this past fall, katie i spent exactly 3.5 hours together having dinner (and some seriously good ice cream!) as her and her husband passed through vancouver. it was the first time we had met, but immediately i knew i adored her. she is warm and funny, engaging and super interesting, smiley with a brain full of fascinating stories. (and it didn't hurt that we were dressed exactly the same.) so far, all boxes checked on the magical must-be-friends list! BUT wait... there's more! she's an urban farmer, beekeeper, food security advocate, teacher, scholar, world traveler, beautiful writer, beautiful soul... the list goes on, but i think you get the idea. katie.is.rad!!
name, occupation, location
Katie German, Schoolyard Farmer, Toronto. I run a farming program called School Grown – we grow food on the front & back yard of an east end Toronto high school and the rooftop of a downtown school. We provide summer jobs for high school students – they get paid full time work + two co-op credits working as urban farmers. We sell our food to restaurants and at a weekly farmers market throughout the season. It’s completely my dream job, a really wonderful mix of farming and youth work.
something that makes your heart happy
Young people farming. My heart is totally happy watching high school students run our market stand and confidently explain to a market shopper the difference in flavour between a sweet carmen pepper and a spicy tiburon poblano. Or when we took a trip to a local farm and our city kids walked the fields and were able to tell the farm manager that “it looks like you’ve got a flea beetle problem with your dinosaur kale.” Or when the conversation overheard when weeding a radish bed includes the high cost of good food and what we should do about income security. That’s the good stuff.
your all time favourite recipe
Sizzling vinegar egg. It is the easiest, simplest, cheapest yet most luxurious dish. It’s just what it sounds like – fry an egg, swish a little vinegar and butter in the pan, and pour it over your egg while it’s all still sizzling. Sometimes I throw some diced sweet onion into the mix. Best if you put that egg over toasted bread and some fresh greens. I think it’s originally a Deborah Madison recipe, but this blog also does it justice. One thing I really value learning from my parents was how to cook from scratch and as a result I don’t often use or follow recipes. Dishes like this are my most favourite. Simple ingredients, easy steps and delicious flavour. And I almost always have the ingredients on hand. It’s the kind of stuff we try and teach the students how to cook at the farm.
editors note: ummm, wow. how have i gone my whole life without eating this every single day? gah!
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| Image via The Yellow House |
This picture from our wedding, it’s a sweet moment from right after the ceremony finished. It’s a simple photo but it stands out to me so much – it’s my partner Andrew hugging my best friend Carolyn, my mom hugging Andrew’s mom, and our other witness Chris tearing up. It’s so much honest love in one shot.
something in your home that you adore
I saw these kissing bobble heads in a thrift shop once and mentioned they were cute – Andrew snuck away and bought them. He actually does this often, he’s a real thoughtful gift giver.
something on your wish list
A bathtub! We’ve been living in a shower only home for much too long.
how people can connect with you
you can learn more about Katie's farm here or check out her personal blog here
or you can follow her on twitter: @katie_german
thank you so so much, katie! you are a divine and wonderful human being! xo
the sisterhood is a regular feature post intended to highlight inspiring women in this world. near or far, real life friends, internet buds, or beauties that have connecting through this blog. members of my sisterhood doing great things and worthy of a bit of our admiration, love and attention. if you are interested in joining, please get in touch!
