Module 1 Presenter Bios

Dr. Julian Hasford is an Associate Professor and the Interim Director of the School of Child and Youth Care at Toronto Metropolitan University. His research and activism focuses on issues of African Canadian empowerment, anti-racism, systems change, and community-based prevention. He holds a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a M.HSc. in Health Promotion from the University of Toronto. Dr. Hasford has extensive professional experience in residential and community-based youth work, including over eight years as a frontline worker in group home and foster care settings, and over 12 years as a Community Recreation Programmer with the City of Toronto’s Community Gardens and Urban Farms Program, where he was involved in engaging racialized youth in urban agriculture. While with the City, he was actively involved in the establishment of the initial Toronto Urban Farm at 4929 Jane St (the present-day site of Black Creek Community Farm) and was involved in supporting all aspects of farm management, including community engagement, youth programming, and food production and distribution. He is a co-founder of the Black Youth Farming Collective, and a member of Black Creek Community Farm’s steering committee. Over the last several years, he has also been involved in anti-racist advocacy through work with organizations such as the Black Community Action Network of Peel, Tabono Institute, and the Ontario Association for Children’s Aid Society (One Vision, One Voice project).

Karen Hutchinson is a food systems leader, innovator, and community builder with more than 20 years of experience advancing sustainable agriculture, local food systems, and community well-being. As Founder, Farm Manager, and President of Albion Hills Community Farm, Karen has helped create a thriving nonprofit working farm and learning centre that combines food production, community gardens, and educational programming. Throughout her career, Karen has contributed to numerous organizations and initiatives shaping the future of food and farming in Ontario and beyond, including Sustain Ontario, Headwaters Food and Farm Alliance, and the global Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium. Karen holds a Master of Environmental Studies from York University and has been recognized with several awards for her leadership, including the 2026 Local Food Champion Award from the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance.

Yumnah Jafri is a second-year MSc student in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, supervised by Dr. Vasanti Malik. Her thesis evaluates a community gardening intervention developed in partnership with Ecosource to reduce type 2 diabetes risk in Mississauga, Ontario. Her research interests focus on promoting the physical and mental well-being of vulnerable populations in Canada through community-based approaches to chronic disease prevention, healthy dietary behaviours, and community engagement. She is particularly interested in strengthening connections between individuals and their local communities to support sustainable, long-term health outcomes.