Big Winter Turnout For Community Gardening

By Mark Brown/Converged Citizen Staff Reporter

A gathering of community gardening enthusiasts got together on Monday, Feb 23 to discuss the virtues of growing crops for themselves and their neighbours.

About 50 people gathered in the basement auditorium of the Windsor Central Library to attend a documentary screening and information session on community gardening, sponsored by the Windsor-Essex Community Garden Network. Network coordinator Steve Green, who hosted the event, said the frigid temperatures of February did not stop him from getting people excited about the idea.

“What we were doing was reaching out to the community and letting people know that there are opportunities within the city and county to be involved in growing their own food,” said Green.

Community gardening is also an exciting way to introduce food varieties normally not seen in the region, according to Green.

“There’s the idea that you can grow food you couldn’t find at the grocery store or maybe grow food that tastes great because you put all that effort into it,” said Green, who first began community gardening just outside Windsor in 2005.

The attendees viewed A Community of Gardens, a documentary that chronicles the community gardening experiences for people in Washington, D.C. The film showed how urban gardens developed, first in 1893 in Detroit by mayor Hazen Pingree, all the way through the two World Wars when people were encouraged to grow their own gardens to help the war effort.

Community gardens have also been instrumental in providing a service to city residents who are less fortunate.

“We’re going into our second year. Last year we did 625 pounds of food with only five garden beds. This year we have twelve,” said Randy Comeau, marketing and public relations director of Ten Friends Diner, a non-profit organization that operates a Windsor eatery with proceeds benefitting mental health initiatives. Comeau said people who work at the diner and tend to the garden are those who have dealt with mental health issues. Plants grown at his site range from tomatoes to vegetables normally not produced in the region.

“The clients in the program are some of the people who are working the garden, plus we have supporters of the diner who volunteer their time,” said Comeau.

Among those attending the session was Windsor city councillor Chris Holt, who announced the City of Windsor is now incorporating community gardens into the city plan. Green said the initiative began with just two gardens but is now at 30 with room for more.

“The sky’s the limit,” said Green, adding he would love to see a garden in every school, park and vacant lot in the city. He said there will be three gardens being set up in schools this growing season.

Residents wishing to start a community garden of their own can find support and advice by calling the Windsor Essex County Community Garden Network at (519) 258-3033 or visiting their website at www.wegarden.ca.