Frisa Farms is a shining example of what it means to be a true food system champion. Spanning three generations, this family-owned and operated farm is a labour of love where every family member plays a crucial role in its success.
Their thriving flock of 12,000 chickens, which produce a daily output of approximately 11,000 eggs. These eggs are gathered, sorted, and inspected on-site to ensure that only the best reach their customers.
The well-being of the flock is key to the farm’s success. The chickens are fed a diet of farm-grown feed and receive daily inspections and regular monitoring by a poultry specialist to ensure they thrive and continue producing high-quality eggs. This attention to detail and care is what allows only the best eggs to reach their customers.
Sustainability is at the core of their farming practices. The land is treated with the utmost respect, ensuring that it remains productive for generations to come. This commitment to sustainable agriculture is evident in every aspect of their operation, from the way they care for their animals to how they manage their crops.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Frisa Farms is their sense of unity and collaboration. It’s a joy to witness family members working together, each contributing their unique skills and knowledge to the farm’s success. This family bond, coupled with their shared passion for farming, is what makes Frisa Farms a pillar of our local food system.
Friendly Fare Specialty Food Services, led by Jay Caldwell, has been at the forefront of this effort for over 11 years, providing a vital resource for aspiring entrepreneurs in London, including many newcomers to Canada. By offering low-cost, licensed, and inspected commercial rental kitchen facilities, Friendly Fare enables individuals to enter the culinary space with minimal financial barriers while ensuring safe food production practices.
Ellen Lakusiak (pictured in yellow) is a Registered Dietitian (RD) with the Middlesex London Public Health Unit and serves as Coordinator for the Middlesex-London Food Policy Council (MLFPC). With a wealth of experience in public health and a passion for food systems, Ellen has helped in shaping and promoting the vision of a sustainable and healthier local food system in the Middlesex London area.
Ellen’s role as Coordinator at MLFPC has been to facilitate collaboration and dialogue among members and action groups, acting as a consistent point of contact. Her leadership and dedication have been key in establishing the MLFPC as an important part of the community. Her commitment to ensuring that all voices are heard has been a cornerstone of her work, helping to bring the council’s vision to life through sustainable funding, community engagement, and collaboration.
Ellen also credits the many passionate volunteers she has worked with over the years for making this work possible and rewarding. Her dedication, humility, and leadership have made her a true champion for the local food system in Middlesex-London.
The mission of The Lunchbox London is twofold: to combat food insecurity among school-aged children and to reduce food waste by rescuing food that would otherwise go to landfills. By distributing donated and rescued food, they support the nutritional needs of struggling families and contribute to environmental sustainability.
The Lunchbox London started as a grassroots initiative in April 2023, aiming to provide healthy lunch foods to food insecure families. In November 2023, they became a registered not-for-profit, offering opportunities for sponsorships, grants, and support from local businesses. Recognized for their contributions, The Lunchbox London has been nominated as a Food System Champion.
Katherine is a dedicated Community Development Coordinator with the Ontario Student Nutrition Program (OSNP) in London-Middlesex. With a deep passion for nutrition and education, Katherine has spearheaded an innovative program that introduces culturally diverse foods and food literacy to students. Through her collaboration with 
Type Diabeat-it believes in empowerment through food—seeing it as a tool, resource, and equity. By equipping Canadians and minority groups with the resources to manage and prevent diabetes, they are making a significant impact on community health.
Meals on Wheels London
Lella is a committed advocate working to strengthen and sustain the local food system. As the daughter of immigrant settlers who valued food production as a cornerstone of family life, she understands the importance of recognizing and protecting the abundance that the London and Middlesex region offers. Her work focuses on ensuring that access to food is prioritized in urban planning and zoning decisions, advocating for policies that protect natural spaces, and supporting a federal school nutrition program that serves all communities.
Founded in 1987 by Jo Slegers, 
Slegers Greens not only supports their community through direct and wholesale business but also through generous contributions to local charities, food banks, and women’s shelters and 
Ben is known for bringing creative, well-informed ideas to enhance the efficiency and ecological soundness of the farm. His dedication extends beyond the fields—Ben’s warm and humble spirit fosters a welcoming environment for new staff, volunteers, and community members alike. As a quiet leader and devoted mentor, he plays a significant role in improving London’s access to fresh, affordable food.
Chris and his dedicated team of accommodating and knowledgeable farmers at 
Their popular beet burger patties, now available in local stores, are a testament to their success in making plant-based eating accessible and enjoyable. New Leaf Food Truck embodies what it means to be a food system champion, inspiring us all to embrace healthy eating while caring for both our bodies and the planet.
Dan Lizmore is the Landscaping Supervisor at the Western Fair District (WFD), where he goes above and beyond by introducing sustainable practices, native plantings, and pollinator-friendly landscapes to the WFD. He started The Wormery in 2020 after seeing the potential to turn the green waste of the WFD into compost that can then be reused on the grounds, as well as in food gardens. This visionary project, born out of Dan’s own passion for gardening and the community, has experienced remarkable growth and has formed valuable partnerships with numerous local organizations, along with 70 tons of food waste being converted into fertilizer every year. 
