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Episode 5: Farmer Anna Badillo Is Not A Farmer

Episode 5: Farmer Anna Badillo Is Not A Farmer

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Episode Synopsis

Urban Roots is an urban agriculture nonprofit that repurposes underused land inside the city boundary for growing fruits and vegetables. Executive Director Anna Badillo shares her journey from adopting the playful "Farmer Anna" persona during the pandemic to leading a community-driven organization addressing food security and sustainability. She discusses Urban Roots' innovative "model of thirds," which balances food donations, affordable sales, and market-rate sales to ensure equitable access to fresh, healthy produce. Anna highlights the organization's focus on community building, hands-on learning, and sustainable farming practices, including low-till methods and native pollinator gardens. She also explores the transformative potential of urban agriculture in challenging industrialized food systems and promoting food literacy. From quirky beginnings to impactful leadership, Anna’s passion for grassroots organizing and climate action shines through. In this episode, you’ll discover how Urban Roots is cultivating fresh food and connected communities while inspiring hope for future generations.

About Our Guest

Anna Badillo is the Executive Director of Urban Roots London. She is a multifaceted community organizer, academic, and activist whose work spans various fields and disciplines. She is passionate about food security, land-based education, and creating inclusive and equitable environments that promote community and relationship-building. 

Visit bio.site/GrowAbilityPod for links to our StoryHub and Socials.

Transcript

HOLLY:
I feel like I've seen you in hats. Are you a hat-wearer?

JOE:
I don't wear hats.

HOLLY:
I want to talk about...

JOE:
It crimps my mullet!

HOLLY:
That one hat you said. You said you wished all the hats that you wore were that one that were just like the flat one. The one that's tight to you. To your head.

JOE:
My Husqvarna hat. I love that hat so much. And I also love my- That's my Mountain Equipment Company hat.

HOLLY:
OK.

JOE:
I love that hat too, because it's- you can crunch it.

HOLLY:
The ones that I've seen you in are the super tight ones. Super, super tight. From web.isod.es, this is GrowAbility a podcast at the intersection of urban agriculture, food security and community.

JOE:
On this episode, I speak with Urban Roots Executive Director and epic bucket hat-wearer, Anna Badillo.

HOLLY:
Urban Roots is an innovative initiative that takes underused land and uses it for, you guessed it, urban agriculture.

JOE:
Holly, one of the amazing things about this interview was that before 2020, Anna had no real farming experience.

HOLLY:
And neither did the organization's founders. They just wanted to help people access healthy foods in sustainable ways.

JOE:
I think it just shows that anyone can get involved in growing things in the power of community. You did kind of get in on the weeds on this,

JOE:
Nice.

HOLLY:
particularly on the environmentally sustainable farming practices and food literacy. But the Rule of Thirds model you two discussed is amazing.

JOE:
It all comes back to community building.

HOLLY:
Plus, her hat is pretty epic. And if anyone listening wants to see me in a hat or offer questions, suggestions and ideas for future episodes, send them to me at Joe at growabilitypod.com.

HOLLY:
Thanks once again to Siskinds The Law Firm, for opening up their beautiful space for this interview.

JOE:
And now our very own hat trick. My conversation with Urban Roots, Anna Badillo.

JOE:
Anna, it's so wonderful to have you here with us. We're going to record an intro for the audience, and we’ll give some background on you. And, just for our audio only listeners, know that Anna is wearing a bright red bucket hat. The words Farmer Anna and a picture of a tractor embroidered into it. Do you wear that all the time?

ANNA:
I do wear that all time. Yes.

JOE:
Okay, so what's the story with the hat?

ANNA:
Okay, so during the pandemic, everyone's life was slowing down and a few lockdowns. I bought a pair of overalls in a thrift store shop, and I took on this persona of, like, a farmer Anna., and I would take photos with me in my overalls with different type of animals at farms, because there's really nothing to do. So that was what I was doing to entertain myself. And my best friend decided to buy me a hat that said Farmer Anna with a tractor on. And then it turned into- Then I was taking like photos in different areas of the hat and overalls, and then I made a calendar for 2022 - a Farmer Anna calendar and it was just photos of me throughout the pandemic with animals, different places, and just... it was really funny. My family had a good kick out of it and I give everyone for Christmas.

