Christian Scott, Urban Agriculture Apprentice
Although I like to grow food, I am primarily interested in the link it has with community building. Working in the urban agriculture program is a great summer job: you sweat, work hard, and meet lots of people. It’s the perfect mix of community organizing, development, and getting your hands dirty.
I completed my undergraduate degree in Sociology and International Development at McGill about five years ago. After, I worked in Mexico for a bit and then traveled to Berlin where I ‘lived the life.’ Then, I was in a bit of a crisis, not knowing what to do next, so I went back to school to complete a Masters in Sociology with a focus on development. It was a good solution for not knowing what my place was in society and in the workforce.
As part of my Masters, I researched the do-it-yourself urban planning initiatives that were occurring in my hometown in Mexico. People were breaking the law to highlight that something was missing in the urban infrastructure. For example, citizens painted bike lanes and built bus stops themselves. In these ways, citizens were demanding certain changes in the urban infrastructure but at the same time, always talking about democracy.
After finishing with Santropol Roulant this upcoming fall, my safe plan is to continue working as coordinator at ECOLE (Educational Community Living Environment) at McGill. We are currently trying to strengthen our ties with the Milton-Park community and working with other Montreal groups to build our network with people who are living in a sustainable fashion. Internally, we are also asking how we can better support McGill sustainability projects.
About the blog series:
Santropol Roulant is a beautiful community of members brought together by food and community engagement. In an effort to capture the diversity of our members, we are launching Stories of Santropol Roulant. One of our volunteers, Monica (pictured below), is setting out to photograph our members and collect quotes and short stories to share on our blog and social media. If you see Monica at Santropol Roulant with a camera in hand, feel free to approach her and say hello. We would love to hear your story! Contact brooke@santropolroulant.org if you have any questions or would like to be interviewed.
