Episode 7 - Food, Social Justice, and Community Healing
This episode, Sustainable Futures is joined by Nicole Austin, Black-led Programs Coordinator, and Arlene Throness, Urban Farm Manager, to discuss their work with the urban rooftop farms at Toronto Metropolitan University. Their efforts through the two rooftop farms strive to support the health and well-being of the community and surrounding ecosystem by using practices that are ecologically, socially and financially just. Join us for a conversation on food security, equity, and resilience in the heart of the city of Toronto with these two leaders.
Guest
Nicole Austin
Black-led Programs Coordinator, Toronto Metropolitan University
Nicole Austin is a food justice advocate, environmentalist and geographer who knows nutrition and food are central to individual and community well-being. Therefore, she champions restorative justice, progressive urban planning, environmental stewardship, and community-based initiatives upon which marginalized people can build capacity and become food sovereign on their own terms. Nicole firmly believes positive, sustainable food system transformation comes through collaboration, knowledge-sharing and intentional reconciliation. She is currently working as the Black-led Programs Coordinator at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Urban Farm, and is involved with Strategic Planning with Black Food Sovereignty Toronto. Nicole holds a B.A.,Hons in Geography & Environmental Science from the University of Guelph and a B.A.Sc in Nutrition & Food from TMU.
Arlene Throness
Urban Farm Manager, Toronto Metropolitan University
Arlene Throness is passionate about growing, sharing and enjoying food. She is the Urban Farm Manager at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) where she oversees two campus rooftop farms. She holds a BA in Political Science from Concordia University and a certificate in Ecological Garden Design from the Linnaea Farm on Cortes Island, BC. Prior to TMU, Arlene was the Coordinator of Concordia University’s Rooftop Greenhouse and a founder of its City Farm School. Arlene was a recipient of the Toronto Botanical Garden’s 2015 Aster Awards, given to individuals who embody the mission to transform our city by connecting people to plants and the natural world. Arlene has more than ten years experience growing food and an additional eight in landscaping, horticulture and silviculture. As an enthusiast of urban ecology, Arlene is always looking to share and trade ideas within the community to find new ways to design landscapes and incorporate local resources into the food cycle.
Host
Steven Peck, GRP, HASLA
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Steven spearheaded the first green roof demonstration project on Toronto City Hall 20 years ago and the mandatory green roof policy in Toronto a decade ago. This innovative policy has resulted in more than 6 million additional square feet of green space across the city. Due to Steven’s work, GRHC has helped to win green roof policy victories in San Francisco, Washington, DC; Portland, Oregon; and Denver, Colorado. Steven also founded Green Infrastructure Ontario coalition to bring together organizations that share an interest in the protection and development of green infrastructure in Ontario. In 2007 he co-founded the World Green Infrastructure Network, an international organization that promotes the use of green infrastructure around the world.
