I organize and animate projects related to household and neighbourhood resilience, with a focus on community gardens and urban well-being. Projects may be multi-year engagements, season-long series, or one-off workshops.

• Community-level vegetable gardens are effective, low-cost promoters of well-being. They encourage time outdoors, self-directed activity, unforced sociability, and agency -- as well as producing good food.
• Participatory workshops spread skills and knowledge that boost quality of life, reduce household expenses, and increase resilience.
• Individual sessions introduce people with social or mild learning constraints to growing vegetables.

Formal credentials -- Horticultural therapy, Non-profit management, History of science, technology, and medicine. I'm an engaging teacher and reliable working partner.

My own farming practice focuses on specialty and heirloom vegetables. I enjoy introducing people to flavourful produce that isn't readily available in supermarkets, and growing for people who miss the flavours of home.

In summer I coordinate a small urban farm at the Ashbridge Estate in Toronto. This volunteer-powered project grows for the innovative Building Roots market at Moss Park. In 2019 we doubled our growing space, added a composter and cold frame, built a ferocious scarecrow, iinitiated a pollinator garden, ran workshops for children, adults, and seniors, delivered quantities of vegetables, made new friends, and laughed a lot.

I would like to add a second community-gardening project in 2020.

Workshops use local materials when available (for example, beeswax for hand cream, chamomile for tea and sleep sachets). I am always open to new workshop clients and ideas. Recent series --

• Growing -- Windowsill Herbs, Turmeric and Ginger, Backyard Garlic
• Making -- Global Teas, DIY Deodorant / Hand Cream, Sleep Sachets
• Exploring -- Food Bank Recipes / Sociable Meals, 30 Ways to Leave Your Plastics

Recent media --

• Article in Toronto.com
• Interview on CBC (second half)
• Building Roots blog

To contact me: projects /\ this website.