LITTLE WOLF FARM Mark Redman, originally from the UK, is head chef of Midfield Wine Bar in Toronto. He started growing hard to find herbs in his backyard for the restaurant, and after a few years doing this became more and more interested in growing food for himself to eat and to have a higher quality to serve at the restaurant. When the pandemic closed restaurants he took leap of faith and started looking for land to begin growing on. His microfarm is called Little Wolf Farm, after his mentor in England, who, upon arriving in the kitchen each morning would shout “Bonjour mon petit loup” to the chef on duty. Mark grows a diverse vegetable crop, supplying vegetables to Midfield, Sakai Bar, and Marc’s Mushrooms, plus a weekly farm stand on Midfield's patio. His goal is to provide all the vegetables for Midfield year-round, creating a complete relationship between field and the kitchen. He grows 100% organically, using no-till, bio intensive practices. 2022 is his second year at FiveHaystacks Farm. |
LAWOTI SAUCE CO. Surendra Lawoti grew up in an agrarian community in the eastern hills of Nepal, moving to the US to pursue higher education. He has a Masters of Fine Arts in photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, and his work has been exhibited internationally including in Canada, the US, the Netherlands, Singapore, Colombia, India, and Nepal. He currently teaches photography at the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto. In addition to his artistic pursuits, Surendra is an entrepreneur and owner of Lawoti Sauce Co. His primary crop is Dalle cherry peppers; Nepali hot peppers, cousin to Habanero, with a Scoville Heat Unit range of 100,000-350,000. The peppers are the main ingredient for his Nepali-style hot sauces, including Ama's Dalle Achar, which are pickled with South Asian spices. He also grows garlic, beans, and edamame at the farm. Sustainable farming practices are key to Surendra, including minimal tilling, no pesticide use, organic fertilizers, and compost. At FiveHaystacks Farm, he cultivates crops in four-cycle crop rotations: peppers, alliums, legumes, and brassicas. |
Jienezza Alquinto is passionate about contributing to her local food system and providing her local community with fresh, ecologically grown food that is also culturally relevant. In 2023, she started Carabao fields with her husband Steven where they are growing over 30 varieties of vegetables including some Southeast Asian staples such as pac choi, bittermelon, kang kong, and long beans. Their farm is named after the national animal of the Philippines, the Carabao, also known as the water buffalo. The Carabao symbolizes hard work, strength, and perseverance, and is their inspirational figure at the farm. Carabaos are a farmer’s friend and are known to be gentle and dependable.
Jien uses ecological farming practices that nourish the soil and promote biodiversity in the ecosystem. These include not using any pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, having a diverse crop production and crop rotation, and minimal/no tillage of soil. Prior to becoming a farmer, Jien was in the financial industry for 10 years as a senior analyst in a risk management role. In 2022, she then worked in a small scale organic farm for the season to learn the trade hands on. Her goal for 2023 is to become a more confident food grower, while forming meaningful connections with her local community. https://www.carabaofields.com/ |