Robin Johnston spent her summer working as the Summer Recreation Food Coordinator for the Town of Bridgewater. The role has many facets, but the main piece for Johnston is to source and prepare snacks for the town’s drop-in recreation programs.
She’s trying to expose kids to as many different foods as possible, keeping in line with what is in season and what is local.
It’s not necessarily easy to prepare snacks from locally sourced food, but by working in tandem with existing food initiatives, Johnston has been able to get creative. She has supported the work of community garden coordinator Chris Sandford with projects such as planting blueberry bushes at St. Phillips Street Playground.
A community garden plot has also provided fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and carrots. Once Johnston harvests them up and plates them, she’s always curious about which snack will go first.
When asked what the biggest hit was during snack time, Johnston said, “a fruit crumble bar with a mix of fruit that I harvested from the edible landscaping, because there’s red currants, and there was [sic] gooseberries and there were sour cherries, just kind of a range of fruit that I knew wouldn’t be super appealing, just fresh.”
Having access to something exciting and nutritious to eat is important for everyone, but Johnston recognizes it’s especially important in her role with kids.
“We know that Nova Scotia has the highest rates of food insecurity in Canada, and specifically among children. There’s an aspect of just providing food in a very low barrier, non-stigmatized way for anyone who comes to participate in the recreation programs, to make sure that they have access to the nourishment they need to get out and be kids and run around and be active.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about food initiatives in Bridgewater, the community garden is hosting an almond harvest celebration with the South Shore Multicultural Association on September 29 from 1 – 4pm.
