Community gardens are a source of healthy, fresh food, provide a space for recreation and physical activity, bring communities together, beautify neighbourhoods, increase neighbourhood safety, and enhance environmental diversity.
Gardening has often been identified as North America’s most popular recreational activity. It isn’t surprising that community gardeners come from all age groups and income levels. They live in the suburbs and the city core. They might be seniors, seeking exercise through a life-long hobby, a middle-aged professional unable to grow much food in their yard, or a young apartment dweller looking for a place to get their hands in the dirt. In short, Winnipeggers care about growing food!
Community gardens are just one way to produce food to the city – but they are a way that our municipal government can do much to support – but we don’t have a supportive city framework to allow gardens to reach their potential. There are often long wait lists for garden spaces, insecure land tenure, and gardens that lack basic necessities.
This fall, as you talk to your council and mayoral candidates, ask what they will do to get our city growing – growing food that is. Let’s put politics on the plate.
