Deep Roots program returns to Stratford for a second round

A program aimed at sharing knowledge between younger and older generations about local food and where it comes from is returning for a second iteration this spring.

Following the success and popularity of last fall’s launch of the weekly program, the City of Stratford and Stratford District secondary school’s hospitality and tourism and green industries programs have partnered again to offer the Deep Roots food education and cooking program this spring. Running from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm on May 4, May 12, May 26 and June 2, the program brings together students and adults aged 35 and older to learn about local food, culinary arts, agriculture and sustainability.

“The program, obviously, is very seasonal,” said chef Andrew Mavor, a culinary arts teacher at Stratford District secondary school. “In the fall, we built that garden bed that’s outside, we prepared a communal meal using the harvest that was available from the gardens and donated stuff from around here, and students worked on some project-based stuff together with the seniors and community members who came in.

“So this is kind of like a repeat of that in some sense, but with seasonal inspiration in how we do things. So we’re going to be digging deeper into that (garden) bed … and starting to get some more perennial stuff in there, and we’re organizing for a meal we’re going to be doing towards the end of the four weeks where we’ll be using spring vegetables (and) … what is seasonally available.”

Participants in Deep Roots will be involved in several fun, informative cooking and gardening projects and, together, the class will cook high-quality food with an eye towards using local produce and ingredients. The program will include an excursion to Greenbelt Farms to learn from owner John Drummond, after which the students, young and older, will help prepare the culminating meal using what they’ve grown and sourced locally.

“For me, there’s always been a barrier between generations,” said Grade 11 student Nathaniel Olsen, who participated in Deep Roots last fall as a student enrolled in both the hospitality and green industries programs. ”

“When we were doing this program … I was able to connect with that older generation,” Olsen added. “While we were sitting down and eating, they were discussing with me their gardening tips – stuff I use in my home garden now – and home remedies for plants that I wouldn’t even have thought about. … And they also shared their love of (food) and eating. … If we can sit down and listen and share, that invisible wall that’s between generations starts to disappear.”

Lia Grodzinski, a Grade 10 student who also participated in Deep Roots last fall, said the program provided a rare experience to “see where food starts and ends.”

“It’s so interesting to go through all the different steps and see the amount of work and wealth of knowledge put into each one of them. It’s a great experience,” Grodzinski said.

The program’s success was evident when it won Pivot Green and the Small Change Fund’s 2023 Canadian Youth Climate Action Award, which recognized the critical work young Canadians are doing in concert with older generations in the fight against climate change. The Stratford District secondary school Eco Club, an extracurricular offshoot of the green industries program, was awarded $1,500 last month on behalf of all those involved in Deep Roots.

“It will go towards our Eco Club,” Grade 10 green industries student and Eco Club co-chair Lucy Chung said. “That money will be used for the urban-farming project that we’re hoping to get started soon.”

For more information on Deep Roots, which is supported by a New Horizons Seniors Ontario grant, and to register for free as a participant, visit www.stratford.ca/deeproots.

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