Hope blossoms in community gardens

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This article was published 12/06/2023 (843 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It gives a whole new meaning to the term “flower power.”

At Willow Place, a family violence shelter, the community garden is more than just a way to grow food — it’s a path to healing for people who have left abusive relationships.

“It can be therapeutic, learning about gardening and the different pieces of it. That can be a support for someone experiencing a crisis,” executive director Marcie Wood said.

The shelter is one of 12 community organizations that received funding through the Winnipeg Food Council’s Community Gardens and Urban Agriculture small grants program. The recipients of the grant, which is geared toward helping communities start and maintain gardening projects, were announced Monday,

“It was started because last year was declared the Year of the Garden by city council,” said Kelly Janz, vice-chair of the council. “There were, I believe, over 56 applications, so there was a huge need, and it was really well received.”

Twelve organizations were accepted from the 39 that applied. Each received between $390 and $1,050 for supplies, renovations and other material needed to cultivate community gardens and urban agricultural projects.

In 2022, the Winnipeg food system snapshot showed there were 45 community gardens across the city — but the number could rise this year.

While the funding is geared towards gardening and small-scale agriculture, each organization may take their own approach. The West End BIZ received $1,050, which executive director Joe Kornelsen said will be spent on adding edible plants to planters.

“We have all these planters all over the neighbourhood, and we’re usually planting flowers. People love the flowers, but we thought there was maybe also an opportunity to add something unique,” Kornelsen said.

Currently, there are several community gardens in the neighbourhood, including the Orioles Community Garden, which boasts on-site water access and 40 garden boxes.

The council grants were targeted at organizations that serve equity-seeking populations. Importantly, Janz said, community gardens offer a way to bolster food security.

“What we’re seeing is more demand for community gardens as a result of inflation and the cost of living,” Janz said. “By giving people a place to grow, you’re giving people access to healthy, fresh food that they might not otherwise get a chance to buy at the grocery store.”

As the cost of living rises, Darrell Warren, president of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association, isn’t surprised community gardens are in high demand.

“About two years ago, we probably were only at about 40 per cent, and now we’re almost filled right up,” Warren said. “A lot of the gardeners that I’ve talked to say… they go to the store and buy this stuff and it’s far too expensive.”

Warren said most of their grant will pay for gardening tools and water.

Through knowledge sharing and intergenerational connection, community gardens not only nourish the stomach but the heart as well.

“Often, you find a lot of seniors who have a lot of growing knowledge who end up teaching younger people who are interested in gardening,” Janz said. “When you have plants and areas for people to congregate, that’s often a place where people go and meet each other.”

cierra.bettens@freepress.mb.ca