'A different relationship with food and nature': Quebec program brings city kids to the farm
On the edge of the Quebec-Ontario border, a summer camp is giving city kids a chance to get their hands dirty.
At Young Roots Farm, campers get a break from urban living as they learn about sustainable farming.
The program is run by Camp Amy Molson (C.A.M.) in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, Que.
"Farming is so relaxing, everyone should do it. It really helps deal with stress," said C.A.M. counsellor Zedekai McKenzie.
"There's a lot more vegetables, a lot more places to plant new things."
Farm coordinator Amy Castillo told CTV News the goal is to give kids a sense of self-sufficiency and confidence.
"Sometimes we struggle as kids, as grown-ups. It's identity. '[Am I] fitting in here, fitting in there?' On the land, that doesn't exist," said Castillo. "It's just more belonging, and that's what we're aiming to teach the kids with the farm."
The program also helps shape the children's understanding of the natural world and where the food on their table comes from.
"They kinda develop a different relationship with food, with nature, with animals," said training director Emelie Sattaratn.
The campers prep a daily salad bar, chopping and tasting their crop -- like arts and crafts that you can eat.
Produce from the farm also goes to markets in the area, and even some Montreal restaurants.
(CTV News)
"It's organic, very delicious," said Castillo. "And at the same time, all the money we get goes into nurturing the farm [so it] keeps being sustainable. I think that's also why they order, because they know the project."
It's a feeling that rings true for chef Paul Toussaint of the restaurant Kamuy in Montreal.
"You're going to have the best vegetables because they are not there for the money, they're not there for 'I need to make a lot of products to sell' -- no. They're doing it for love," he said.
"We need the vegetables. At the same time, we have to respect the soil and we have to respect the environment."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.