Grow A Shared Garden

Community Partners: Orangeville Food Bank stretches outside of traditional service model:

Let’s Grow A Garden in 2014

The Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance has as one of its volunteer/supporting organizations, the Orangeville Food Bank. At one recent meeting of the Education Literacy and Access group, we were updated on an exciting new initiative that has been led by Cindy Preville. Cindy is a Food Bank client who has made incredible strides in recent months by producing her own fresh food and freezing and preserving it to sustain her and her son through the winter months. She got the idea of sharing her gardening skills to form a community garden cooperative with other clients at the Food Bank. Cindy presented her idea at a directors meeting and secured their immediate support.

They have been surveying clients to determine interest and gather participants for the project. The possibilities are endless – imagine clients getting the opportunity to share skills and resources, and work collaboratively in growing food. As Cindy says: everyone has a skill or a resource to share, no matter how small.  She has been inspired by both the volunteer and client community, and how sharing, trusting and supportive they are. So much so, the interest is leaning towards a shared garden, rather than individual plots. Having this opportunity and dealing with the FB staff has given Cindy a renewed feeling of dignity.

Three cheers for the Food Bank staff. Fresh food, engaged citizens, healthy communities. The Food Bank leads the way in demonstrating what HCIA and the HFFA is all about! Food Bank clients are being surveyed to determine interest in this initiative – any interested participants or donors are urged to contact them directly at:  (519) 942-0638

A Shared Garden Survey

The Orangeville Food Bank would like to work with a small group of people interested in growing a community garden.

Taking part in the garden will be a great chance to

• connect with others
• work with the earth, sun and nature
• learn new skills
• share the harvest of healthy foods

A gardener will help the group learn how to

• plan rows
• decide types of foods to grow
• prepare the soil
• plant the seeds
• weed the garden
• harvest