Meet Terra Madre delegate Jordan Maynard

This is the first of our short conversations with our delegates who will be attending Terra Madre 2010 in Turin, Italy.

Jordan Maynard is the manager of Southlands Farm, a small-scale community supported agricultural (CSA) farm and food and farming education facility in the heart of Vancouver. He is currently in his fourth year of study at UBC in the agroecology program (sustainable farming). Jordan has been working at Southlands Farm since 2007. He loves potlucking, hugs, riding bikes, and eating. 
 
Slow Food Vancouver: What do you hope to gain from attending this year’s Terra Madre meeting?

Jordan: A fresh perspective on local food production and distribution! I expect Terra Madre to be an incredible eye opening and inspiring exchange of knowledge. I hope to come home with new ideas on food security and efficient small-scale food production, as well as new and exciting ways of engaging my friends and neighbours, and especially kids, on pressing food issues.
Slow Food Vancouver: How will you share what you learn?

Jordan: Young Farmers food and farming summer camps for kids at Southlands Farm will be the most direct way that I will share my knowledge and enthusiasm for food. As well as summer camps, Southlands Farm takes on school groups for field trips and pumpkin patch. I will share ideas from Terra Madre with these groups and others who come for workshops on the farm.

Slow Food Vancouver: What is one goal you would like to achieve in your own field or area of work?

Jordan: I want everyone of my friends to grow at least one lettuce plant. I can’t believe grocery stores even sell lettuce - it’s the easiest thing to grow!

A more concrete goal of mine is to have over 200 children from Vancouver spend at least one week next summer on the farm. And I hope each of those 200 people shares their knowledge with everyone in their class when they go back to school in the fall. I want to share with everyone how much fun it is to eat and grow really good food.