FAQ

Where is This?

OASIS is a model designed by and for the neighbourhood St. James Town, Toronto. It was also designed to be replicable, and adaptable to every neighbourhood.

The OASIS Hub does not yet have public space; however, we are on our way to securing a shipping container office and meeting space as we secure growing, kitchen and community space in St. James Town. So, OASIS will be in St. James Town. And, will be replicated and adapted in other places too.

Where exactly in St. James Town? St. James Town has an incredible amount of under or unused underground space including swimming pools, squash courts, and a full abandoned YMCA gym that has been closed and unused for over 20 years. There is also flat roof space that could be converted into rooftop greenhouses. We are currently looking at the swimming pool under 325 Bleeker St., and TCHC /City controlled space in the neighbourhood. We are also exploring space with private developers as well, and eventually will need to be present in both in the neighbourhood.

What About Pests?

We get this question all the time – you’re growing food and composting in the city, what about rats and other pests?

Actually, an OASIS Food Hub helps to manage and control the pest population in the neighbourhood. We grow in climate-controlled spaces that are designed to keep pests out, and nutrients in!

When it comes to composting, check out the differences in these two images. On the left is how organic waste is currently being processed in St. James Town. On the right, is vermiculture industrial composting containers. Which looks like it’ll attract more pests to you?

Can you really grow food underground?

Yes, you really can! We plan to use LED grow lights; and, time the lighting so that we are using electricity during non-peak hours to reduce costs and environmental impact. When we start renovating our first growing site, we plan to reach out to HydroOne and discuss details.

Who’s going to run it?

Community members…more specifically community co-operative member-owners and the employees they hire. In St. James Town, we have a legally established community co-operative. It is a democratic structure that ensures accountability, transparency, and local leadership.

Often, we think that vulnerable communities need someone else to come in and help, that a big non-profit or government are the only ones who could run a large community development project. In truth, this community, and every community, has within it the people power, skills, and passion to run the best program for their own families and neighbours. OASIS is a model for self-reliance and community independence. To fulfil this, we need to step out of the usual non-profit dependency model and into a model run by and for community.

We do need trainings and initial funding support to run this project well, as would any group big or small creating an innovating project. We believe in the leadership of community members.

What will you grow?

OASIS produce will be different in every OASIS food hub, depending on the dietary desires of the co-op members. It is of course also dependent on what we can grow. For fish, there are many types we can work with in an aquaponics system, the most popular of which is tilapia and perch.

In terms of plants, we’ll grow lots of mushrooms! And then, in our aquaponics system, you can grow lots of varieties of food from lettuce and kale, to herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, broccoli and more. Some aquaponics systems have even successfully grown bananas, dwarf citrus trees, and sweet corn. The exact choices depend on co-op members decisions.

What about tropical foods?

You’re right to ask this question. St. James Town is a highly diverse neighbourhood. As we know, healthy food also means culturally relevant foods. Foods like coconut, turmeric, and avocado are central to the diets of many in St. James Town, and urban residents in general.

That’s why OASIS has plans to partner directly with food co-operatives and OASIS South projects to direct fair trade healthy, organic, sustainable tropical foods. We have begun building a mutually beneficial relationship with the Maroon youth farmers in Accompong, Jamaica.

What About Land-Based Farmers?

The children’s group in our first community design gathering raised the same great question – what happens to farmers if we grow our own food? We can only grow so much food in St. James Town, or any given urban neighbourhood; we will always need farmers. OASES focus on building direct and mutually beneficial relationships with farmers and suppliers.

The OASIS Food Hub model enables reciprocal relationships with farmers in 4 ways:
1) Helping Hands on the Land: many urban residents crave opportunities to put their hands in the soil, some are interested in becoming farmers themselves. OASIS will provide farming opportunities through the time bank – which allows members to earn time credits by working on the farm.

Then… 2) Food Valued in Money and Time: Farmers can bring produce directly to the OASIS Food Hub and sell their produce for part time credits and part money, mirroring the investments they made in people to enable this food to grow. We have already successfully done this exchange with farmers. Which means…

3) Climate Resilience For All: This time bank exchange also enables another process – farmers who want to transition their farms into biodynamic, organic, permaculture, or other farming that is better for the land face steep challenges: it requires a lot of money, a lot of work, and a lot of time. Many farmers in Ontario farm on rented land, making this commitment even more risky. Through time bank exchanges, and in relationship with farmer unions and umbrella co-operatives, like National Farmers Union and Local Organic Food and Farm Co-ops, an OASIS Food Hub enables urban-rural solidarity, and beneficial alliances for a cleaner and healthier food system.

4) Compost to Fertilizer: the high-quality soil and fertilizer teas that will come out of an OASIS on-site composting system can be sold to or exchanged with farmers who will have direct access to non-chemical fertilizers and soil.

Where does your funding come from?

Current: OASIS is currently volunteer run. The St. James Town Community Co-op has a small fund from Carrot Cache to run its bulk food buying club, which, after initial expenses, generates revenue.

Past: Over 2018-2019, the co-op conducted a $50,000 feasibility study funded by the City of Toronto. OASIS has grown out of the St. James Town Community Café and Community Co-op; and, since 2011, over $300,000 have been put into the development of this hub from:

City Hope
Tower Renewal
Toronto Community Foundation
Foodshare
World Vision
Yonge Street Mission
736 Outreach Fund
Center for Social Innovation
TCHC Social Investment Fund
Healthier Cities Hub – Dalla Lana School of Public Health
City of Toronto

Future: OASIS will be built in phases. In total it is a multi-million-dollar project. OASIS will be self-sustaining within the first 5 years of operation given below-market rent and initial funding. We expect that funding will come from appropriate municipal and federal government funds, private foundations, and community bonds (low interest small money investments of up to $10,000).

Will this system reduce GHGs?

Up to 30% of Canada’s GHG emissions can be traced to the agricultural industry (Rod McCrae, 2019). Fertilizers combined with transportation from farm to table (including international), animal bodily emissions, industrial overfishing, refrigeration (a big GHG-deal!), GHGs emitted from food waste…A lot of oil goes into your dinner. By bringing this whole process into the neighbourhood, and using organic looped and efficient systems, an OASIS Food Hub can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create relationships, training, and facilities to innovate more reductions.

The buildings that house OASES shifts the GHG calculations. If, for example, an OASIS is designed and built in a zero-emissions building, which has been built with OASIS in mind, more reductions can be achieved in maintenance, but building a new building has emissions of its own. If an OASIS is retrofitted in, this can save on costs but may mean the electricity used is coming from emission-heavy sources, until that can be transitioned too. If OASIS is maintained with renewable energy as is ideally planned, then more reductions can be achieved. Like any model, its impact shifts with the context in which it is implemented. We are excited to continue to innovate more low-to-no-emissions solutions for our food system as OASES grow.

Have you heard of the organization Foodshare?

This is one of the top questions we get asked in real life. Yes, we have, and we work with them. One of the OASIS co-founders, Josephine Grey, helped to start Foodshare and their good food box program. Foodshare has been our trustee in the past and may be again in the future. We respect Foodshare and our purposes align well. OASIS is a different project, that requires its own infrastructure. They have their own wonderful programs to run. We look forward to continued collaboration with them!