The writing below are the bios of the S.H.O.W staff, in their own words. This crew is amazing because they are the first ones to break ground and establish the beautiful new Lillie St Urban Garden - taking a blank slate and making a vibrant piece of productive land.
Their writing is a reflection of their experience in the community, where they come from and a little bit of the pieces that have contributed to the story of who they are. It's not an easy thing, writing about yourself, and the different sides of yourself, and then sharing that with the world. But each of these individuals have done so, in a way that is heartfelt and sincere. We thank them for their insights and for the privilege of learning more about their stories. Please read with care and understanding.
Their writing is a reflection of their experience in the community, where they come from and a little bit of the pieces that have contributed to the story of who they are. It's not an easy thing, writing about yourself, and the different sides of yourself, and then sharing that with the world. But each of these individuals have done so, in a way that is heartfelt and sincere. We thank them for their insights and for the privilege of learning more about their stories. Please read with care and understanding.
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CalebHi, my name is Caleb. I'm an Ojibway Native from Hornepayne Ontario. I like to play video games, listen to music and play the Native American flute.
My family and the few friends that I have are very important to me. We all support each other and help one another in any way that we can either emotionally of financially. Just being there for one another. Without them I would be lost. My family, and wanting to be a better person for myself and them, is what motivates me to stay on this path to have a good and positive future, and possibly be someone for them to look up to. It's challenging though because I'm a quiet and shy person and I have problems trusting people because I've been taken advantage of many times. Leaving home for the first time, coming to Thunder Bay to finish school, not knowing anyone and living on my own was a crossroads for me. I chose this because I wanted to have a better future for myself. The impact of this move was good because it allowed me to come out of my shell and meet interesting abd great people along the way. Some experiences that I probably wouldn't have had if I didn't seize this opportunity. I'm proud of this move I made to come here to Thunder Bay to finish my school. I'm more independent and I have my diploma now. Working with Roots to Harvest is awesome. They have a good crew here and everybody is very nice and understanding. I've been learning a lot from the staff themselves and the other farmers that I've met and helped out throughout my time here. It gave me a better understanding and new respect for all farmers because I didn't realize the time and the hard work it takes to run a farm/garden. It is very awesome working here - it's like it's own little community/family. I'm very grateful to have this opportunity to meet and work with al of them. |
AndrewMy name is Andrew. I work with Roots to Harvest as a farmer at the Lillie Street site. I enjoy the work that we do at the farm and the work when we help out local farmers. I have always had an interest in farming and when the chance came by for this job I took it. I love working with local farmers and businesses within Thunder Bay. I am helping out at Community Spokes bicycle shop and love meeting new people and helping them fix their bikes.
I really love Marvel comics. My favourite superhero has to be Captain America. I also have a passion for powerlifting. I enjoy lifting heavy objects. I hope to attend LU next year and study Kinesiology. I really like this quote : "It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees" by Emiliano Zapata. To me it means: Die happily, with dignity and live life the way you want rather than live voicing someone else's opinions. Because then you live life miserable. Working with Roots is such a great experience. The crew is probably one of the things I will miss when this job is over. The thing that I like about this job is that I get the opportunity to grow veggies and sell them to people at our markets. It is nice knowing where your food comes from. I have really grown over the summer. Roots to Harvest has really helped me with alot of things in my life. One was to learn to cope over things that I've lost. Another was to let go of things that were toxic for me. I also learned to have have the confidence to be myself and not caring so much about others peoples opinions. Roots to Harvest is really like family to me and I love them all for doing all that they do for me. |
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Caleb MI am Caleb and I was born and raised in Thunder Bay. What interests me is art; drawing, creating or even just viewing and experiencing art. Sometimes my thoughts get the best of me, but while drawing it’s as if the world shuts off for the time being and I’m entirely centered. I also hike a lot and love to camp, climb and adventure. I became interested in the position with SHOW through volunteering and helping cook with Roots to Harvest last year during school. It has been a rad opportunity to learn about growing food and meeting all the interesting folks who support and contribute with the program.
As I’ve gotten older the more I’ve wanted to reconnect with nature and be more “out there”. I feel as though I was very close-minded in my teens so being able to try something entirely out of my comfort range, like gardening, has been very beneficial for me on many levels. I would have never thought I would enjoy growing food as much as I have come to over the course of this growing season. I really enjoy cooking and feasting with the rendezvous, so now knowing and being capable to grow my own food is such a valuable skill I’ve acquired. In the coming year I hope to do much more travelling and improve design skills. I love being immersed into the community in any way I can and being part of starting a new community garden was very fun. Some of my favourite moments at work were while weeding (for the cool conversations) and when we would have market. Au revoir. |
HarrisonHello, my name is Harrison and I am in the Roots to Harvest SHOW program at the Lillie St Urban Farm Site. I am from southern Ontario and came to Thunder Bay for school; however, due to different life events I’ve had to rethink my direction. I heard about Roots through their market at the waterfront last year and applied to the position after reading about the program on social media.
Helping to build the foundations of the new farm site and having opportunities to learn from wise people every day makes the ongoing experience incredible, especially because of the love and support from everyone. Going to farms is great because we meet professionals that create sustainable ways of life for themselves and learn different farming techniques as well. Some things that I enjoyed this summer was studying tomatoes up close and watching the flowers slowly blossom into fruits, learning how to use the BCS (rototiller), harvesting, shoveling, preserving, and working with a bunch of fantastic people. In this job I have learned to be more patient, kind, and accepting of myself; to find love in the good, the bad, and the ugly. It has been an honour working with Roots to Harvest and I am excited for the future to continue farming sustainably exploring the world of permaculture. Experiencing how plants grow and taking care of them makes me feel more confident that I can help others and myself by growing food. Lastly, being outside connecting with soil and the community through vegetables is beautiful and therapeutic, I highly recommend it. |
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DamonHello, my name is Damon. I am seventeen and working with Roots to Harvest through the OPS program (Ontario Public Service), currently enrolled at St. Patrick’s High School. I love farming and that’s why I got into this great program with my schooling! I started learning about farming from my grandmother at her farm when I was about ten years old. When I was this age, I hated gardening, but as I grew older I started to realize how much we actually need farms. What I love the most about the job is that we have a great crew and we’re basically a big family. Some challenges I’ve had with this job are that I have Type 1 Diabetes, and it involves a LOT of physical work which would make my blood sugar go low quite often. I’ve had quite a few problems happen in my life but am proud to have overcome those things. Outside of work, I am out with friends because I hate being cooped up inside, like a chicken. My goal for later in life is to get married, have kids, and hopefully own a farm. I have also learned a new appreciation for bees while working with Roots to Harvest and have learned quite a bit about the world of a bees’ busy life and I would love to have my own bee hives to sell honey!
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AmberMy name is Amber. I am a 21 year old Indigenous woman who was born and raised in Thunder Bay. I am a caring person with a huge heart but I like to stay to myself. I don’t have many friends but I am okay with that because the people I do have in my life are great. I love to sit back and relax, either watching comedy or horror shows. I am currently expecting a baby, due in January and I am so excited. I've always loved my younger cousins so much and have always looked forward to being a mother. Although I never planned to raise a child this early in life I have no regrets. A huge reason for me joining Roots to Harvest was to learn more about growing food in hopes of feeding my own child home grown vegetables. I'd love to be as natural as possible, starting with food. Once I am done here I would love to finish my last 3 high school credits and then go onto college. I feel confident that I will be able to raise a child while continuing to pursue my goals.
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