Explore the unique farm-to-fork relationships that are growing in Waterloo Region!

FARM TO FORK is a 6-part series that takes you inside Waterloo Region’s farm to table culture with Chef Nick Benninger – owner of the Fat Sparrow Group in St. Jacobs, ON.

FARM TO FORK follows Chef Nick as he explores some of the best farms the region has to offer. Through Chef Nick’s culinary skills and passion for locally sourced ingredients, viewers will develop an appreciation for the value and quality of farm gate food.

Viewers will also learn how to cook these delicious ingredients as Chef Nick prepares a meal using the produce sourced from the local farms. 

FARM TO FORK Season 1 is now available to stream on Bell Fibe TV-1 and the Fibe TV app.

Nick Benninger was an obstinate kid. When he complained about dinner his mother said, ”If you don’t like it, make it yourself.” Nick did, and he never stopped. 

In 2008, together with his wife Natalie, Nick opened his first restaurant, Uptown 21, in Waterloo, ON. Since then he has gone on to grow his passion for food into the Fat Sparrow Group which includes six restaurants, a catering company, a bakery, a butcher shop, three market stalls and a wholesale food division that employs over 220 people.

Nick doesn’t just love to cook, he’s equally happy to share his knowledge through his monthly blog, 519 Schmecks. He’s also at home in front of the camera and has appeared on Where to Eat Canada and You Gotta Eat Here! as well as the independently produced Nick and Taylor Make A Food Show!

Nick is as passionate about where his food comes from as how it gets prepared. He has been a staunch advocate for sourcing local ingredients and showcasing the diversity of great produce, so abundant in the Waterloo Region, long before it was a trend. 

Nick has now brought his culinary diversity and affable charm to the small screen as host of the Bell Fibe series FARM TO FORK.

Episode 1

Mountain Oak Cheese

Chef Nick visits Adam and Hannie van Bergeijk, fifth generation dairy farmers who came to Canada from Holland in the early 90’s. While they loved their new country, they found there was a paucity of descent cheese. Since they couldn’t find good Gouda, they decided to make it themselves.

Episode 2

Wisahkotewinowak

Dave Skene was a homeless Indigenous kid living on the streets of West End Vancouver, when he got an opportunity to work on a farm in Mexico. After Dave found purpose and meaning by connecting to the land, he now shares his journey and inspires the next generation of Indigenous youth to follow a similar path.

Episode 3

Fall Harvest Farm

The Kittle Farm, now run by Rose and Josephine McCormick, has been around since before Canada was a country. They produce pigs, goats, chickens, bees, and a variety of vegetables, but what they are really known for is pumpkins.

Episode 4

Shuh Orchards

Robert and Lisa Shuh are multigenerational farmers with a son who plans on taking over the business once they retire. After trying a variety of crops Robert determined that, despite the challenges of the winds, cold and soil type in the region, apples could be viable. His experiment has been fruitful.

Episode 5

Jewels Under the Kilt

Liz Burrow is a concert musician, turned chef, turned palliative care worker. She has reinvented herself numerous times, but she found her true calling as a nut farmer.

Episode 6

Oakridge Acres Bison Farm

Once prominent and successful beef farmers, Mark and Jesse Gerber of OakRidge Acres made a major change in 2004 when their industry was decimated by Mad Cow Disease. They are now Bison farmers.