JOE:
So tell me your friend and find that hat thrifting.

ANNA:
No, she actually bought it on Etsy and got it custom-made for me.

JOE:
That's very cool. How did you get interested in farming?

ANNA:
So actually, I have no background in agriculture. My mom always tells me this story. When I was a kid, she asked me if I wanted to go to sleepaway camp, and I was like, what am I gonna do? Like, sleep on a rock? Like, I wasn't really like, I played outdoors a lot, but I wasn't really into the whole outdoor farming agriculture scene. But then again, pandemic. Your life slows down. I really got interested in watching the trees grow, and through it, like, throughout the season. And then my family we’re Italian background - So my family has always grown their own produce, tomatoes, things like that. So I decided I was like, you know what? I'm going to try this out. It was a basil plant, my Aunt bought me a basil plant. And she told me, if you can't keep a basil plant alive, you're a loser.

JOE:
No pressure!

ANNA:
And so... that this plant did die, but after a year. And then I was like, you know what? I really like this. It was fun. So then, I've been- my great grandmother back in 1935 when she first came over from Calabria to, Canada, here in Toronto. She brought over her tomato seeds, zucchini seeds, cucumber seeds and pull bean seeds. And so my family has continued to grow from those seeds over the years. So I got some seeds from family of mine.

JOE:
That’s really cool.

ANNA:
And then I started growing my own thing. And now it's like a labor love. I love it, it's trial and error all the time. I don't always have great success, but, and then also working at Urban Roots, I've learned a lot from our Director of Farm operations, so I like picked up some skills there. But I wouldn't I would not say that I'm a a real farmer. Definitely a persona, but fake it til you make it.

JOE:
that's it ANN: Yeah.

JOE:
Speaking of urban areas, you're the executive director of Urban Roots What is Urban Roots?

ANNA:
Yeah. So Urban Roots is a labor of love, I would say. The core original four founders of Urban Roots had no farming experience or background. Only one grew up on a farm and he was like, I'm never going to work at a farm. Ended up co-funding a nonprofit farm. And I think that really speaks to the underlying tone of Urban Roots You know, even our Director of Farm Operations, no farming background, but everyone has a passion and a passion for growing and a passion for community building and really for sustainable living. And I think that that's what brought urban roots together and, and grew this project into what it is today. So we are an urban farm and we not only, cultivate and grow on that land, but we also work a lot on food security and that community building aspect. So we're always trying to get food out to distributed out to people who need it the most. And the founders of Urban Roots really believed in removing the barriers to access healthy, nutritious food. And we've seen over the years that demand continue to grow as food insecurity is growing in our city. But there really has been a place for urban roots to be able to grow in a commercial scale and really get that food out there and not have those barriers limiting for people to access.

JOE:
And it's inspiring. So four non-farmers started...

ANNA:
Yes.

JOE:
...an urban farming space. 

ANNA:
Yeah.

JOE:
In the city... and are assisting with food security.

ANNA:
Who would have thought.

JOE:
Who would have thought. So why did you want to take on the role of Executive Director?

ANNA:
Interesting, because it's not like I applied for the role.

JOE:
Okay.

ANNA:
But I love that I ended up in this journey. So actually I decided- my background in schooling is social justice and world religions, I did my Master's in International Peace Studies, actually overseas in Ireland. But I really have always had a love for grassroots organizing and community building. So I decided to come back to London and take a non-for-profit management program. I wanted to get back to work in the nonprofit space. But I was working as a manager in another industry, and I really wanted to continue into that. That role, and I had to do a placement. And with that placement, this is also at the same time of me taking on this farmer and a persona. And I was really interested in Urban Roots’s market operation. Like that model. And so I was like, well, I've had a couple friends that I've worked for them before. So I was like, oh, I'm just gonna try and do my placement there. And they accepted me, which is really great. And so the first summer I was the market manager, and that was fun because I loved, meeting people that came to the market, really kind of connecting with folks and that community building aspect. And then there was a role that opened up for an outreach coordinator. So I switched into that after that contract was done. And then, I was going to go back into the market manager, but then, they asked me if I wanted to be the ED role because the original ED they hired got a job teaching at Mohawk College. So she went and went over there and recommended me. And so I kind of took an admin role in between as we transitioned. And then I ended up in the ED role, And it's been really wonderful ever since.

