Page 30 - MENU Magazine - March/April 2018

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and land from Toronto Community Housing. The market is open three days a week in the winter and four days a week in warmer weather. O season, distributors deliver the fresh produce and dry goods. In season, fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs come from much nearer by.
“We have a farm in Ashbridge Estate,” says Kates. “Just two kilo- metres away. Ontario Heritage approached us a couple of years ago and said they wanted this wonderful green space to be animated.”
The
The gardens were planned and planted by the Toronto Black Farm- ers and Growers Collective, holistic nutritionist Heather Allen and Johl Whiteduck Ringuette of Nish Dish.
“The footprint is very small,” says Kates. “A lot of the time, some- one will go harvest the food, and bike it along Queen Street.”
The reaction in Moss Park has been tremendous. “They love the market,” says Kates. “And it’s growing. We now also have a cooking program. Chef Teneile Warren comes once a month to make lunch or dinner for the residents using food from the market. It takes a lot to get something like this o the ground. We’ve done it, and it’s ongoing, and hopefully everlasting. We have con dence that we could go into another community and be consultants. I feel very privileged actually that we’re allowed to do what we do.”
Kates encourages everyone to shop at the Moss Park Market—in- cluding Toronto restaurants. “We have to be connected, so we know what’s going on in the city,” she says. “We want everyone to shop there to support the vision. If there are chefs in the neighbourhood, come, buy food from us. Let’s work out an arrangement. You would be buying food that’s truly local, and helping out a really wonderful initiative. We need people to believe in what we’re doing. It’s a big vision, but it’s one we’re really proud of, and one the residents are proud of.”
buildingroots.ca
Auction House
30 MENU
MARCH / APRIL 2018
Proving that charitable initiatives can be woven into the everyday business of a restaurant is the Auction House in Halifax. The brewpub, which specializes in Nova Scotian craft beers, occupies an old auction house, as its name suggests, built
in 1765. The pub opened three years ago, and since its beginnings has made giving back to the commu- nity a part of the way it operates.
General Manager Stephen MacDonald explains: “Every table has a paddle, so when somebody does an auction, you have that paddle at your table for bidding. We do some daily auctions and special events auctions. The proceeds all go to charities.” Items for auction include meals, gift cards, sport- ing event tickets, hotel stays, art, company swag from local breweries and more.
The most popular lot? “People love the brunch for two item,” says MacDonald. “Those are proba- bly the most popular.”
This year, the Auction House is focusing on local charities, including Chisholm Services for Children and the Halifax Cat Rescue Society. The whole Auction House sta is on board, with the team deciding what charities to feature. The pub also o ers event space to charitable organizations for free, and such organizations are encouraged to use the auction model themselves for fundraising. For some events, the Auction House will donate a portion of pro ts from food and drink sales.
The pub encourages other businesses in Halifax and the surrounding area to get involved by donat- ing items for auction. auctionhousehalifax.com