Campus Crops

Migrant Labour & Food Production: A Discussion

2011-07-25T12:00:00.003-04:00

Migrant Labour & Food Production: A Discussion with members of the Immigrant Workers Centre and Dignidad Migrante about Temporary Foreign Worker Programs

Presented by Campus Crops, the Midnight Kitchen, the Immigrant Workers Centre and Dignidad Migrante

July 29, 6-8 pm
Lev Bukhman, 2nd floor of SSMU building, 3480 McTavish, Peel Metro

Every year thousands of foreign workers pour into the farm lands of Canada, admitted into the country as "temporary foreign workers." Working under exploitative conditions, often denied access to the same rights and privileges of Canadian citizens, these workers produce the food that ends up in the grocery stores of Montreal, the food that we eat.

Members of the Immigrant Workers Centre and Dignidad Migrante will discuss the intersections between food production and the racist and exploitative nature of Canada's immigration policies.

This workshop will offer information and testimonials about Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Programs (focusing particularly on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP)) with the aim of uncovering a side of "food politics" that often goes under-examined.

*Workshop presented in English, French and Spanish, with live translation towards English.*

Room and bathrooms are wheelchair accessible

Snacks will be provided by the Midnight Kitchen

Please contact campuscrops@gmail.com for more information or for accessibility needs.

-----------------------------------

Les travailleurs et travailleuses migrants et la production alimentaire:

Une discussion avec des membres du Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrants et Dignidad Migrante à propos des Programmes des travailleurs étrangers temporaires

Presenté par Campus Crops, le Midnight Kitchen, le Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrants et Dignidad Migrante.

29 juillet, 18 h - 20 h

Salle Lev Bukhman, 2e étage de l'édifice de l'AEUM (Campus de McGill), 3480 Rue McTavish, Métro Peel

Chaque année des milliers de travailleurs et travailleuses venant de l'étranger se déplacent vers les champs agricoles du Canada, admisEs au pays en tant que travailleurs et travailleuses ''étrangers temporaires''. Travaillant dans des conditions de travail aberrantes et abusives, ils et elles se voient souvent refuséEs les droits et privilèges des citoyens et citoyennes Canadiens. Ces travailleurs et travailleuses produisent les aliments qui se retrouvent dans les épiceries

de Montréal, dans nos assiettes.

Des membres du Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrants et de Dignidad Migrante discuteront de l'intersection entre la production alimentaire et les politiques d'immigration enracinées dans une culture d'exploitation et de racisme.

Au cours de cet atelier, des témoignages et de l'information à propos des Programmes de travailleurs étrangers temporaires (surtout des Programmes de travailleurs agricoles saisonniers) seront offerts, dans le but de dévoiler un aspect de la «politique alimentaire» souvent oublié.

*L'atelier sera présenté en anglais, français et espagnol. La traduction simultanée vers l'anglais sera offerte.*

La salle de rencontre ainsi que les salles de bains sont accessibles par fauteuil roulant. Des collations seront fournies par le Midnight Kitchen.

SVP contactez campuscrops@gmail.com pour plus d'information ou pour exprimer des besoins d'accessibilité.

URBAN GARDEN BIKE TOUR!

2011-07-12T13:53:00.001-04:00

(le français suivra)

Be it through different agricultural, political or organizational models, there are so many ways to grow food in an urban setting.

Join Campus Crops for a bike tour of gardens in Montreal to check out just a few of the initiatives taking place in our big urban backyard!

The tour will stop at a rooftop garden in the Plateau, a squat garden in the Mile End, a community garden in NDG, a land-share garden in NDG and at Campus Crops’ very own terrace garden on McGill Campus.

Tour begins at the Campus Crops garden, behind 3534 University at 1 pm. And will end back at the garden around 4 pm.

++ It's not too late to add your garden to the tour! contact campuscrops@gmail.com ++

***

Il y a tant de manières différentes de faire de l’agriculture dans un milieu urbain. Joignez-vous à Campus Crops pour un tour de vélo de quelques jardins urbains ici au centre-ville de Montréal.

Le tour s’arrêtera à un jardin sur le toit dans le Plateau , un jardin « squat » au Mile-End, un jardin communautaire à NDG et finira au jardin de terrace de Campus Crops sur le campus de McGill.

