Young sets of brothers tackling food insecurity are Niagara’s next generation of volunteers

While many kids their age are focused on video games or sports, two sets of young brothers in Niagara Falls are spending their time in the kitchen, making a tangible difference for the most vulnerable members of their community.

Dedicated volunteers with countless hours under their belts, 10-year-old Logan Iannacchino and his six-year-old sibling Jackson have recently shifted their focus from stocking a low-cost weekly market to a new passion — baking.

Last week, as Thanksgiving was approaching, Logan and Jackson were joined by their grandmothers for a marathon baking session. Together, they prepared more than 30 loaves of bread and banana bread, and more than 20 pumpkin and apple pies, all destined for the Grow market in Niagara Falls.

“Grow helps with food waste and while they’re helping with food waste, they help anyone who needs healthy food, snacks — all of it (is) put at a lower price, so it can help people,” said Logan, when asked why he volunteers with Canada’s first community food literacy centre.

This commitment comes at a critical time as more families struggle to access nutritious and affordable food.

Oct. 16 is World Food Day, which was designated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1979.

The aim of the day is to promote global awareness and action for individuals who suffer from hunger, and to highlight the need to ensure healthy diets for everyone.

The brothers’ work supports Grow, an initiative founded by Pam Farrell, a professor of education at University of Calgary and a specialist in food literacy education.

Since 2020, Grow has been operating a subsidized market from a former Scouts building on Fourth Avenue.

Recently, Farrell — last year she was named one of the world’s most influential women by global organization Women of Influence+ — brought Canada’s first fully electric mobile market truck to Niagara.

The initiative allows Grow to reach more communities by bringing fresh, affordable produce directly to neighbourhoods across the region with limited access to grocery stores.

Farrell said Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program is facing immense challenges. Though it supports 80 per cent of schools across the province, the program must contend with record-high food costs and soaring participation rates.

She said Grow is meeting this challenge head-on. The organization’s truck recently received praise during the Canadian Association for Food Studies conference in Toronto, where sibling volunteers David Farrell, 9, and Joseph, 12, showcased its impact.

“I love working at the Grow truck — it’s very cool,” said David. “It’s really exciting when it pulls into a parking lot or next to a high school and everyone just walks up and says, ‘Can I have this?’ or ‘Can I have an apple?’ or ‘Can I have a banana?’ I also like the community. My brother Joseph and my friends Logan and Jackson, they really help a lot.”

Joseph said he also “really” likes volunteering on the Grow truck.

“It’s really fun,” he said, adding attendees at the recent conference were interested in the truck.

“They thought the Grow truck was even from a movie because they’ve never seen something like this before. The prices are very good. It was all really good feedback.”

Farrell said the two sets of brothers are examples of a positive shift in education that may be inspiring a new generation of volunteers.

“Ontario has made significant changes to its curriculum to include food literacy education from Grade 1 to Grade 9,” she said. “More and more young students are getting involved, and it may be linked to the fact that food literacy is now embedded into the Ontario curriculum.”

Farrell said her university research has always focused on community-engaged scholarship — bridging academic theory with real-world impact.

“Grow was founded on that very principle. It’s one thing to research a concept, but it’s another to see it come to life so powerfully,” she said.

“The decision to embed food literacy into the Ontario curriculum was a monumental step, and we’re seeing the incredible results firsthand. When I see these students who are volunteering their time supporting a more equitable food system, it makes me immensely proud because they are empowering the next generation to build a stronger, healthier community for everyone.”

Rose Iannacchino, coexecutive director for Grow, said the true measure of the centre’s success isn’t just the amount of food distributed, but the “dignity and agency we foster.”

“Whether it’s the mobile market reaching a food desert or a student mastering a new recipe, we are tackling systemic issues head-on,” she said.

Ray Spiteri is a Niagara Falls-based reporter with the Niagara Falls Review.