Food For Everyone - Community Garden Project

Plans for the community garden and our veggie plants for the food banks are underway. Will you help? Can we help you? Let us know what you think and any ideas you have and your favourite garden recipes. We want to make 2017 our best sharing year ever. 

Here's the problem.

Many people in the local area eat a highly processed diet with few veggies. This can be due to preferences and cooking skills, lack of access, food bank use which typically means food with a good shelf life, or lack of knowledge on how to grow a garden. We believe that a diet full of fresh veggies and frozen produce in your freezer can make you not only feel better but be genuinely healthier. And we want to help. 

Here's the vision.

We rototill the community garden area and start a collection of seeds and transplants for people who either can't afford them, don't have a place to grow, or maybe they just need a hand up. Allotment growers do all planting and weeding, we will water during the week. 

People carpool, catch a ride or take the bus and walk to the community garden at the farm on a nice Saturday morning. There's a festival feel as everyone grabs tools from the tool shed and heads out into their plots to see what's grown since the last time they were here. Each allotment is different from its neighbours with peas, beet greens, lettuce and some exotic things not seen before. Each family or person tends their own little garden space, pulling weeds and thinning radishes until it's to their liking and then they lean on a shovel for a visit with their next plot neighbours. The community area is planted with lettuce that are ready for harvesting so they organize themselves into a small pick/pack crew and a wash crew. Everyone works together and splits the community produce between them with the extras being put in boxes in the cool room for the food bank. It varies each week. Some weeks it's planting, some weeks different people come, but every week it's productive and people leave feeling they've done something good. Seniors teach children how to plant, mums and dads trade recipes, and everyone learns a little. We teach approximately 20 young people from all over the world about gardening each year and they most often go on to grow food and teach others. They live with us and work in the garden then they go home and adapt what they learned to their own lives. 

Idealistic? Maybe. Idyllic? Certainly. 

We believe that by giving people plants, seeds and skills we can improve health and food security for everyone in our community but especially for families and seniors. Everyone can grow a little food. Everyone can eat a little better. Everyone can be a little healthier. 

That's our goal, a garden in every yard. And where yards aren't available, allotments. If the town and municipality could designate community garden space we feel that the potential benefits are huge in terms of health, social connectedness and community spirit, and food security. Give people a chance to lift themselves out of poverty or at least have a better and healthier life. It'll take time, it'll be hard work, but the benefits to the community and healthcare over the long term are great. 

We weren't able to get our local town interested in supporting a farmers market which is why we've been operating in a neighbouring town for the past 3 years but I'm still hopeful the support will be there for a garden/food program. Please share any feedback and advice. And happy gardening in 2017. 

Community Garden 2014

Welcome to the community garden! Where friendship, knowledge and plants are growing.

We're excited that you've decided to check us out and see what we have to offer you.  2014 is our first year as a community garden although the groundwork has been laid for the previous 2 years. We  offer a variety of plots for families and individuals plus some community growing areas for larger crops that are more efficient to grow together such as corn and pole beans. We will be buying some seeds in bulk to save money, we'll have some seed packs and plots available for free to those in need, gardening classes, a picnic area and we invite everyone to work together to grow food for yourselves and the foodbank. So come join us and let's get growing!

Available plots:

12 - 20x20 feet  $50 each for the gardening year. (May 1-October 31)
22- 10x10 feet   $20 each for the gardening year.
2 large community plots for bulk crops will be planted and harvested by all users of the garden. 

Plots include:

Your assigned piece of land which will be tilled and ready for planting.
Access to tools, water, hoses etc.
Use of picnic area and all community areas.
Harvests from community plots as they are ready.
Classes throughout the year.
Community events.



If you're still interested after reading this far, here are our rules. 

Garden Guidelines and Rules:

1. Have fun!

2. Parking: Some parking is available at garden side, however we recommend parking at the church and walking down to the garden to limit damage to fields and disruption of the day to day workings of the farm.

3. Community: All members are encouraged to participate in the garden community, by signing up for one of the community tasks. We also invite you to attend classes and other activities throughout the year. We're a small initial group so let's enjoy it!

