Community Gardens

Community Gardens - Grow, Eat and Learn Community Gardens - Grow, Eat and Learn

There is an increased recognition of the need to reduce our dependence on imported food and to grow and produce more of our own. No place is this more evident than in the increased number of residents in St. John’s developing their own backyard gardens or becoming involved in community gardens. Aside from improving access to nutritious food, involvement in a community garden can provide many other benefits, including a sense of belonging and the opportunity to develop new social connections. A desire to bring people in her community together inspired Chelsey and her neighbours to establish a community garden at the Kenmount Terrace Community Centre. “We thought a community garden would be a great way to grow our own food and to build a sense of community within our neighbourhood, ” says Chelsey.This garden has grown to include ten raised beds, including one designed to meet the needs of those with decreased mobility.

There is an increased recognition of the need to reduce Being involved in community gardens also provides our dependence on imported food and to grow and endless opportunities to learn and share knowledgeproduce more of our own. No place is this more evident from discovering what produce varieties work best in than in the increased number of residents in St. John’s our climate, to what compost ‘recipe’ gives the greatest developing their own backyard gardens or becoming chance of success, to how to preserve carrots and beets involved in community gardens. once the growing season ends. As Chelsey notes, “There is just so much to learn and so much to experience by Aside from improving access to nutritious food, being involved in a community garden.” She attributes involvement in a community garden can provide many much of what she has learned about gardening to other benefits, including a sense of belonging and the conversations she has had with other more experienced opportunity to develop new social connections. gardeners. She hopes to start passing on this passion and knowledge to her young daughter, who will start her gardening ‘career’ in 2022. A desire to bring people in her community together inspired Chelsey and her neighbours to establish a community garden at the Kenmount Terrace Community Centre. “We thought a community garden would be a great way to grow our own food and to build a sense of community within our neighbourhood, ” says Chelsey.This garden has grown to include ten raised beds, including one designed to meet the needs of those with decreased mobility. Being involved in community gardens also provides endless opportunities to learn and share knowledgefrom discovering what produce varieties work best in our climate, to what compost ‘recipe’ gives the greatest chance of success, to how to preserve carrots and beets once the growing season ends. As Chelsey notes, “There is just so much to learn and so much to experience by being involved in a community garden.” She attributes much of what she has learned about gardening to conversations she has had with other more experienced gardeners. She hopes to start passing on this passion and knowledge to her young daughter, who will start her gardening ‘career’ in 2022.

How to become involved in a community garden in How to become involved in a community garden in St John’s St John’s

Do you know of a place in your neighbourhood that Do you know of a place in your neighbourhood that you think would be suitable for a community garden? you think would be suitable for a community garden? Do you have a group of friends or neighbours who are Do you have a group of friends or neighbours who are interested in growing their own food? If so, please email interested in growing their own food? If so, please email us at healthycommunities@stjohns.ca or call 576-8628 us at healthycommunities@stjohns.ca or call 576-8628 to start the process of turning your vision into a reality. to start the process of turning your vision into a reality. Alternatively, you can contact one of the existing Alternatively, you can contact one of the existing gardens directly to see if they have beds available. For a gardens directly to see if they have beds available. For a list of gardens currently operating in St. John’s visit the list of gardens currently operating in St. John’s visit the Food First NL website at nlfoodaction.ca or the Food or Food First NL website at nlfoodaction.ca or the Food or the Food Producers Forum website at the Food Producers Forum website at foodproducersforum.com/nl-grown. foodproducersforum.com/nl-grown.