Words by Barb MacDonald
When my neighbour and I spot each other in the driveway, we perform a very simple ritual. We smile, say hi, and exchange pithy lines about the weather. This spring, I plan to shake things up! I’ve been diligently tracking the comings and goings of said neighbour, waiting for the courage and the perfect opportunity to ask the question: will you come with me to the garden?
The City of Mississauga has my back on this one. They think it’s a grand idea for residents to become better acquainted with the basics of gardening. Perhaps they heard rumours that I’m hoarding packets of unused seeds in my garage. And there’s the real worry that I’m raising kids who will never know what it feels like to pluck a tomato or tiptoe through the garden.
So imagine my delight when I learned about Ecosource, a non-profit environmental group that has recently moved to a new location in Streetsville. Ecosource was established in Mississauga in 1979 and has been collaborating with the City since 2006, to source unused land and convert it into community learning gardens. One day in the not-too-distant future, you could wake up and discover a public garden in your neighbourhood; you might go into that garden, finally get to know your neighbour’s full name, and maybe learn something new, like how to grow garlic.
According to Carolyn Bailey, Ecosource’s Associate Director, “The blue-sky, ideal situation is for every person to have a community garden within walking distance of their home.” Given Mississauga’s size, you may be waiting some time for your neighbourhood garden to sprout, but much progress has already been made. To date, Ecosource has launched four community gardens (Garden of the Valley at Mississauga Valley Park; Hillside Garden at Hillside Park; Malton Garden at Elmcreek Park, and Parkway Green Generation Garden at Parkway Green), and the Iceland Urban Agriculture Teaching Garden which offers a weekly drop-in training program.
Ecosource has also been involved in a noble effort to educate local volunteers, students and organizations on how to create sustainable food production and share it with those in the community who are fighting hunger. The Mississauga Sustainable Urban Agriculture Project focuses on increasing food production of local, organic produce so that more fresh produce is made available to local food banks. They’ve also collaborated with the Community Learning Kitchen at the Eden Community Food Bank (ECFB) to design and pilot “seed to fork” programs that will give youth and adults a real sense of where food comes from.
During an eight-week program at the ECFB, participants will learn culinary skills accompanied by a field trip to a local community learning garden to discover first-hand which foods are available locally and which foods can be grown easily at home. Keen citizens are already lining up to become members at the new community learning gardens, which are divided into individual plots, a habitat garden and a community learning plot. Anyone can become a member for $25 per season (subsidized pricing is also available), and everyone is invited to enjoy the perks of the free community events and volunteer drop-ins.
Barb MacDonald is a freelance writer. Follow her on Twitter @BarbMac17.