MOUNT FOREST – Community gardens aren’t new anymore but take a minute to check out what’s going on in Mount Forest.
Rather than square or rectangular garden plots, organizers in Mount Forest have made a circular bed that looks like a labyrinth.
The two main paths run north/south and east/west, like points of a compass, and the smaller interior paths separate the beds.
“It’s a pretty special project,” said Elsa Mann, Rural Wellington Community Team lead with the Mount Forest Family Health Team.
“One thing we noticed during COVID were the two challenges of making social connections and making ends meet. I mean, here we are living on prime agricultural land and people don’t have access to fruits and vegetables.
“So we embarked on this project to address food security with a community garden.”
There was a bit of serendipity Mann said.
As she and the core group began investigating the hows and wheres of a community garden, Allan and Cathy Sharpe were looking for a way to donate some of their property for a community use.
“The universe put (the Sharpes) in our path,” Mann said. “They are pretty excited to see what’s happening out there.”
The 180-by-87-foot sunlit-filled property is located at the corner of Sligo and Foster streets.
In-ground plots are in the round garden but there are also some raised garden beds and elevated beds for people with mobility issues. Garden plots rent for $15 a season.
Much work has been done behind the scenes thanks to numerous volunteers and businesses that have donated time, services, or materials for the project.
The land was marked, tilled and the garden plotted out.
The raised and elevated gardens were constructed and treated, and then good soil went in and over everything.
All 50 garden beds have been rented for the season and three other garden beds are growing produce for the Arthur and Mount Forest food banks and the Raw Carrot, a social franchise that employs people with physical disabilities and mental illness to make delicious gourmet soups.
The garden employs the best practices in horticulture. There’s composting on site, large IBC tanks to capture rainwater, and some of the plots use Hügelkultur, a unique system of growing on mounds of decomposing tree logs and branches.
There are also a few demonstration gardens, where the three sisters – corn, squash and beans – are grown together for mutually beneficial results.
The circular garden was intentionally created to encourage people to come together, slow down and relax.
High school students have built benches that will soon be installed and there’s a plan to build a gazebo, which will serve as an education centre for workshops, and a shady spot to rest when not otherwise in use.
Volunteers with gardening knowledge are “garden buddies” for those new to gardening and a great resource for anyone with questions.
“The intent is to make this more than a field to grow crops,” Mann said.
“The layout brings people together – it’s designed to promote connections and relationships. And we couldn’t have done anything without partnerships.
“The idea is to teach, educate and bring people together. We got this together in very few weeks and there’s already been a crazy coming together.”
Mann said there will be an official open house/celebration in the next few weeks and she’s thinking about a harvest party in the fall.
The Sharpes have allowed access to the land for three years. Mann hopes that will be extended now that the concept has taken root.
“The response has been wonderful,” Mann said.
“People are really invested in it. And it’s an interesting, creative and inspiring place.”
For more information, visit the Mount Forest Community Garden Facebook page.
