Who are you?
Hello, my name is Melissa Benner. I like to strike a balance of subtle contradictions: farm girl and city slicker; humanities scholar and foodie/enviro career; erotica workshop facilitator and Buddhist practioner; eco-aware and occasionally slipping up.
In Toronto, the second question after your name is “How do you/what do you do?” So, after an MA in Communications in Ottawa, and then travel and work overseas, I’ve returned to my farm-girl roots— but transplanted them to big city Toronto. Over the last couple years, I’ve delved into T.O’s local food and agriculture movement through various work and volunteer positions.
Currently, I am coordinating an online “Sustainable Local Food” certificate for St. Lawrence College in Kingston. I’m also proud of the new course I developed for the winter 2010 semester: Between Farm and Table: Local Food Business and Co-ops.
At the same time, I’m helping to build the West End Food Co-op (www.westendfood.coop) in the Roncesvalles/Parkdale neighbourhoods of Toronto. I’m now working as the co-op’s Community Engagement Coordinator. I feel lucky to be involved in such an innovative project!
What do you do for fun?
Meditate at the Zen Centre up the street. It’s fun! (Well, okay, that wouldn’t be the first descriptor that comes to mind, but it is an important part of my life).
Drink copious amounts of (Ontario VQA of course) red wine with friends.
Cook with love and care and as much unprocessed, local ingredients as possible. My two newest hits are white bean kale soup, and gyoza (Japanese dumplings).
Biking in -25 weather. There is a cold thrill of accomplishment when you whiz past pedestrians and passengers, and they look at you with both incredulity and awe.
What is your favourite community and why?
Growing up in a small town farming community meant I had a taste of what tight-knit meant, but lacked the kindred spirits. After many years of wandering, I have settled here in Toronto’s amazing West End neighbourhood (I live halfway between High Park and the famous Roncesvalles village).
Here’s one moment where I fell in love with my community.
The West End Food co-op runs a Monday farmer’s market in Sorauren Park, and, this past summer, many community members came to celebrate Canada Day with us. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon, with everyone bringing picnic blankets, a light heart and time to spare. We listened and danced to lively bluegrass and Mexican music (by local musicians), shared delicious food, and camaraderie. It was a simple experience, but really meaningful for me.
What is your superpower?
Full-frontal Enthusiasm
How do you use it to build community?
Well, I find that enthusiasm, warmth, and excitement evoke the same in others. If you can get people truly fired up about an idea, magic happens.
My three favourite things about Melissa Benner are…
1. Full frontal enthusiasm. I’ve seen it first hand. It’s intense and inclusive. Totally edutaining. And utterly contagious. I highly recommend embracing Melissa’s excitement for your next project.
2. Education as a vehicle of change. Melissa and I met during a service learning conference in Victoria, BC. In about 17 minutes she helped three of my students outline a strategy and action plan that would help lobby the college to transform some of its food service to local organic products. Perhaps this is also why she recently told all her friends about the The Potentiality – you know, because this blog is an educational vehicle of change…we also run on local organic hemp seed oil…
3. Her local organic nature. Whether it’s in the classroom or in the West End Food Co-op, Melissa is all about supporting farmers, their markets and urban food security of the most delicious sort. And, hey, she had me at “biking in -25 weather” and “drinking copious amounts of wine with friends.”
Masthead photo courtesy of bobistraveling