How We Started

Growing Chefs! was founded by Merri Schwartz, a professional pastry chef. In the fine dining kitchens where she worked, Merri saw vast amounts of knowledge about food sustainability, nutrition, and local agriculture—but that knowledge stayed trapped behind kitchen walls. She founded Growing Chefs! as a tool to connect chefs and growers—along with their valuable knowledge—to local communities through a fun, empowering, educational program.

2005

• Merri Schwartz founds Growing Chefs! and incorporates it as a non-profit society.

2006

• The Growing Chefs! Classroom Gardening Program is piloted in 2 elementary school classrooms in Vancouver: Champlain Heights and McDonald Elementary.
• The program has 4 chef volunteers.

2007

• The Volunteer Orientation Program is developed.
• 13 chef volunteers are trained in basic classroom management and sent out into 4 elementary school classrooms.

2008

• 30 chef volunteers visit 8 Vancouver schools.
• A French language program is piloted at a French language school.
• A satellite Growing Chefs! Classroom Gardening Program runs in Penticton, B.C.
• Growing Chefs! Ontario is piloted in London, Ontario

2009

• 65 volunteers visit 16 Vancouver classrooms.

2010

• Executive Director Helen Stortini was hired.
• 65 chef volunteers visit 17 Vancouver classrooms.
• The Classroom Gardening Program pilots in Richmond, B.C., and Burnaby, B.C.