Orangeville & District Horticultural Society

Sharing Recipient Stories

2025 Dufferin County Community Grant Recipient
$1,000

Sharing our story

With a collaboration between the Orangeville & District Horticultural Society (ODHS) and Branching Out Support Services (BOSS), “The Opportunity Garden” helps support both neurodiverse adults and The Orangeville Foodbank. With this funding and the previous assistance of Am Braigh Farm and more recently Headwaters Food Farming Alliance, participants at BOSS have learned how to plant, maintain, harvest and package pea shoots. In turn, the participants donate the pea shoots to The Orangeville Foodbank. “The Opportunity Garden” has a two-fold benefit to Dufferin residents, first in teaching skills to neurodiverse adults, and secondly, actively feeding clients at The Orangeville Foodbank. Over the past growing season, over 100 lbs. of pea shoots were grown and donated. BOSS participants are always actively engaged in the process and enjoy this project. Clients at the Foodbank have also expressed how much they enjoy the fresh pea shoots that this project has provided. The motto of ODHS is “Gardens are for Sharing” and “The Opportunity Garden” exemplifies this through its impact in the Dufferin community. This program, now going into its third year would not be possible without the generous support from the Dufferin County Community Grant.

Vivian Petho, President
odhs1970@outlook.com