In the Press: Toronto Observer — Urban Farming Offers a Grassroots Solution to Rising Food Costs

The Toronto Observer visited Zawadi Farm at Downsview Park in the spring of 2025 for a feature on urban farming as a response to Toronto's rising food costs and declared food emergency. The piece follows Jessey Njau across the farm and situates Zawadi in the broader context of a city where more than 3.49 million people visited food banks in 2024.

The article captures the dual nature of what Zawadi does: growing food through no-till, hand-tool farming in the middle of the city, and simultaneously building the educational and community infrastructure that connects people to where their food comes from. Zawadi's pay-when-you-can model for produce is highlighted as a concrete response to access barriers that go beyond supply.

"Know your farmer, know where your food comes from." — Jessey Njau

Read the full feature in the Toronto Observer →