organizations for ten years. She worked with Indigenous communities within the city of Toronto and with remote Cree communities along the James Bay area. as the Indigenous Food Justice Manager. Carolynne has also built school food gardens and created food literacy curriculum-linked programming for all school grades during her time with the organization. She also worked as a Child & Youth Worker for twenty years.
Black Creek Community Farm
Sorauren Farmers’ Market Family
We’re here to support you! The Sorauren Farmers’ Market Community, board members and market manager offer support in a variety of areas. We look forward to welcoming you to the family!
Cooking demonstration by Vital Life Vegan and Afri-Can Food Basket at Sorauren Farmers’ Market, 2019.
