A life-long passion for baking led former pastry chef Amy Ruijgrok of the Netherlands to Dalhousie's International Food Business program and an internship opportunity in San Francisco, California.
Amy's interest in food stems back to her childhood when her grandmother and mother sought out her help in the kitchen.
“My love for baking really took off when I started watching Cake Boss. Soon, I was making decorative cakes and selling them to family friends,” explains Amy. “After high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I took a gap year in Houston, Texas, where I stayed with my grandparents and worked at a local bakery, which made me realize baking was more than just a hobby for me.”
When Amy returned to the Netherlands, she decided to enroll in an independent baking program and later joined a pastry chef program to advancer her skills in the chocolate arts. During her studies, Amy gained experience working in pastry shops and high-end hotels. She thought about starting her own specialty cake business, but wasn’t ready to settle into a full-time job.
Instead, Amy chose to study International Food Business at Dal, which provided a chance to travel and see the food industry from a global perspective.
Food for change
As a student in the program, Amy had the opportunity to study at both Dalhousie and Aeres University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. She also had the chance to learn about a new sector as part of an intership this past summer.
“During my recent internship at Fresh Approach in San Francisco, I had the incredible opportunity to work on a variety of tasks aimed at promoting food security and equitable access to fresh, nutritious food,” explains Amy. “One of the projects I was involved in centered around their Mobile Farmers' Market program to give underserved communities access to fresh fruits and vegetables.”
For the past 15 years, Fresh Approach has worked towards creating long-term change in Bay Area food systems by connecting California communities with fresh produce from local farmers and expanding knowledge about food and nutrition.
“One of our most successful programs is our Mobile Farmers’ Market (MFM) which is like a farmers' market on wheels that brings access to communities that would otherwise lack access to their fresh seasonal produce, while helping small farmers diversify their sales through guaranteed weekly orders for our two trucks,” explains Ellen Olack, program manager with East Bay Food Access.
“All of the produce from our mobile farmers’ markets is affordably priced, and we offer a 50 per cent discount to market shoppers who participate in various subsidized programs, who are low income, have membership at a food pantry, and unemployment programs."
Energy and ambition
Amy's internship provided a great sense of fulfillment by giving back to the community through food and has her considering work in that sector later.
“It was wonderful to have Amy interning at Fresh Approach this summer,” said Darolyn Turner, a food access specialist. “She joined the food access team on every Mobile Farmers’ Market route in Contra Costa County, assisted with our volunteer days at our community garden space in East Palo Alto, and compiled nutritious and affordable recipes for our weekly newsletters. Amy was a pleasure to work with, super helpful during markets, and had great energy every time we worked together.”
Additionally, Amy contributed to the development of promotional materials to raise awareness about the MFM program and encourage participation from residents in the target communities. Other responsibilities included conducting research on various topics to better understand food security and equitable access to fresh food.
Now in her last year, Amy is preparing for her final internship in New Zealand.
“This program has given me so many opportunities, and I’m excited to see where I’ll go next.”
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