Deeply Rooted Farmers Market

Every Sunday at DIEPPE PARK East York Toronto
9:00a.m – 2:00pm
Who We Are
We are a Black and Indigenous Farmers Market advocating for Food Sovereignty in Canada.
We believe that healthy, organic and culturally appropriate food is a human right, not a privilege, and we are dedicated to making that right more accessible to Black and Indigenous communities.
Farmers markets provide health conscious and socially conscious consumers with the opportunity to purchase locally sourced produce and other items. They also offer the chance to engage with farmers, producers, and venders, gaining a better understanding of where their food is coming from and how it is cared for. Quality food contributes to a greater quality of life, which everyone is equally deserving of. Farmers markets have, unfortunately, been largely white spaces where racialized people are often underrepresented amongst farmers, vendors, and patrons alike.
There is a global push for equality now more than ever before. It is our duty to create equity within all areas of society so that we can ensure that generations after us enjoy the same benefits as those currently more privileged.
Deeply Rooted is dedicated to creating a farmers market that focuses on highlighting Black and Indigenous vendors. Our market will also generate and circulate money within Black and Indigenous communities to combat the injustices within the food industry.
Our initiative is supported by the Counsellor of Ward 14, Paula Fletcher and the Government of Canada.
Our market will be a place where our community can teach, learn and connect with one another – to share their different cultures through their food. We strive to increase accessibility and create sustainable structures so that we can eliminate the racism that is deeply rooted in our systems and that contribute to food inequity in Canada.
We are Deeply Rooted

The Team

President of Deeply Rooted, Camille Mayers, formed our organization out of a passion and drive for creating equity for Black and Indigenous communities. Camille is an incredible Chef with over 15 years of experience working within the food industry in Toronto and Vancouver. Camille is Queer and Black, they have experienced the underrepresentation

of Black and Indigenous vendors at farmers markets across the city. She felt a need to not only raise awareness but to create a safe and equitable space full of equal opportunity.

Vice President of Deeply Rooted, Maria Simonelli, joined our organization out of a passion to get involved in Community. Maria is a Tkaranto-based film technician, who grew up on an o-day’min and mishiimin farm in Huttonville, ON. Her passion for the Earth, botany, medicine, and farm-to-table drew her toward the importance of this project. Her commitment to expanding the knowledge of the sacred bond between Community and Mother Earth shines brightly through her endeavors within the market. Maria is a Métis woman who descends from Brunswick House, First Nation in the Canadian Province of Ontario.

Our board of directors consists of community members who carry a wide range of knowledge and expertise from different avenues.  Our combined experience spans across areas from community engagement and racial equality – to business, marketing, and human rights. Our team is filled with unique and dedicated members who have the shared mission to empower our communities by breaking the barriers that stand in the way of equal opportunity and sustainability.

We are a passionate and experienced group of individuals with strong values that we firmly stand by. As Black and Indigenous creators, we pride ourselves on being part of the community we strive to serve as we abolish food inequity in Canada.