On se fait rencontre au jardin de Campus Crops, derrière le 3534 Université. Le tour devrait se terminer vers 16 h, à Campus Crops.

++ Il n'est pas trop tard d'ajouter votre jardin à l'itinéraire! Contactez campuscrops@gmail.com ++

Increasing the garden's accessibility

2011-06-21T15:34:00.004-04:00

Campus Crop's terrace garden behind the James Administration building on McGill Campus is being set up this week to be wheelchair accessible for its gardeners.

Growing on the terrace this summer are many containers of peppers, tomatoes, beans, peas, eggplant, cucumbers, kale, and colourful flowers. Come learn about urban agriculture and go home with veggies all summer long!

If you or someone you know would be interested in joining Campus Crops during its work sessions, contact campuscrops@gmail.com for more info or to express any accessibility needs.

Garden hours are Tuesdays from 5-7 pm, Thursdays from 1-3 pm, Sundays from 3-5 pm.

The terrace garden can be accessed by wheelchair in many ways:

1. Enter campus by the Milton Gates and go up the first road to your right, past the James Admin building. The terrace will be on your left.

2. Enter campus by one of the many wheelchair ramps along University street, north of Milton, and head south on campus towards the James Admin building. The terrace will be on your right.

3. Enter campus through the McTavish or Roddick gates and head east on campus towards the Milton gates. Head north before the gates, past the James Admin building. The terrace will be on your left.

Welcome Party BBQ

2011-05-31T13:48:00.009-04:00

Come celebrate the start of summer with a garden BBQ party!

June 7th, 7 pm, at the garden terrace behind the James Administration Building (McGill University Campus). Our garden terrace is right beside our garden behind 3534 University Street.

Campus Crops is throwing a welcome party for new and old volunteers.

Interested in working in the garden this summer? Awesome!

Come to the BBQ and *SIGN UP TO BE A VOLUNTEER* for our gardening hours.

You'll learn tons of great knowledge, gain sweet gardening skillz AND go home with tasty veggies all summer long.

*B.Y.O.Grillables*

The terrace is wheelchair accessible. Please contact us for any accessibility needs: campuscrops@gmail.com

It's about time to DIG IN!

2011-05-16T14:57:00.005-04:00

Sunday May 15th was our first official day out in the garden, and it was a huge success!

During our DIG-IN! event, 15 tenacious gardeners braved the rain to come lend a hand and start up the garden.

To get our growing season into gear a couple of tasks needed to be done.

First, we needed to reshape the beds of our garden to maximize space and have better crop yields. This year we moved from a basic row system to a keyhole garden system. This is a permaculture technique that allows us to maximize space and rain water catchment in the garden. Before, the walkways between our rows used to take up over 40% of the garden, but not anymore! This is roughly what a keyhole garden may look like:

The next step was to build strong trellises for our vertical growing plants (beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.) Last year we tried poles stuck in the ground, with twine or netting to support the plants. Maybe it was our soil, the materials of the poles, or that we didn't dig the latter deep enough in the ground... whatever it was, things had a tendency to droop over or fall. So! This year, we're trying some new trellising ideas!

On Sunday, our crafty woodworkers created a beautiful trellis made out of pine. It will be placed on the terrace space behind James Admin. Ten green recycling bins can fit within its frame. This is what it looks like:

We're going to build two other types of trellises on future garden days.

For our cukes, we'll have a long chicken-wire ramp like this:

And for our terrace tomatoes we're going to try and build an arch-shaped trellis made from PVC tubing sunk into buckets filled with cement. More photos to come for those who are

more visually inclined!

Finally, the biggest endeavour of the day was to remix our containers on the terrace.

To each of our bins we added about 2L of perlite to prevent soil compaction. We have about 60 containers--either recycled green recycling bins or large ice cream tubs--so you can imagine the immensity of the task! But our super troopers got to it, and mixed most of the bins.

Tasks for future gardening days: finish to mix the remaining bins, add compost to the new beds and the containers, plant seeds and seedlings, buildmore trellises, set up an irrigation and compost system, and operation knot-weed destroy!!!

Keep an eye on the ol' blog for details about each of these projects.

