MOUNT FOREST – A “garden of eating” has touched a nerve in Wellington North.
The Mount Forest Community Garden is set to launch on May 24.
Organizers say support is pouring in from commercial and private sponsors, volunteers of all ages and skill sets, plus generous donations of equipment and time.
A public meeting is set for the Mount Forest sports complex on May 3 at 6pm.
Applications for a garden plot may be made at the meeting.
The garden, co-ordinated by the Mount Forest Family Health team (MFFHT), will occupy a 180-by-87 foot, sunlit property in the area of Sligo and Foster streets.
The property has been donated by Cathy and Allan Sharpe for a minimum of three years.
“Our mission is simple,” said Elsa Mann, of the MFFHT, a principal garden organizer.
“We want to provide a space for residents of Wellington North to grow food – for themselves and for the community.”
The garden will also be a teaching place and a meeting place, where people can connect through gardening, states an April 21 press release.
There are plans for wheelchair-accessible raised beds, as well as in-ground plots in a range of sizes, plus large growing areas for the food bank and the Raw Carrot.
There will also be a children’s area and a teaching garden, plus a venture into Hügelkultur, a unique system of growing on mounds of decomposing tree logs and branches.
Donations of garden tools in good condition – rakes, shovels, watering cans – plus vegetable seeds in unopened packages, are welcome.
Volunteer workers are needed all season, including digging and tilling and laying out paths to open, as well as harvesting and clean-up to close.
“Become a guardian of the garden,” suggests Mann, who sees regular presence at the property as a key to preventing vandalism. “Add it to your regular walking route.”
The garden is targeted to residents of Wellington North, though others will be welcome if space is available.
To donate, volunteer, receive or provide information, or to apply for a plot, email emann@mountforestfht.com or call 519-321-1181.