At the Wormery, all green waste collected from the WFD is fed to the hardworking worms who play a very important role: transforming green waste into castings, which are highly nutritious for the soil. These castings are used as fertilizer on the WFD grounds and garden beds with great success. Some of these gardens are even run in collaboration with community partners such as Growing Chefs! Ontario! 
Looking ahead, Dan envisions creating stronger partnerships with schools to educate the next generation about agriculture, composting, and sustainable practices. He is also excited to continue building thriving partnerships with other organizations also committed to improving the London community. Dan and the Wormery’s dedication to community engagement and sustainability continues to grow, showing no signs of slowing down!
Peggy O’Neil, a passionate home economist and former MLFPC Board Member, is releasing more episodes in Season 3 of her “Food for the Future” podcast! This podcast is your gateway to a world of inspiring stories, insightful conversations, and thought-provoking discussions about the future of food. Get ready to embark on a journey that celebrates local contributions for global encouragement.
In the heart of downtown London, there exists an urban garden that has thrived for over three decades, thanks to the dedication of Yvonne and Chris Padadakos. These two gardeners have pursued their love for growing fresh fruits and vegetables as well as flowers and their garden shows how much they believe in growing your own food in a sustainable way. Though gardening in the city comes with its fair share of challenges—limited space and sunlight, and issues with animal/pest damage – they’ve come up with smart ways to protect their plants, and make the most of the space they have.
Ark Aid Street Mission and its dedicated team, including kitchen manager Rick Ford, are committed to providing healthy and nutritious food to the community through innovative initiatives like the Encampment Strategy Project. This initiative provides nutrient-rich meals tailored to address the specific health needs, such as IBS, colitis, gum disease, and malnutrition, that affect 80% of community members.
The Northwest London Resource Centre (NWLRC) is a community support leader that prioritizes food literacy and accessibility education for Northwest London’s residents, having reached out to 5,887 unique residents in 2021 alone. They operate an Emergency Food Cupboard in partnership with the London Food Bank’s Mobile Food Bank, have created a multilingual food item checklist, and adopted a needs-based approach to ensure fair distribution.
They also run several initiatives like the Cereal Box Challenge, Northwest Eats, and the Community Pop-Up Market to combat different facets of food insecurity. They source locally, partner with organizations, and involve the community, as seen in the Northwest Eats program, which involves youth volunteers preparing meals for distribution to families in need. Their Community Pop-Up Market, in partnership with Urban Roots, provides free, freshly-picked produce, distributed at their Sherwood Mall location.
The idea for a community-driven urban farm was born during the pandemic when Joe Gansevles recognized the need for accessible food in the London area. From bylaws, to being on a floodplain, to a lack of funding, challenges seemed to pop up at every corner. However, with the help of community members they were able to overcome these obstacles and form the PATCH!
provide employment training, and cultivate a safe space for volunteers and community members to garden and meet new people. Their stunning Cavendish Community Food Hub location is equipped with wheelchair-accessible gardens, follows eco-conscious practices, and has generated thousands of pounds of fresh produce this year!
accessible pots, raised garden beds, and roomy pathways to ensure participation from individuals of all abilities. Their Cavendish location exemplifies resourceful practices by repurposing donated wooden pallets as materials for garden beds, and redirecting waste as soil-enriching compost that is donated by The Wormery at the Western Fair District (thanks, Dan!). Committed to sustainability, they primarily deliver their produce to organizations by bicycle, clocking over 750k miles. Among their partnerships, they generously contribute their harvest to organizations such as the London Food Bank, Ark Aid Mission, and Indwell . It is truly a community effort!
designed for all to enjoy, regardless of sensory limitations. Additionally, they have plans for a streamlined irrigation system. 
operative housing complexes could have, that a university could have, that large-scale employers that have land that they could re-purpose and utilise for their workforce. Our long term plan would be that we can live in a city where there’s easy economical access to food for people, and this is an open-patent design. People can come and they can liberate what we’ve done and they can do it in their neighbourhoods, schools, and workforce. 
In the early days of the pandemic, Jacqueline Thompson, the Executive Director of LIFE*SPIN noticed a need in the community for healthy, organic, and accessible food. She partnered with Jeff Pastorius, the founder of On The Move Organics, to unite their efforts & create an initiative called the Community Food Box Project. Together, they recognized the need to address food insecurity that was amplified by the pandemic. The Community Food Box Project emerged as a lifeline, connecting local sustainable agriculture to the homes of families facing barriers to reliable food access.
Sixteen-year-old Zhawanoogbiik Danielle Riley embodies the spirit of compassion and community care. She has demonstrated great initiative as a Food System Champion by helping connect others with the resources they need to care for their animals.