JOBS JOBS JOBS

2011-04-02T15:30:00.000-04:00

[PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY]

Applications are due: April 11th, 2011 by 5pm
The positions are open to all. Only applicants accepted for interview will be contacted.
Send your CV and cover letter to mk.hiring.committee@gmail.com

Campus Crops is hiring a Garden Coordinator. The position would be responsible for

- day to day operations in the garden: setting gardening hours with volunteers, planting, building self-watering containers, weeding, harvesting, etc.
- collaborating with Midnight Kitchen to hold monthly food politics workshops or events
- community outreach, holding activities for summer camps, recruiting volunteers
- collaborating with Santropol Roulant's Edible Campus Garden on workshops, events, and volunteer base
- preparing a workshop for RadFrosh at the end of August
- attending weekly meetings with Midnight Kitchen staff to check-in on tasks and send out an update to the collective
- liaise with administration on campus (SSMU, SPF, MSE, Grounds, etc.)
- design and facilitate a training for new collective members in the fall (including an overview of our mandate and consensus decision-making)
- prepare an extensive written job report to be presented to the collective at the end of September

Details: 25-30 hours/ week, $5000. Position duration: May 1 – September 15.

Campus Crops is an urban gardening initiative at McGill University's downtown campus. We have been running a garden behind the McGill School of Environment building at 3534 University for three years. Last summer we expanded to the terrace space behind the James Admin building and built a self-watering container garden. If you have any questions feel free to email campuscrops@gmail.com or check out our blog for what sort of things we've done in the past!

Requirements
- Ability to work autonomously
- Strong organizational skills
- Strong knowledge of political, social, economic and environmental issues
- Commitment to social change and to Campus Crops' mandate of social and environmental justice and ability to apply this to all aspects of the job (see link for mandate)
- Ability to work in English
- Ability to plan events as a team
- Knowledge of urban agriculture and/or food preservation
Assets:
- Familiarity with Campus Crops’ and Midnight Kitchen's work
- Familiarity with Montreal-area community groups
- Ability to speak French
- Ability to preform the physical talks involved with garden upkeep
We welcome a diversity of applicants including those from traditionally marginalized groups, and we encourage you to mention this in your application.

MK POSITIONS

All the paid positions begin on May 1, and will go until September 17.
The positions are for 12-15 hours per week.
Applications are due: April 11th, 2011 by 5pm
The positions are open to all. Only applicants accepted for interview will be contacted.
Send your CV and cover letter to mk.hiring.committee@gmail.com

NOTE: You are welcome to apply for more than one position. Please let us know if you are willing to do a position different from the one that you’ve applied for.

I. COOK BOOK, HISTORY ZINE, AND PUBLICITY MATERIAL COORDINATOR
NOTE: We ask that you provide 2 art samples (in .jpg format) if you apply for this position.

Responsibilities include:

* Collect and test accessible and affordable vegan cooking recipes, and compile them into a bilingual cookbook
* Compile a bilingual “History of MK,” by collecting anecdotes from past and current collective members (can be included as a section in the Cookbook)
* Organize the publication/distribution of the Cookbook/History Zine, including a launch party. Distribute it to both groups within Montreal and to food collectives in different cities
* Design, print, and distribute new outreach materials including pamphlets, booklets, posters, buttons, stickers, postcards, etc.
* Update the MK website to include excerpts of the Cookbook/History Zine, and new MK publicity material
* Work with the Administrative/Operations Coordinator to fund these projects, and ensure that project costs remain within the allocated budget
* Provide weekly progress updates to the Midnight Kitchen collective via email
* Attend collective meetings, reporting on the progress of the Cookbook/History Zine and new publicity materials
* Assist in coordinating caterings
* Coordinate training for the Fall 2011 staff
* Work with the other Midnight Kitchen summer staff and the Campus Crops Garden Coordinator for support and accountability

Desired Skillsets:
* Knowledge of (radical) food politics
* Graphic design skills
* Visual art skills
* Organized and able to work autonomously
* Creative and flexible
* Strong writing skills
* Copy-Editing (asset)
* Vegan Cooking Skills (asset)
* Bilingual writing competency (asset)

