Looking for research collab: environmental justice

[Käthe Ploeger]

Dear growers, 

My name is Käthe and I am a cultural anthropologist from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Ever since my childhood, the biodiversity in my parent's backyard has interested me. Now, I feel the same enthusiasm when maintaining my own (small) urban vegetable balcony. In the upcoming harvest season, I will move to Toronto for an exciting research project related to this interest of mine:

My research aims to understand how community gardens and urban farms foster food sovereignty and community cohesion, while also playing a significant role in creating a fairer and more caring relationship with our environment. I am particularly interested in looking at this from a "more-than-human" perspective. This means that I consider not only human needs but also the well-being of the plants, animals, and all forms of life that share our urban spaces. I am sure you are familiar with this, in practice or theory! 

That is why I am reaching out to find a research partner for August-November. I can offer 2-3 days of volunteer work a week to any community farm or garden that is willing to assist me. In exchange, I hope to gain insights and hands-on experience that will enrich my environmental justice research. Besides, I am finalizing my research proposal this month, so I would love to include any suggestions on how my research can benefit your organization as well. 

If you are interested in this collaboration or know someone who might be, please feel free to reach out to me directly at kathe....@student.uva.nl . I am more than happy to discuss this further and share more details about my research.

I look forward to potentially joining forces for more just and sustainable food systems in the future. 

Warm regards,

Käthe 

[Marc Green]

I suggest you contact EcoSource to see if they are interested in connecting with you. They’re good people - we have worked with them on a number of community garden installations.

https://ecosource.ca/

Marc Green (he/him)

VP Operations
The Backyard Urban Farm Company
(416) 450-3899 (cell)