JOE:
[laughs] You've earned the hat!

ANNA:
Yeah. Now I probably have earned the hat.

JOE:
I would say you earned it. Urban Roots talks about growing fresh, healthy, connected communities. What do you see the link between agriculture and community.

ANNA:
Yeah, I see a really big link, actually. I think what's unique about urban farming and urban agriculture is that it is on a smaller scale. So you can incorporate that community aspect a bit more than it would be in rural areas. On large farming, it's quite hard. But what's really nice about Urban Roots and connecting that community is that we started off volunteer base. Right. So it was really every year would not be where it is today if it was not for those volunteers that came together and built that community. And then over time, that's expanded. We do a lot of volunteer dropping hours. People can come by and just, you know, get their hands dirty. And through that, they're not only rebuilding the relationship with the land, but they're building relationships with those around them. So the other farm staff, the other volunteers, you know, when we have groups come out, whether it's school groups or organizations, you know, corporations, there's really that aspect of team bonding on the farm when you're you're digging in the ground, pulling those weeds for some time together. So I think that's kind of where urban Search has allowed for that community building by working with our hands and building their relationship with that land, and with that comes that with, community as well.

JOE:
What type of food are you growing?

ANNA:
So at Urban Roots we grow a whole bunch of different varieties of vegetables and fruits. Mainly more on the veggie side. So, for example, we've grown six different variety types of kale. I did not even know there was six different types until I started working at Urban Roots. But what we grow like, you know, a few different types of tomatoes, and we really try to have variety so that, you know, it's not the same thing you're finding at the grocery store. You're trying something new, which is what it's exciting, and you're also learning new what new ways of growing or not growing, but eating with that produce as well.

JOE:
Food literacy.

ANNA:
Lots of food literacy, yeah.

JOE:
So do you grow everything on one site... is Urban Roots one s- a one site space.

ANNA:
So over the years we have expanded. So we have three sites now our main farm site it's- we grow on about an acre and we could produce about 20,000 pounds of food. And this year we are expecting to surpass the 20,000 pounds, which is really exciting. And then we have two other sites, so one at Siloam United Church, and we have our fruit production there. And we do grow some vegetables as well too. The fruit production has been a little bit tricky for us. So we are again labor of love, of learning. So we are learning the fruit production side of things. But everything grown at that site goes right back into our donation affordable tier. And then at Parkwood Hospital we have another urban garden site there, and everything grown on that site goes right back into Parkwood and they use it for their menu planning. And then the mental health patients get to use it for therapeutic and recreational purposes too. Yeah. And I would say each of those sites probably grow about 1,000 pounds of food on them. And there are a lot smaller of a scale.

JOE:
I've heard the term model of thirds.

ANNA:
Yes.

JOE:
And there will be listeners that may be very familiar with the term, but for those that aren't, how would you explain that.

