The Peanut Gallery

Most people see the vegetables.
They don’t see the pressure, the risk, the family sacrifices, or the stories behind the farm.

In this episode, Fred Froese shares the real story behind Froese Vegetables Inc. Growing up in a migrant Mennonite family, building a farm business from the ground up, navigating financial pressure, working with family, and the realities of mental health in farming.

It’s honest, funny, challenging, and deeply human. From family business dynamics to marriage, leadership, faith, and community impact – this was a conversation we really enjoyed having!

We had the opportunity to sit down with Miles and Jessica to discuss Planet Youth. If you haven't heard of Planet Youth and the impact the organization is having on reducing and stopping substance use in communities - it is well worth looking into.

Planet Youth is an upstream prevention approach focusing on changing the environment by reducing the known risk factors and strengthening the known protective factors. This upstream prevention approach reduces or stops substance use problems before they arise. Planet Youth focuses on implementing local data-driven solutions that work to improve the health and well-being of youth that goes far beyond simply reducing substance use.

Learn more at: https://www.swpublichealth.ca/en/community-health/community-substance-use-prevention.aspx

We chat with our friend and fellow MAC board member Ingrid VandenBorre about finding a healthy family balance with kids in competitive sports and how sports can impact building a healthy unified community.

Lots of updates coming for the MAC project in the near future! Before that...Patrick and Albert take some time to answer some frequently asked questions about the project.

We spend some time with MAC Board President Linda talking about her life - immigrating to a new country, dealing with bullying and the unique impact that sports had on her life in high school and continues to have today.

We sit down with our resident basketball superstar and board member to talk about sports, life and the impact that coaches can play in our life.

Does it matter if a community can offer kids and adults a space to play year round? Sports have had a big impact in our lives and we believe they matter for a healthy community. This belief is one of the driving forces behind visioning for a year round indoor facility in our region.  

One of the things we have come to love about our community as we have done various projects is the amount of incredibly generous and compassionate people we get to meet and work alongside with. Paul is one of those people - a great friend, pioneer and a visionary that has believes in leaving a community better for the next generation. Grateful he moved to Aylmer and is invested in our region!