In the Community

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Seeing a need for an energetic and impactful non-profit focused on local agri-food and culture, leaders, advocates, and farmers formed Kozroots Community Empowerment Projects 2015.      

Historically we have engaged individuals, like community organizations and stakeholders to partner and share their resources and knowledge to be part of the abundance, growth, and great potential in the sector.   

Our focus is on the regions of the United Counties of Stormont Dundas Glengarry and Prescott Russell, the City of Cornwall, Akwesasne and the Ottawa Valley.      

Since our inception we have hosted and organized the Eastern Ontario Garlic Festival now in it's 8th year, produced the Cornwall Waterfront Farmers' Market as an essential service during the pandemic, taken part in the development of local food events, participated and facilitate community activities at numerous events, developed the Agri-food Farm Apprenticeship program, and established summer and spring break day camp programs.     

The impact to date includes enriching community in the following ways:     

• Connections in the agri-food sector and socioeconomic and sociocultural communities by creating partnerships within and between community organizations that serve. 
• Each year we connect organizations that had never collaborated prior and now have lasting relationships and continue to bring their efforts together.  
• Economically over 8 years we have helped producer, farmers' market vendors, and our partner non profits generate over 1, 000, 000 by participating in our events.  
• Created 20 plus youth Agri-food Farm Apprenticeship jobs giving young people an opportunity to learn about the local food movement and systems while becoming skilled at the ins and outs of a farming business. 
• Developed and produced spring break and summer day camps and employing youth in 15 paid councillor positions.   
• Led and facilitated a number of community garden activities at Glengarry Memorial Hospital and in the Cornwall Community Garden Network.  
• Given opportunity for over 150 volunteers to contribute to our efforts to showcase and lift up everything local!   
• Produced Art in Motion under the leadership of artist Kim Cameran. We provided space for all the local art association to collaborate for the first time in 30 years. The 12 canvases art collection has been exhibited at local food conferences, special events, and installations in restaurants.  
• Hosted our first Rooted in Culture weekend retreat with over 130 participants enjoying dance, music and food from the Hungarian culture. Other cultural events are in the making with various multicultural groups.  

We believe the greatest currency is in the capacity of people coming together to collaborate for the common good and community growth. In this case creating local and sustainable projects that feed and serve us all!