Erin Nelson, a previous member of The Seed’s Steering Committee, and Warren Dodd, a PhD candidate at University of Guelph, recently co-authored a journal article based on their experiences helping to develop and establish The Seed in Guelph. The article, titled Collaborating for community food security: Emerging scholar participation in a community-university partnership reviews the experiences of “emerging scholars” (including graduate and postdoctoral students) when involved in community-campus partnerships.

Read the full article by clicking on the image below, or browse through the abstract for more information.

Abstract

In recent years, there has been rapid growth in community–university partnerships. As part of this trend, emerging scholars, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, have demonstrated significant interest in being part of community-engaged research projects. However, while there is a growing body of literature on the general subject of CU partnerships, the perspective of emerging scholars is not adequately addressed. In this paper, we aim to address that gap by presenting the case of a specific partnership – one that focused on the issue of community food security – and highlighting the role played by emerging scholars. We suggest that some of the challenges and opportunities characteristic of CU work affect emerging scholars, and the partnerships in which they are involved, in unique ways. Because we view emerging scholar participation in engaged research as valuable for both researchers and community partners, we argue in favour of developing institutional spaces that can support their involvement in CU partnerships by providing opportunities to do the work, facilitating skill building and creating communities of practice.

Food Security means all people, at all times, have access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food. But for eight per cent of Canadians, food security does not exist. That’s 1.1 million households, according to Statistics Canada’s most recent 2011-2012 report. So how can communities do better?

The statistics are devastating, but Erin Nelson and her colleagues harnessed these ugly figures as motivation. Through community research and consultation, Nelson, a current postdoctoral fellow at Wilfred Laurier University, and her team founded a local community food centre called .

Based out of Guelph, The Seed aims to eliminate poverty and food insecurity. It also channels a unique and alternative method of food delivery. The organization shifts away from the old-fashioned, ‘food bank charity case,’ to a newer model that focuses on social justice and equity. “The ,” Nelson said, “is for everyone.”

On the other hand, the traditional food bank model breeds stigma and judgement, Nelson said, so accessing food services can sometimes be humiliating and degrading for people. “Community food centres focus on people not feeling that way,” she said.

“The Seed creates a space for people where they’re going to feel empowered, they’ll feel a real sense of community building, and come together around food in a positive way,” said Nelson.

Over the next three years, The Seed aims to become a food hub, rather than a food bank.  The centre will, for example, encompass a community kitchen, a local garden, and nutrition and healthy eating workshops open to all. It will also distribute healthy and fresh food to local emergency food providers and their clients.

The Seed’s founders asked locals who have experienced poverty and used emergency food services in the past to play an integral role in the planning process. “We wanted people who were using the service to be involved in decisions about how the [new] service would be created,” Nelson said.

The planning and development of The Seed was largely a community-driven, consultative process, Nelson said. “We used it as a big tent for people to get involved,” she said. “We hosted lots of community events and we gained partners in the university, social service agencies and businesses… we tried to make it a positive experience all around.”

The Trillium Foundation provided a prestigious $267,000 grant to develop The Seed. Various fundraising events and sponsors, including CFICE, also helped establish the organization and increase awareness about the emerging community food centre model.

As for Nelson herself, she no longer works on The Seed’s steering committee, but hopes the centre will have a bright and exciting future. “I’m teaching at the University of Guelph now, but still very much working at the intersection between university research and community organizations in the area of sustainable food systems…I’d definitely be happy to volunteer with The Seed down the road.”