II. ADMINISTRATIVE / OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Responsibilities Include:
* Keep finances organized and transparent
* Manage daily operations
* Maintain communication with SSMU (Student Society of McGill University) executive
* Work with the SSMU VP of Finance to create a budget for the 2011-2012 year
* Coordinate bulk food orders
* Create an account with a new bulk food provider
* Work with the Cookbook, History Zine and Publicity Materials Coordinator to find funding for their projects, ensuring that they remain within allocated budgets
* Clean and reorganize the office and kitchen
* Make small purchases of new tools (with feedback from collective members and volunteers)
* Research into purchasing large equipment and apply for grants to facilitate these purchases
* Work with SSMU’s VP of Clubs and Services to coordinate the upgrade of room 302
* Research the logistics of serving breakfast and provide a report to the collective in September
* Provide weekly progress updates to the Midnight Kitchen collective via email
* Attend collective meetings, reporting on finances, kitchen logistics, and daily operations
* Draft the job contracts for Fall 2011 staff, and submit them into SSMU
* Work with the other Midnight Kitchen summer staff and the Campus Crops Garden Coordinator for support and accountability

Desired Skillset:
* Knowledge of (radical) food politics
* Incredible organization skills
* Able to work autonomously
* Good with numbers, accounting
* Strong communication skills
* Knowledgeable of SSMU finances and administration (asset)
* Experience in applying for grants (asset)
* Bilingual (asset)

III. OUTREACH COORDINATOR

Responsibilities Include:
* Organize monthly workshops/events on food politics (co-coordinate with the Campus Crops Garden Coordinator)
* Assist the Cookbook, History Zine and Publicity Materials Coordinator in promoting/distributing the History Zine/Cookbook, including the launch party
* Research local grocers who may be willing to donate fresh produce to MK
* Work to strengthen our relationship with our current grocery donors
* Check the email account everyday
* Maintain and update the MK website / Facebook page
* Communicate with groups about Catering Requests and Kitchen Booking Requests
* Coordinate caterings (including the Anarchist Bookfair)
* Work to build relationships with other food security groups in Montreal
* Organize a food safety training for the collective in September
* Provide weekly progress updates to the Midnight Kitchen collective via email
* Attend collective meetings, reporting on new catering requests and outreach work
* Organize the hiring committee for the Fall 2011 staff
* Coordinate training for the Fall 2011 staff
* Work with the other Midnight Kitchen summer staff and the Campus Crops Garden Coordinator for support and accountability

Desired Skillsets:
* Knowledge of (radical) food politics
* Organized and able to work autonomously
* Creative and flexible
* Outgoing
* Good communication skills
* Photography/artistic skills (asset)
* Bilingual (asset)
* Vegan cooking skills (asset)

***This call-out is only in English because all hired individuals must be proficient in reading, writing and speaking in English***

Working Mandate...

2011-03-24T23:09:00.002-04:00

Hey Folks!

It's been a while but we wanted to post our new work-in-progress mandate. The language may be a bit rough around the edges but we hope to at least get our general ideas across while we continue to work out the kinks. We would love feedback...Enjoy!

Campus Crops Mandate (as of March 8th, 2011)

What we do

Campus Crops is a collective at McGill that works on urban agriculture initiatives throughout the year. Our goal is to grow food on campus and provide students and community members with space and opportunities to learn by doing. We also seek to promote discussion around issues of food politics and food security through social and educational events such as workshops, film screenings and potlucks. During the warmer months we run a garden behind the McGill School of Environment building at 3534 University, as well as a terrace garden behind the James Administration building. We work closely with Midnight Kitchen and are a working group of QPIRG McGill.

Why we do it

Our goal is to empower people of all-skill levels. We seek to reclaim neglected or under-used urban spaces and instead, put it to good use by creating alternative food systems. Additionally, we hope that our work is a step towards decentralizing and de-institutionalizing skills that have been monopolized by the capitalist food system. The skills that we hope to pass on will be done through the means of popular education, knowledge sharing and gettin' dirteeee.

How we do it

We are a collective that organizes in a non-hierarchical and inclusive manner. Decisions are made through consensus and positions/tasks rotate between members in order to work against knowledge becoming centralized with just a few.

Permaculture workshop

2010-11-27T22:33:00.003-05:00

This Monday (November 29th) at 3:30 in the garden behind the McGill School of Environment! There will be general discussion of permaculture, and a specific look at permaculture design using our own garden as an example. Hope to see you there!

