The local food movement has been around for decades, but it has never carried the political weight that the challenges of 2025 have brought upon us. With soaring food prices, unpredictable weather patterns, and a decline in quality, things feel increasingly uncertain. As agriculture becomes more industrialized and climate change threatens the viability of our farming practices, we’ve lost much of the diversity in what we grow—and with it, the rich range of flavors we once enjoyed. Today, preservation and uniformity often take precedence over taste. But food has always been a powerful connector, and we need connection now more than ever. By restoring the diversity lost to industrialization and recognizing the essential partnership between farmers and the environment, I hope we can begin to shift consumer values and spark real, systemic change.
With 80% of Canada’s population living in urban areas, we have become more and more disconnected from the food we eat. My few years of farming have shown me just how beautifully delicious local food can be when grown in harmony with the environment. At Fresh Roots, we celebrate the vibrant flavors of seasonal, local food grown in healthy, living soil, and we’re proud to be part of that movement. But beyond just growing good food, we are also nurturing a deeper connection between people and what’s on their plate. Food literacy—understanding where our food comes from, how it’s grown, and the impact it has on our communities—helps us appreciate the intricate relationship between humans and the land. When we reconnect with our food in a meaningful way, we foster not only healthier individual lives but also a stronger sense of community and shared responsibility for our planet’s future.
I grew up in Seattle, another big city, where, had my parents not had the means to introduce me to my surrounding food system, I could have easily gone years without knowing how the vegetables on my plate were grown. We had weekly CSA boxes that we picked up every Thursday evening at a nearby neighbor’s porch. It was a highlight of the week. Especially in late summer, when the boxes would slowly turn from green to vibrant oranges and pinks, filled to the brim with fresh peaches and nectarines, apricots and plums. I learned early on the difference between a grocery store apple and a farm box apple. I remember too, every Fall, slipping on my yellow rain boots and warm clothes and driving an hour to the farm’s annual ‘Hog n’ Grog’ where the CSA members would all celebrate with the farmers in the bounty of the season and wander the fields that had just fed us the past 6 months.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an amazing way to support local farmers—it goes beyond just receiving a box of fresh vegetables each week. Buying local doesn’t only sustain farmers like us; it helps foster a broader shift toward valuing food, labor, and our deep connection to the land. When you support Fresh Roots, you’re not only supporting new farmers like myself, but you’re also empowering youth who are learning about where their food comes from. You’re investing in the environment and the land that nourishes us all. You are creating a more food literate community. To me, supporting local food is a way to help restore the vital relationship between humans, nature, and the food that sustains us.
Franny Rainbow, Schoolyard Farm Production Lead