ANNA:
Yeah. The model of thirds. It's a working social enterprise model. So it's three tiers. We have a donation tier, affordability tier and a wholesale market rate tier. So the co-founders, they went and visited, Detroit urban agriculture scene before starting up the project here. And something they realized was that they were really heavily reliant on grants and, you know, the donation funding. So they wanted to create a model that allowed for some, self-sufficiency, some economic stability. And so they came up with the model thirds. So we do sell the produce at an affordable rate, and we have two tiers of selling those affordable produce we have at our farm gate market, which about 50% off what you find, market rate. And then we also sell, affordable rate to our social enterprise partners. And that's about a 25% discount off that market rate too. And then that wholesale market rate - in the past  we have sold specialty items to certain restaurants in London or we’ll-  or other types of, like, food outlets. That is quite hard for us to upkeep because of, you know, restaurants need consistently and not everything or they're not going to be very consistent, especially at the mercy of Mother Nature. So we found, we started a community supported, community supported agriculture  food box program. And that's actually been really helpful and allows for that upfront investment from the community of folks that can purchase a food box. And then we distribute that out weekly from June to October. And so it comes out to about 22 food boxes for the season. And that really helps, with that third tier, that market rate tier, that's the intention that we can build that up over time and that can at least cover our farm operation cost. And then our donation tier, we do donate out to our donation partners that do their own food programing, food security work. It could be Glen Cairn Resource Center, the food bank, Ark Aid Mission, etc.. And so we can't do all of the frontline work. We, we have to work a lot with partners, and our partners really are doing that frontline food security work. And so it's really great that we can partner up with other folks in the community to really expand our outreach.

JOE:
And that's how we build community; through connection.

ANNA:
Yes, course, yeah.

JOE:
Yeah.

JOE:
The term food system equity, which sounds like it's linked to food security. How would you describe that?

ANNA:
Yeah. So we were, you know, the co-founders were really big on choice. So a lot of times, folks are- you-  when you're food insecure and you go to pick up a donation or folks are donating to you, you don't really have the choice there, right? That equitable choice to choose the produce that you want. So the original co-founders really wanted to incorporate this in the way that we were working in the food system that we were creating. And so that's a really big component. And when we partner, we intentionally partner with equity deserving groups, especially with our community pop up markets. So that's also under our affordable tier, which that produces pre-purchase at an affordable rate. And then we distribute it out to the community, with our partners. And they host pop up markets, targeting low income neighborhoods across the City of London. And that's at no cost. Those individuals and families access that. And through that, we've impacted over 7000 individuals and 2500 families. And that even furthers our outreach. And that's where that equitable piece comes in. Where, like, we really want to get into the hands of at the most and having no barriers. So we're really big components on not having to prove that you're impoverished to deserve, you know, that donation or whatever it may be. Anyone can access those pop up markets in those neighborhoods. Anyone can access our farm gate market. We really wanted to remove the barriers that is implanted in our food system. Unfortunately, especially those that are food insecure trying to access, healthy food. And so that's kind of where that equitable piece comes into. We also are not just, you know, we own the land that we're growing on, but we don't like to call ourselves land owners or stewarding the land. So, we really want to center the land too, as well, with itself. And it's equitable and deserving of good growing practices, you know, taking care of the soil, good quality soil, low tilling, you know, really putting that nutrients back into that soil to keep the it healthy. And as the soil is healthy, the produce is healthy or eating healthy. And that's kind of where that cycle comes in.

JOE:
And then the next generation will steward it.

ANNA:
Yes.

JOE:
To continue the good work. Is the model of Urban Roots Is it unique to Canada, the United States? Are there ideas? We talked a little bit about Detroit. Are there other ideas that have been given or gleaned to other groups?

ANNA:
Yeah, I think actually my- our Farm Manager mentioned to me that he was at a conference- a farming conference in Guelph, and there was another organization in Toronto that was basing their, model off of our model thirds, which is kind of cool.

JOE:
very cool.

