ERIN – Other people might have seen weeds in the unplanted garden beds in front of Erin District High School.
Jackie Clark saw opportunity.
The Everdale Farm installed the containers at the site and grew some crops for a few years. But when production stopped, Clark decided to step in.
With permission and support from the Town of Erin, Clark and her team of volunteers are growing food for the Erin Food Bank in those raised metal beds.
This summer – their second year – that includes lettuce, zucchini, several types of tomatoes, carrots, beets, peas, cucumber, green and yellow beans, onions and chives.
Last year they also grew squash, kale and potatoes, but were told food bank clients would prefer to make a salad than figure out how to cook a squash.
And potatoes are pretty inexpensive in the fall and could be bought in bulk.
“It makes sense that they’d want something fresh and a garden salad is fresh,” Clark said.“Some folks who use the food bank don’t have good cooking facilities, but they really appreciate the salad greens.”
East Wellington Community Services food bank coordinator Stephanie Conway said the fresh produce is a boon to her clients.
“Fresh produce is huge,” she said. “Very rarely do we receive fresh produce, and it’s essential to good health and a good diet. This allows us to give more complete and well-rounded hampers.”
Conway said between the Erin and Rockwood locations, there are some 236 individuals who rely on the food bank, a number that’s growing thanks to inflation, and the high cost of food, gas and rent.
“People don’t expect that in a small community. They think we’re affluent. But there are all kinds of people who are struggling to pay the rent and feed their family. Initiatives like this really help,” Conway said.
Clark is a gardener at heart with her own flower and vegetable gardens. She’s also a member of the Erin Garden Club, which gave some funding for seeds and seedlings.
Country Crops garden centre is also giving a deep discount to the group, and that’s helped Clark and crew get this year’s crop in the ground.
The site has good soil and plenty of sun. The challenge there is water.
There are two big water tanks near the gardens which are filled by the fire department.
Volunteers fill watering cans from the tanks to water the crops. Clark said she reached out on Facebook and enough volunteers have stepped up to fill the summer watering schedule.
Clark didn’t know how much produce they donated to the food bank last year, “but it was boxes and boxes,” she said.
“I hope we do as well or better. It’s good growing food for a good cause.”
