Heather Kirby, executive director of Kawartha Lakes Food Source (KLFS), asked the city to set aside $6,400 in their 2024 draft budget that will be used to build 12 raised vegetable gardens on either city property or property owned by Kawartha Haliburton Housing. The food grown will be available free of charge to those dealing with food insecurity.
Kirby told council that food insecurity is a very serious problem in the city, and that KLFS would like to improve this situation by partnering with the city on this project.
With 14 per cent of local food bank clients living in social housing, Kirby said it only makes sense to locate these 12 new garden boxes close to social housing where the food can be harvested directly by members of the community in need.
Kirby asked the city to provide the funding, construct the boxes, do spring and fall maintenance and ensure that whatever locations are approved have easy access to water. The KLFS, in partnership, will provide the seedlings, seeds, do the initial planting, watering, pest control and harvesting with the help of KLSC staff and volunteers.
She said KLFS will only plant common vegetables that can be eaten right out of the ground, without the need for cooking. She predicts that each raised garden will produce as much as 30 pounds of vegetables, and hopes that tenants will “engage with the gardens.”
With their proximity to social housing, the gardens will allow the KLFS to service many potential clients who cannot easily access the foodbank itself. Kirby also argued that the mental health benefits of increased social interaction and mental engagement while gardening would benefit many.
“Gardening helps build skills and confidence,” Kirby said. “It also helps develop a sense of purpose and pride (amongst the gardeners).”
Kirby suggested to council that another way to combat food insecurity is to replace flowers in some public parks where the homeless and food insecure may gather with what she called “edible landscapes” made up of fresh vegetables that can be harvested by those in need.
“Flowers are nice,” Kirby said, “but you can’t eat them.”
Kirby is hoping that community gardens on municipal property might spread outside of Lindsay in the future, with volunteers in each community assisting with the success of the planting and harvest.
At the end of her presentation Mayor Doug Elmslie told Kirby that “after talking to a couple of city directors, I expect we will be in touch over the winter (about this project).”
Source: lindsayadvocate.ca