ANNA:
Yeah, I would say I don't I wouldn’t... I mean, urban farming is not unique,  like Urban Roots is not unique to that. There's been urban farming, you know, across Canada and different cities. Ottawa, you know, Toronto, out West as well. I think maybe what makes Urban Roots unique is the sense of, you know, incorporating different elements. So, like our Parkwood site is unique, like there's hospitals that have garden sites that patients use for therapeutic and recreational purposes, but they don't use a produce that's grown there. So that's a unique thing where they're actually putting it back into the hospital. And that takes a lot of winning over people to really believe in the mission, that it could be possible. I think like those little pieces bring that uniqueness to Urban Roots I would say maybe to as well, like, you know, how Urban Roots started and that process of, being unique in the sense that, we really just the core mission was always just how much like, let's grow as much of it as possible and really get it out there. Like, less concerned with, you know, that profit driven mindset and more concern and centering, you know, that social justice, that human rights aspect, equitable, deserving, healthy food, nutritious food and, maybe that's a little, little piece to that unique, Urban Roots The, two of the co-founders were professors at Western University, and they had, soil quality is a really big thing on their radar. And so with growing sites, we were always testing the soil. And that was something that makes a difference, right? The land that we're on used to be a horse farm. So very good quality soil. But that makes a difference for the produce. And that's not always the case for, a lot of folks, we always say to folks, if you're gonna start growing test the soil first before doing anything. So maybe that I would say that piece is also a little bit unique too.

JOE:
And, you know, we've mentioned a little bit about food literacy. And when we talk about, projects like the Parkwood Project, it's challenging the what has become the standard food system, which is, you know, you know, foods that are generally more, more processed, industrialized, going into large organizations and, you know, what I really love-  and there's a lot of things I love about Urban Roots, but one of the things that I really love is, you know, that food literacy, natural, healthy grown foods. And it's it's interesting that it it challenges our our more industrialized food system that we're used to.

ANNA:
Yes

JOE:
Is that is that conscious is that is that a conscious decision.

ANNA:
Yeah. I think that is a very conscious decision. I think also, you know, it not only challenges the food industry, but it also challenges the health industry, like food is medicine. I think that's been lost and we've lost that piece, especially, I would say, due to colonialism. And I find that, you know, it seems like it's a niche thing to want to go back to, like growing your own food, working with the land and, you know, eating organic. But our food was always organic before, so in reality, we're just going back to our roots. Ironic Urban Roots - back to our roots. But yeah, I think it's a very conscious choice. And that's kind of what I really love about Urban Roots is that they're not just we're not just doing, you know, the talk. We're also walking that walk. Right? Walking it with our Indigenous partners together. And, you know, we're beneficial, we're benefiting from Indigenous land, that we get to cultivate. So we very much do work with, we have partners in, in our nation with knowledge sharing. You know, we do work a lot-  closely with SOAHAC and other, organizations to really, get the food out there to them. And then but also on the receiving end of learning is from their growing practices and us teaching them to about different growing practices. So it's really that, really nice partnership there. And, yeah. And I think, like when we talk about food as medicine, there's always that saying, like, you know, you are what you eat. And, I think what I love about the Parkwood project is that it is partnered with Nourish Leadership and Nourish Leadership is a nationwide program, that is trying to change the food system within the hospitals. Especially when you live in a city where your demographic is so diverse that you don't just have, you know, your different cultures that are your patients. Right? And everyone here's the thing. When you think of hospital food, you think of like, some gross Jell-O on a tray.

JOE:
It’s a punch line!

ANNA:
Yes. Yeah, but actually I had no idea. But before hospitals used to have their own butcher, they had gardens, they had kitchens, they had chefs. That was a part of the hospital. And so again, going back to their original roots. And so I think that's what's so lovely about Nourish Leadership is that they're trying to change that. And I would say one of the most successful ones is up in the north, and a hospital up in northern Ontario has allowed for the Indigenous community there to they're hunting meat and getting meat to actually incorporate that into the menu planning at the hospital there, which is a huge because they have a huge population of Indigenous folks that are there that go into that hospital, and it's only right and equitable that they're able to access their traditional foods as well, and not just a baloney sandwich. So I think that's what's really, great about when we change our mindset of thinking about food as medicine.

JOE:
Another thing I'd like to talk about, ecosystem accountability. Can you can you explain to the uninitiated what this term, what this term means to you?

