Even in the winter, Nigerian-born Toyin K. Ajayi is blazing trails.
He’s a big part of a tiny fraternity in Canada — there are not a lot of Black farmers in Canada.
“Zero-point-two per cent,” Ajayi said.
He is 100 per cent committed to not just farming, but providing affordable, culturally preferred food for Canada’s Black, African and Caribbean communities.
Ajayi started before the COVID-19 pandemic.
But now with food insecurity concerns on the rise, the founder of the Canadian Black Farmers’ Association is expanding.
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He’s in the midst of erecting a new greenhouse at his farm.
The magic behind his operation is the soil — which includes goat manure, which he has no shortage of.
“Their manure is very good to what we are doing,” he said.
The proof is in the kitchen.
He’s not just planting, growing and cooking.
Ajayi is making hay out of his surroundings, educating and offering hands-on training for others on how to get their start in the agricultural industry in Canada.
He’s a harvesting hero for B.C.’s Black community and has helped spearhead an African foods food bank in Surrey.
A shining example of self-sufficiency during these uncertain times.
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