A LITTLE ABOUT THE FOLKS ON THE FARM
Our urban vegetable farm grows out of the greenbelt in Nepean and serves West Ottawa. We not only provide consistently fresh and high-quality food, we foster a growing community of lovers of good food. We employee a fantastic group of young farmers and are endlessly supported by the work of many many dedicated volunteers and part time helping hands. More names then we could possibly list here but so very important to recognize, without them we could not run our farm.
SCOTT (He/Him) Co-op Member
Hey folks, I’m Scott Lessard – co-op member and owner at Beetbox! I’ve always been passionate about gardening, growing good food for my family and connecting with the food we eat. I love working with my hands, so I planted trees in British Columbia for six summers. During my university studies I met my life partner Adrienne Asgary. We both crave the outdoors and feel so lucky to have so much to explore in this scenic area of Ontario, especially with our two kiddos, Charlie & Ophelia. I have passion & a lot of experience gardening (and tree-planting speed), and I can’t help but love the co-op business mentality and idea of providing produce to the local community. In 2020, I joined the Beetbox crew and board to grow veggies and other adventures. Let’s do this!
CAMILLE (She/Her) Co-op Employee
Hi, I’m Camille Yu-San Koon, one of the farm workers at BeetBox. I grew up in west-end Toronto, migrated all over the place, and landed in unceded, unsurrendered, Algonquin Anishnaabe territory; Ottawa in 2020. You can now find me in the field, farm store, and office. I come to farming from a background in nature-based programming, field biology, community organizing, and equity work. In farming, I’ve been able to connect with many of my values, and contribute to a future where agroecological, organic farms make up more of the food system, and eaters are connected to growers. I also share my time working for the National Farmers Union as an organizer where I support members’ engagement in agricultural policy, towards food sovereignty and a more equitable food system. Outside of work, I enjoy time outdoors with BeetBox grown food and friends, and making art inspired by my current activities. I look forward to meeting you at the farm!
TESS (They/Them) Co-op Employee
Hi, I’m Tess! This is my second-year farming, and I was so fortunate to start my career in agricultural work with BeetBox last year. I grew up in Ottawa before moving to Halifax for university. I graduated with a tapestried degree in International Development, Creative Writing and Indigenous Studies. I always wanted to work in non-profit, social/eco conscious work but graduating during the pandemic made that tough. I finally found the path to my soul-feeding work on Fogo Island, Newfoundland, where I had the incredible experience of cooking locally grown organic food and meeting the farmers that grew our produce. Their passion for and connection to the processes of the natural world inspired me. I have grown food for my family and neighbours over the years as a devotion to connection and community care; doing so on a larger scale has been a hard-working dream. I have learned so much and can’t wait to continue to grow and take on new roles around this amazing space!
JEREMY (He/Him) Co-op Member
Hi, I’m Jeremy Colbeck, a board member and one of the farmers here at BeetBox! I’m using farming as a tool to try to pull our culture towards a sustainable way of life: A way based on reciprocal relationships with the land and all its inhabitants. I know that sounds real serious, and that’s because as human(imal)s, feeding ourselves is serious business! It’s one of the primary ways we participate in our ecosystems, and we all know we could do better at that. I love being outdoors doing physical teamwork to provide an essential service to my neighbours. I’m from Stittsville/Bells Corners/Westboro, and I have an aerospace engineering bachelors’ at Carleton U, but early on, I found myself searching for a new career – something better for me, my community, and the world at large. I found organic farming in 2013, and it stuck. When I’m not farming, I enjoy sharing meals and adventuring with friends and family. Hope to meet you at the farm some time!
ERIK (He/Him) Co-op Employee
Hello! I’m Erik. This is my first season with Beetbox, and as a relative newcomer to the world of farming, I’m excited to meet new people and learn all that I can. My background is in earth science, and I’ve been fortunate to have worked in some of the least traveled parts of Canada, from the peat bog lowlands in Quebec to the volcanic highlands of northern BC. Prior to this season, I worked with a research group at Carleton University, building weather stations and studying the effects of climate change on Ellesmere Island in the high Arctic. My move to farming was spurred by the belief that agroecology and a community-led approach to food systems are our best hope for building a liveable future in this uncertain world, and to ensure delicious (and nutritious) food for all!
ANGELA (She/Her) Co-op Member
I’m Angela, one of the board members and owners at BeetBox & the voice behind much of our promotions! You can find me during the day at the University of Ottawa coordinating its many recycling and waste reduction programs, but in my spare time I oversee marketing and help with events here at BeetBox. I should just tell you that I absolutely love Ottawa and I have a vision of our City being more connected; I want it to be walkable and bike-able and integrated with green space and urban farms. Over the years I have been a keen supporter of BeetBox Farm because it is so perfectly part of this City (and bike-able and cooperatively run, what else could you ask for?!). I think we have so much to learn from our farmers and the land around us. I now live at the farm (since I married one of the farmers, can you guess which one? He’s got a big beard!) and my goal is to help you connect with our farm and celebrate local organic food production. I look forward to chatting with you on Instagram, Facebook, our weekly newsletter & at our farm!
WILLOW (She/Her) Co-op Employee
Hi, I’m Willow, one of the farm workers at BeetBox. I’ve always had such a passion for working outdoors and getting my hands in the soil. In 2019 I graduated with a degree in Graphic Design and dreaded the idea of working in front of a screen for the rest of my life. When looking for more meaningful and environmentally conscious work farming seemed like the natural fit. This will be my fifth season of farming and I’m so excited to be growing flowers. I’ve also always had such a love for the beauty of cut flowers and I’m so excited to start growing them here on the farm for the community. When I’m not on the farm I try to go biking, find a place for a swim, or cook something silly with some the beautiful food we grow.