Going to Seed (but in an heirloom and open-pollinated way)

As I mentioned in Garden Team in a Pickle, most hospital staff spend a good portion of their days washing, scrubbing and otherwise sanitizing their hands. When the day is done, it’s nice to dig in the rich, squishy dirt (after hours, not during surgery). But before we can dig, we need to plant some seeds, which become seedlings, which become plants (vague memories of 4th grade science class). Luckily, there’s a fantastic event taking place at Scadding Court Community Centre, home of our UHN Real Food Garden: Seedy Saturday, March 19th!.

This is a perfect start to the 2016 growing season for the UHN Real Food Garden. We have a small plot of land, but make the most of it. Staff volunteer some time to sow, hoe and grow tasty produce from seed to feed. That produce goes to ELLICSR where Geremy Capone uses it to teach healthy cooking to cancer patients, survivors & friends (bonus: samples of the tasty, anti-oxidizing goodness at the end). Geremy, wellness chef in the ELLICSR kitchen, also heads up the garden and brings his passion for cooking to growing those super local ingredients.

Garden Kickoff, 2015 (yes, the soil totally needed compost)

If you’ve been affected by cancer as a patient, staff, family member or friend, perhaps drop in for one of their dynamic healthy cooking demonstrations. Christy Brissette, Registered Dietician, gives the science behind the flavour. Come for the knowledge, stay for the banter :).