ANNA:
Yeah. So to urban roots, it's, to be accountable of taking care of that land in a proper way. So it's not mono cropping, it's, you know, crop rotation. It's also like, not tilling so frequently it's low till or no till at all. You really don't want to disturb the nutrients that's sitting in that soil. It's also, you know, planting native pollinator gardens. And, and invasive species removal as well. So it's really being responsible and, land stewardship and holding yourself accountable to those practices. You know, people can start growing a project and they can take the easy way out and, you know, spray and use pesticides, get rid of the bugs and we're out there. We have volunteers that are literally picking the potato bugs off of, the leaves.

JOE:
Good people.

ANNA:
Good people. Yes. But, like, we don't want to spray. We don't want to use that. We don't want to harm, the plants and the produce that ends up in our body and that continues to harm us as well. So it's really being responsible and holding ourselves accountable to not just the food, but the land, the planet and that whole cycle that works together.

JOE:
You've collaborated with, another one of our podcast guests, Doctor Gabor Sass on, Climate Action Report. Can you tell us a little bit about the report, where you where you see that report and how it helps maybe develop an inclusive community?

ANNA:
Yeah, I think, the report really highlights the link between urban agriculture and climate action that do go hand-in-hand together.

JOE:
Yeah.

ANNA:
And really, I appreciate Gabor and his extensive knowledge on the topic. I learned a lot writing that with him. And we also wanted it to not just be educational, where you're learning, where the benefits are, but then also if you wanted to like, okay, this is great, how do I now start my own project? We really want that to be incorporated too. So not only learning the benefits but then like how do you start your own garden project? How do you start a raised bed? How do you if you want to, you know, grow indoors? Like how do you do all those things? And so that was another big component into the report. And I find that so useful. I mean, sometimes we have Google, right? You can Google anything until your fingertips, but sometimes people just want an old fashioned where I can just look at something and it's there. Everything's in one place. I can just click a link or I can read it and it's and I don't have to further that research. So I really wanted to simplify it for folks. And that's why I really love that report. And I find it very helpful for the community as a useful tool as we continue to understand the importance of growing our own food and how that connects to climate action.

JOE:
Hands on learning.

ANNA:
Hands on learning. Yes.

JOE:
Why do you thank that farmers  and environmentalist care so much about the environment? What do they see that that maybe some other people aren't seeing?

ANNA:
The survival of our species, maybe?

ANNA:
Maybe they had a foresight?

JOE:
That’s pretty important, yeah.

ANNA:
You know

JOE:
That’s a good thing to get. I've been actually having this conversation, with my partner and family recently. cause we’ve been watching some climate change documentaries. And people are like, well it’s so daunting. So how do you convince a whole entire, you know, they were saying in the documentary, like, you're not only saving the planet for this generation and the generations, like, ahead of us, but it's the unborn generations that we're also thinking about and, you know, Indigenous ways of learning. You're always thinking of seven generations ahead and seven generations behind. And so I think that's something that, is really important when we think about climate action, climate change, and how do we save our planet?  And that's something that I think is the really the core piece is like, it's not just us. It's, you know, it's not just just the younger generation, but also all the generations to come. It's our species survival. We have to, you know, we want to stick around. So we need to have a livable planet to live on in order for that to happen.

JOE:
We need good stewards.

ANNA:
Yes, we need to learn to live in the ecosystem not above the ecosystem.

JOE:
Okay. For someone listening in downtown Toronto, Calgary or Halifax, how can they get engaged in urban agriculture in their own communities?

ANNA:
Yeah. So there's community gardens that you can definitely get engaged from with the city level. But also there's organizations out there. There's an urban farm in Toronto that you can actually, like rent a plot like they provide a plot of land that you can then cultivate yourself, which is a pretty cool concept. And so it's a little bit different than a community garden where you're applying from the city and you're waiting on a waitlist forever. It's a lot larger than just a community garden. But I also feel like every day folks that are living in a large city, it's not difficult to, you know, start growing a few plants in your apartment, right. Or if you have a balcony, things like that. I do think that it is a privilege to be able to afford to be able to grow your own food at home. Especially, you know, living in poverty,  working class. It's quite hard when you're working long hours and go home and tend to your your plants at home. But there's lots of ways to incorporate urban agriculture within the structure of living in a city. There's rooftop growing, you know, hydroponics at home. I myself have a hydroponic, and I love it, like having fresh herbs all year round. So I think there are little ways. I just think, unfortunately, right now it is more of a privilege to be able to access that. And it does cost a lot more for folks to have a gardening hobby. And I hope one day in the future that cost kind of comes down, especially for hydroponics. And I envision like a future of when you're when we're building apartment buildings, you're already building a vertical Ro tower in that kitchen, or even like houses or things like that. I think that would be an amazing developmental step, yeah.