4. General Care: Garden plots and communal beds must be maintained to the satisfaction of the Garden Coordinator. This includes normal watering, weeding and general care of the assigned plot, and the immediate surrounding pathways.

5. Gardening Season: Plots must be worked on throughout the duration of the gardening season, generally understood to be May 1 through October 31, subject to weather conditions. If you are away for an extended period during the growing season, you must find someone to look after your plot in your absence. If you can’t find someone, inform the Garden Group Coordinator so that other arrangements can be made.

6. Harvesting: Crops must be harvested once they are mature. Produce from plants may not be sold. All produce harvested from the garden should be washed thoroughly before eating. We recommend that any surplus be delivered to friends and family or alternately to the foodbank in Kingston or Berwick. There are also churches and other community groups who can help you with suggestions. We think that planting a succession of crops so that your harvest is spread out over the growing season is more self-sufficient and makes it less likely to go to waste.

7. Neighbouring plots: Be considerate of your neighbours. Do not plant sprawling crops or tall ones that might interfere with others. Tall plants are best planted on the north side (towards the road) or the east side so as to limit the shading they may give to your neighbours plots. Harvest only from your assigned plot or from community plots. Keep insects and weeds under control as much as possible (see below) and please teach children to stay off neighbouring plots.

8. Compost / Insecticides / Mulches: Chemical insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers are prohibited in the garden. Only Diatomaceous Earth, predatory nematodes and other insects or Insecticidal Soaps may be used in the control of pests. Only organic fertilizer, compost and composted manures may be used in soil conditioning and fertilization. We will have compost available on opening day and we will have some already in the soil when we till. Black and red plastic mulch and row covers are allowed as long as they are removed at the end of the season. Straw and newsprint are allowed as mulch but please no bark mulch. There will be a $25 clean-up fee for plastic mulches not removed at the end of the season or other non-compostables like tomato cages, wire etc.

9. Plants allowed: Trees and other woody plants are not allowed on individual plots. Please be careful with invasive species. If you plant something in your plot that starts to invade another part of the garden,you may be asked to remove it. This would include things such as pumpkins that sprawl, Jerusalem artichokes, comfrey, mint etc.

10. Fees : There is a fee for plots as described above.  All plots must be paid for by May 1st or in years when the weather allows earlier planting, before your plants are placed in the ground.
    
    

11. Keep the garden tidy! Please use the recycling and trash bins as provided. If containers are not available or are full then plot holders agree to remove their own waste/recyclable materials.

12. Pets : Due to the presence of farm animals such as poultry and sheep we ask that you please leave your dogs at home.

13. Water: The water supply is limited. Please use sparingly. Well water is not approved for drinking so please bring your own bottled water.
    
    

14. Compost: Members are encouraged to make use of and help maintain the communal composting area according to the rules of use in the garden guidelines. We will be teaching a class on composting several times through the year.
    
    

15. Shed: All tools and common gardening tools should be stored within the shed. Please clean off, dry and return your borrowed tools to their correct place. You are welcome to bring your own tools and we suggest that you label them with your name and plot number.

16. Tools: Any tools left in the garden area are there at your own risk – although we promote positive use of this space, we assume no responsibility for lost or stolen tools, plants, planting supplies, etc.

17. Plots: We will assign plots as applications are received. We will assign upto 2 plots per family initially and then will assess other remaining plots based on the waiting list. Each family may apply for a maximum of 4 plots. We will try to keep multiple plots together for ease of gardening and to assign the same plots to returning families each year.

18. Issues: Please report to the Garden Coordinator immediately if you spot any signs of theft, vandalism, misuse of garden resources or damage to the garden. For less serious issues or to leave a friendly note for a friend, please use the notice board. You can include questions, suggestions, and seasonal recipes. Also watch for upcoming events and classes. 

19. Dispute Resolution: In the event of non-compliance with the above rules, the Garden Coordinator will issue a verbal or written notice to the member. If at the end of a two-week period the problem has not been solved, we will attempt to contact you by other methods to resolve the problem. If after this time there is no action, we will potentially mow down and re-assign the plot. The most common cause for this is not weeding. If you have a serious health concern or other problem that does not let you weed please arrange for some community help with weeding. We have several Duke of Edinburgh's Award participants available to provide service where needed.