My name is Christal Williams and I am a Graduate student in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at York University, in the Master in Environmental Studies (MES) program. My area of concentration is in Sustainable Food System Management.
A professor of mine who had connections at the farm presented me with the opportunity to join the BCCF family. Before this, I was aware of the work that BCCF does in and around the community and am fascinated by its ideal location in the city and the opportunities it presents to the Jane-Finch community. I have been to the farm in the past as a part of other associated initiatives related to youth climate action. Working at BCCF was an opportunity for hands-on experience, food system capacity building, working with the community and sharing support with staff.
During my placement, I had the opportunity to work in two areas. I worked primarily in the operations of the Community Engagement and Market Garden departments. Some of the tasks I engaged in were researching event sponsors/donors, drafting sponsorship and partnership lists and agreements, and sending out initial communications. Also, market sales of seedlings and produce, setup/takedown at farmer’s markets and seedling inventory. And lastly, planning/assisting with social media, event outreach, community strengthening through team-building and community event support, and advancing the farm mission by adding valuable support to the teams.
I had three learning goals:
- To develop a strong background in environmental policy, food policy, and food system processes as they relate to community-based agribusinesses and to understand systemic connections to environmental injustices.
- To gain a solid understanding of inclusivity and equity in local food systems in order to assess how they meet the needs of diverse communities.
- To gain an understanding of sustaining food system outcomes in order to address population supply gaps and demand for healthy and cultural foods in underserved populations as well as equity and inclusion to improve models in policy formulation for a downstream approach
A diverse range of skills and competencies were gathered, some of which include:
- Understanding the daily operations of the community farm.
- Working in a diverse environment that is built around food security and sovereignty within the BIPOC community.
- Targeting and initiating non-profit sponsorship and donation requests that are based on the organization’s specific needs.
- Identifying seedling variations and the do’s and don’ts of operating a market.
- Recognizing challenges and progress associated with operating today’s agribusinesses.
- Enhanced administrative skills in documentation and record keeping/maintenance.
Working at BCCF enhances my knowledge and experience with non-profit and community-based organizations, which assists my professional development through the transferrable skills obtained to successfully collaborate with future organizations of similar standing. The background knowledge gained will also support first-hand insights into research around agri-businesses.
I did not find many personal challenges during my placement. However, I can say that my best practice when working with a new institution is to remain flexible, approachable, open to learning and willing to help. This helps to divert any potential personal challenges.
During my placement, I have supported the community engagement (events) team in securing sponsors for upcoming events and the market garden team in maximizing sales. This kind of support benefits the surrounding community, as it helps to further drive the farm’s mission as a non-profit to serve and enrich the community in which it is positioned.
One event that happened during my time at BCCF was the Farm Festival. This festival brought the surrounding community together to see all the lovely happenings at BCCF. I had the pleasure of participating in the canvassing in preparation for this event. Outreach was done around the local community through door-to-door interactions, done at farmers’ markets and through various community institutions such as libraries and community centers. Outreach played a big part in getting the community to not only learn about the event but to learn about the farm and its mission.
My placement contributed to my skills development and learning objectives by helping me continuously build on knowledge and expertise. All aspects of these elements were insightful. For example, first-hand experience with operational complexities offers insight into areas I am more or less adept at, allowing further opportunities to learn. I have worked with youths before; however, in this case, it was nice seeing their reactions to their accomplishments (no matter how small), and their knowledge expanding at the same time as mine did. The environment at BCCF is collaborative. Because of this, I have made connections with longstanding and new staff members.
Through being flexible and allocating support where needed, I was able to contribute to various areas such as events, social media, outreach, market sales and setup/takedown, team building, sponsorships and partnerships, community strengthening and advancing the farm mission by being a team player. [Being here] opened my eyes to the possibilities of agribusiness in the community setting.
Being flexible with expectations can help you detach from the outcome in anything you do, ensuring a positive experience. I love seeing the community benefit from fruitful land. I am amazed every time tiny seedlings grow to become fruit-bearing plants. This is evident through the efforts at BCCF. Initiatives at BCCF are vital in current times when agriculture is under pressure from all angles, including social, economic, and environmental challenges.