About – True North Tropical

Our Why

Canada Is Home To Many Cultures, Most Grocery Stores Tell A Different Story

Many Canadians carry memories of healing soups, rich stews, greens cooked with care. But finding the right ingredients fresh can be surprisingly difficult.

For years, we relied on vegetables shipped from thousands of miles away. They arrive tired, with the flavour and most of the nutrition gone. And the sad substitutes lead to disappointing meals.

We started True North Tropical to change all that.

Food should feel familiar, nourishing, and celebrated. Not tolerated.

Our Origin Story

I Am Aramide, The Hands And Heart Behind This Farm

I didn’t grow up on a farm, but I grew up with real food. Meals cooked with care from fresh, seasonal ingredients, shared with family and community.

Then I moved to Canada, and somewhere along the way, that connection started to fade. At first, it was the taste. Then I felt it in my body.

If you have ever had to leave home, you might know this feeling. For many of us in the diaspora, migration comes with small losses that add up.

After years of settling for bland substitutes and mystery imports, I tried something simple. I planted a few things in the backyard. What came back was more than I expected.

The crunch of fresh maize. The deep flavour of the greens. The joy of sharing it with our kids.

It tasted like something I hadn’t realised I was grieving.

That small harvest sparked the question: if these crops can grow here, why are we settling for vegetables shipped from far away?

So I kept going. Saving seeds. Learning what worked. Trying again when it didn’t. From a backyard in the Prairies to working the land in Southern Ontario, I have learned by doing.

Then COVID made something clear. Access to fresh, nourishing food is not equal, and some communities feel that gap more than others. That is when the garden stopped being a hobby. It became a commitment to grow the foods our communities need.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

— Aramide, Founder