Written by Siobhan Watters, PhD with Editorial Support from Kathy MacKay, RD
On November 6, 2025, the Middlesex-London Food Policy Council (MLFPC) hosted the Cultivating Resilient Food Systems Summit, followed by our Experiential Tour with local food producers and community organizations on November 7, 2025. This inaugural Summit welcomed over 140 attendees to The Grove at Western Fair District for a packed program of presenters, workshops, and exhibitors, all focused on our local food system. By all accounts—from organizers and presenters, to the wonderful feedback attendees provided through our end-of-day survey—the Summit more than realized its vision to “spark connections, support innovation, and serve as a launch point for the collective work” needed to create a resilient food system.
Our MC for the Summit was London City Councilor, Skylar Franke. The day opened and closed with the words of Oneida Elder Mary-Anne Kechego, who reminded us of the importance of honouring the land that feeds us and learning about the history and treaties that have shaped settler-Indigenous relations in our region.
Planning the Summit
In planning the Summit, MLFPC issued a call to food system partners to form a working group.. This group met regularly and surveyed individuals and organizations in our regional food system community to identify priority topics.
Panels
Through this process, three key themes emerged to guide the Summit’s program: (1) Growing Food in Our Region, (2) Strengthening Our Local Food Economy, and (3) Accessing and Sharing Food More Equitably. To reflect these themes, we invited presenters representing a diversity of experiences and perspectives on the local food system.
On panel 1 ( Growing Food in Our Region), for example, we put Crispin Colvin of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture in conversation with urban agriculturalist Ben Wilcox of Urban Roots London, along with regenerative farmers Mike Courey of New Moon Community Homestead and Laura Ramirez (Taíno Míchif).
Panel 2 ( Strengthening Our Local Food Economy) brought together voices from health care, municipal/agricultural leadership, and local entrepreneurship to explore how we can strengthen our regional food economy. Michelle Stranges (St. Joseph’s Health Care London), Chantel Crockett (Thames Centre Councillor and Agriculture Adaptation Council), and Patrick Dunham (Patricks Beans) shared insights on building collaborative networks, supporting local producers.
For panel 3 (Accessing and Sharing Food More Equitably), we welcomed community organizers such as Mystery Furtado of Type Diabeat-it, Matthew Wannen of the London Food Coalition, and Western Law Professor Nadia Lambek to speak about the challenges of charitable food distribution, including the need for greater care for underserved, minority communities as well as their traditional foods and practices.
Workshops
Drs. Lucy Hinton and Claire Gain from King’s University College and storyteller Sara-Mai Chitty of the Alderville First Nation led the day’s workshops, inspiring dialogue on urban agriculture and welcoming collaborative thinking about food sovereignty using an Indigenous lens.
Stay tuned as we will be sharing videos and further reflections on the day in the coming months! For now, you can read about all of our presenters and moderators here.
Of course, a Food Summit needs good food! Organizers, presenters, and attendees feasted on falafels and grilled chicken (diner’s choice) alongside, Greek salad, and lemon rice for lunch, provided by Growing Chefs! Ontario. Morning and afternoon snacks were catered by Oneida Sweet Treats and Yaya’s Kitchen, respectively, as well as Crunican Farms who provided fresh apples and squash that our attendees could take home. Finally, the day’s edible program ended with a free market of local, fresh produce that our attendees could “shop” before heading out, graciously donated by Urban Roots London. By centering diversity, sustainability, and locality, the day’s menu was undoubtedly a reflection of our broader Summit goals.
MLFPC thanks everyone who participated in the Summit on November 6th! We thank Stanton Dairy Farm, Urban Roots London, London Food Coalition, and Glen Cairn Community Resource Centre for participating in our post-Summit Experiential Tour on November 7th!
Altogether, it was a full and thought-provoking event made possible by our (majority) volunteer organizers, presenters and moderators, and the diverse attendees who brought their questions and expertise to the conversation. We hope the Summit is only the beginning of many conversations and collaborations that will drive the creation of a more resilient local food system!