JOE:
And a necessity.

ANNA:
Yes. Yeah.

JOE:
So we've talked about a lot of stuff today. Is there anything that you would like to talk about that I didn't I didn't ask, is there anything you'd like to mention?

ANNA:
I think maybe, you know, Urban Roots, we started in 2017 and you know, our ten year anniversary is in 2027. And I think, we've really grown more from just being a growing site to really tapping into urban agriculture education. Similar to work that The PATCH does. And, you know, that food security work, we seem to be shifting more towards that. And I think, having a flexibility and being adaptable in an organization and really, you know, the demands rising. So really, being able to pivot to what the community needs. And I think Urban Roots really does that, quite well. And, I would love for folks to, to know more about, you know, we have educational farm tours. We have a hands on learning volunteer session that, you know, even if you're in the office all day and like, you just want to get your team out and come out to the farm and just get your hands dirty, like, we would love to have more people to come out to really, you know, teach them what we're doing and how important that is and how they could do it at home, too.

JOE:
It's a very cool thing to do, and they shouldn't do that. Okay, Anna, What keeps you growing?

ANNA:
Like growing food or just growing in general?

JOE:
You pick.

ANNA:
What keeps me growing? Hope. Hope. And I love when I see the younger generation that are so fired up about climate and doing climate work and climate justice. I think that gives me a lot of hope. And I really, switches that, switch from folks that are so stuck in the pessimistic state of, like, we're doomed. And so when you see the youth coming out here being like, no, we're not doom like that keeps me hope that keeps me growing for sure.

ANNA:
Feeds the soul.

JOE:
That's awesome. Where can people find out more about Urban Roots and the work that you're doing?

ANNA:
Yeah. So we do have a website, urbanrootslondon.ca And then we you can also find us on social media, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook as well. Also you can just come check us out at the farm, 21 Norlan Ave. There's usually always someone on site. So. Yeah.

JOE:
We love your innovation and your ambition, that you’ve brought to urban agriculture and food security, and we’d like to thank you for coming today.

ANNA:
Thank you, thank you for having me.

JOE:
Thank you.

Episode Credits

GrowAbility is hosted by Joe Gansevles and Holly Pugsley, and produced by Joe Gansevles and Adam Caplan.

Special thanks to this week’s guest, Anna Badillo.

Lighting & Camera design by Kevin Labonte, with production support from Oliver Gansevles.

GrowAbility’s production was made much easier with the help of Jesse Chen, Terry Fujioka, Zack Grossman, Zachary Meads, Leo Shin, and Debora Camargo from Fanshawe College's Broadcasting Television & Film Production Program.

Thanks to Janice Robinson from Fanshawe for arranging for these students invaluable participation.

Holly Pugsley of Just Keep Growing provided the plants and made sure they looked great.

Audience and Marketing Strategy by Japs Kaur Miglani with support from Doruntina Uka and Tess Alcock.

Our theme music is Wandering William by Adrian Walther and can be found on Sound Stripe.

Thanks as well to Hubert Orlowski for providing technical and audio engineering advice to help our podcast sound great.

Adam Caplan is web.isod.es Executive Producer and Sammy Orlowski is our Senior Creator.

Special thanks to Jennifer Routly from Siskinds The Law Firm, for arranging to host us at their beautiful head office in downtown London, Ontario.

GrowAbility is a webisodes production and is produced with the support and participation of the team at The PATCH and Hutton House.

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