Potluck!

2010-10-16T21:07:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone!

We'll be having a potluck on the 17th of October, to celebrate a successful summer! Join us at 3637 University street, unit 110 at 6:30 pm to enjoy some delicious food and learn about urban agriculture projects. Hope to see you all there!

Global Day of Action work party

2010-10-05T22:05:00.002-04:00

Hello all!

Garden work party at noon this Sunday (October 10th)! In honour of the global day of action against climate change scheduled for 10/10/2010 - people the world over are spending the day on projects like installing solar panels, tree planting, etc. We'll be planting garlic, and doing some other basic work as the growing season winds down. Join us in the garden behind the McGill School of Environment (3534 University) to help out and learn about sustainable food and urban agriculture. Everyone is welcome!

Campus Crops on TVMcGill

2010-09-28T13:53:00.003-04:00

SPF Meet and Greet Tonight

2010-09-28T10:09:00.000-04:00

Meeting tonight and garden hour changes

2010-09-16T10:15:00.001-04:00

Due to the fading warm weather and sunshine garden hours will no longer be three times a week. From now on, we will be meeting SUNDAY 3-5 in the garden each week. There might be other times scheduled for bigger projects (i.e. building little greenhouses for a few of the beds) but otherwise look for us on Sundays.

Second, TONIGHT at 6PM is our first semi-official meeting. Due to the rainy forecast we will be meeting in the Geography student lounge in room 305 Burnside - the meeting should be about an hour.

Indoor Growing Workshop Tomorrow!

2010-09-14T10:42:00.002-04:00

Wednesday Sept 15, from 3-5 at the McGill Farmer's Market in Three Bares Park
A workshop on Indoor Growing, presented by Campus Crops!
Learn about soil, sun and water!
Build your own mini self-watering container and plant some herbs!
Free and open to all!

THE PARTY IS ON

2010-09-09T16:16:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone,

We have found a rain location so the potluck and movie are still on for tonight. We will be meeting in the sustainability office, room 216 on the 2nd floor of Ferrier - go straight down the hall and you will see us on the left. The front door to the building will be locked (unless you are an Arts student) so call or text one of us at 514.758.0583 or 1.802.338.7738 to get in. There will also be come people hanging in the garden to direct people to Ferrier, so swing by there if you really get lost.

Hope to see you all real soon! Mr FOOOOOOXXXX!!!

the croppers

Potluck and Movie in the Garden: Fantastic Mr. Fox

2010-09-06T11:56:00.005-04:00

Want to spend an evening outdoors?
Enjoy sharing meals with lovely people?
Interested in learning about how small animals take over industrial meat farmers?

Come join us in the garden for a night of feasting and filming!

There will be a potluck starting at 6.30 and Fantastic Mr Fox playing on the big screen around 8. Please bring a dish to share, blankets, and your own utensil and plate/bowl/tupperware.

Where: in our garden, behind 3534 University
When: Thursday Sept 9, from 6.30 to 10

Harvest Party Thursday Sept 2

2010-08-30T16:52:00.003-04:00

This Thursday is Santropol Roulant's annual Harvest Party with a twist: an Iron Chef cook-off between some of Montreal tastiest restaurants. There will be food, drinks, music and dancing and all the proceeds benefit Santropol's edible campus. Campus Crops will be joining in with a large garden stew and fresh corn. Stop by the Edible Campus Garden outside of Burnside (on the McGill campus) from 5-10 Thursday Sept 2 or meet up with the after-party at Blizzarts (3956 St Laurent) from 11-3am.

2010-07-28T17:53:00.001-04:00

Another Campus Crops/ Midnight Kitchen summer Workshop!

PLANTS IN YOUR PANTS SPECIAL: DOUCHEBAGS

August 3rd at 5 pm at the campus crops garden located at 3534 University behind the environment building!

