Our Story
At Harvest to Garnish, our story began not in a boardroom or a blueprint, but on the streets of downtown Kitchener, where we met weekly with ME&U, a grassroots organization focused on youth empowerment. These early gatherings planted the seeds of what would become a growing movement, one that saw food in a holistic lens as the bridge between community, culture, and climate action.
In 2023, we joined forces with the Youth Impact Project, using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our pitch. The numbers were urgent and telling:
1 in 3 youth in Waterloo Region reported a lack of belonging.
1 in 7 witnessed signs of environmental degradation in their communities.
1 in 10 were going to school or bed hungry—a 10% rise from the previous year.
These statistics weren’t just data—they reflected the lived realities of the youth we were serving. So we got to work.
Our Mission
Harvest to Garnish exists to combat food insecurity through culturally relevant food literacy programming. We empower youth with the tools to grow, cook, and understand their food through hands-on workshops that blend nutrition education, environmental awareness, and cultural connection. By equipping youth with both practical and ancestral knowledge, we cultivate a space where cooking is a form of resistance, gardening is an act of care, and food is a catalyst for change.
From Somali suqaar to Indigenous Three Sisters soup, we honour the culinary wisdom of the cultures that shape our communities. We build not only food skills, but confidence, leadership, and a renewed sense of belonging.
Our Vision
We envision a future where every young person—especially those from low-income, racialized, and newcomer communities—feels a sense of belonging, agency, and connection through food. A future where ecological literacy and culinary heritage are not optional, but foundational. A future where the act of growing and cooking food becomes a tool for self-determination, environmental justice, and intergenerational healing.
At Harvest to Garnish, we believe that when youth know how to care for the earth and nourish themselves, they can grow anything—resilience, relationships, and radical change
Learn more about our ongoing projects and community impact in Our Initiatives.
Contact us
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