Mike Whittamore is the co-owner of Whittamore’s Farm, a family business that dates back to 1804. This summer, Whittamore decided to bring a little bit of his farm to the city by taking apple bins and transforming them into beautifully painted, ready to harvest boxes.
“Food is important to me,” said Whittamore. “I have been a farmer all my life and I think we are working towards making good food more important to people than it has been in the past.
“I started this because I thought it was important to be able to produce food locally in areas where people cannot have gardens.”
The pilot project brings together budding artists from SKETCH, a community arts organization engaging young people and homeless, as well as the Regent Park Community Food Centre.
“I think when an artist engages in any kind of creative activity, it is an opportunity to discover yourself,” said Hayley Hoskins, executive projects associate at SKETCH.
“They can showcase their work, have the opportunity to collaborate together and support others while doing it.”
Each artist is paid for their creativity while the RPCFC benefits from the completed boxes filled with hay, compost and soil.
“It’s a win-win-win for everybody,” said Whittamore.
“I am hoping there will be hundreds of these boxes at some point in Toronto so that everybody can enjoy good, healthy food,” he added.
“Every time they look at that box they get to enjoy the fantastic artistry that is being produced today.”