Back by popular demand, Plants In Your Pants brings you a special introductory workshop on douching with herbal preparations. Largely decried since the 1950s due the introduction of perfumed and/or antibacterial rinses that were expressive of misogynistic ideologies – not to mention terrible for actual vaginas – douches have a long record of use amongst women in search of happier vaginas. Workshop participants will learn how douching can help when vaginal ecologies get out of control, and can work to compliment the vagina's inherently robust self-cleaning properties. This workshop will introduce relevant anatomy, botany, and equipment (but will in no cases provide medical advice). Contact information for Montreal-based herbalists who specialize in gynecological care will be provided, for those who are interested in working more intensively. Discussion will be frank, graphic, and juicy. Anyone with a vagina is welcome!

Note: This workshop is facilitated by novice herbalist and life-long owner of a vagina, Gina Badger. Plants In Your Pants is an ongoing project connected to Gina's work on the time and politics of contemporary ecologies, and has been presented as a workshop twice since 2006.

photos from the summer

2010-07-26T13:22:00.002-04:00

This Sunday: Tree Walk on Mont Royal

2010-07-21T15:57:00.001-04:00

As a part of the Midnight Kitchen/Campus Crops summer workshops series, we would like to invite you to a Tree walk on Mont Royal!

Come for a walk on the Mont Royal and learn how to identify trees and ferns. Some historical and botanical info will be discussed as we wander the trails, with an emphasis on botany and colonialism, the control of public spaces, and pressures affecting plant life on the mountain. No botany background required.

When: Sunday, July 25th at 3pm
Meet: The campus crops garden behind the environment building 3534 University

Bring:
water
a note pad if you want to remember the I.D.ing tricks
non-crappy shoes

Canceled if it's raining hard, in which case the walk will happen on Monday, July 26th at 3pm.

Garden + Potluck + Movie

2010-07-14T17:26:00.004-04:00

An evening of gardening, eating and a film screening!

On July 20th we will be working in the garden from 6.30 - 8.30pm, then sharing a potluck meal and watching "The Garden" outside in our garden around 9 (around when it is dark enough). "The Garden" is a documentary film about an L.A. community's struggle to keep their urban garden in the face of encroaching development. Read more about it here http://www.thegardenmovie.com/

This screening is a part of QPIRG McGill's Summer Film Series....check out more at http://qpirgmcgill.org/

Fermentation Workshop: Yogurt and Sauerkraut

2010-07-05T11:00:00.007-04:00

Come join Campus Crops and Midnight Kitchen to learn about the basics of fermentation. We will talk about what fermentation is and how it works, as well as the many different tasty things that are fermented and easy to make at home! Demos will include yogurt and sauerkraut, with some for everyone to take home, but a variety of other recipes will be discussed as well.

Recommended donation of $2-5 to cover costs, but no one will be turned away.
Thursday 6.30 at the Midnight Kitchen (SSMU building at 3600 McTavish, 3rd floor)

Salad Fest Feast Fiesta

2010-06-29T10:39:00.003-04:00

Tonight we will be harvesting our first round of tasty leafy greens to make a big group salad. Regular work ours will be from 5-7 with salad eating immediately afterward. A large bowl, dressing, and a few toppings will be supplied. Please bring a fork, any specific salad toppings you like and other types of salad you like! (i.e. fruit salad, pasta salad, etc.)

See you tonight!

Back in Action!

2010-06-28T10:58:00.002-04:00

We finally have access to our blog again! After a long absence we are back online and ready to roll....keep an eye out for picture updates of the garden and information about workshops, garden projects and other Campus Crops events!!

Cold Frames

2008-03-10T19:57:00.007-04:00

Our cold frames are heating up the soil as we speak! We installed them Thursday after some intense snow removal. Go check them out for yourself behind the MSE building on University.

We hope to start planting soon.

Thanks to everyone who helped out!

SILHOUETTE: Got plants? - student living

2008-02-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

SILHOUETTE: Got plants? - student living

Potluck and Germination Celebration!

2008-01-17T20:39:00.001-05:00

Is the lack of greenery in your winter time day to day life getting you down? Well, just cause the ground is covered with snow doesn't mean you can't make things grow!

This Wednesday, January 23 at 7:30 in Burnside 426 Campus Crops is having a potluck and germination party!

It's bring your own container! So bring a dish to share and a container to plant some seeds in (yogurt containers, pots, jars, etc...). We'll provide seeds, soil and some helpful advice!

It's a great chance to meet new people and grow some plants!

Hope to see everyone there!