As rising food prices become problematic for families, community gardens may be part of the solution
For the last six years, the South Merritt Community Garden in Windsor, Ont., has been a place where people can learn how to grow their own food by acquiring gardening skills. But all these years later, volunteers say the need for a garden that the community can access is greater now than ever.
"Even if people are employed, it's not enough for a family to be able to feed all of their needs — with gas prices hiking, food prices hiking and housing prices through the roof," said Christine Paris, founder of the Serenity Song Community Association which oversees community gardens across Windsor-Essex.
Along with about 10 volunteers, Paris attended to the South Merritt Commnity Garden on Sunday to plant vegetables and herbs. Much of what was planted Sunday will be donated to school-aged children across the community in need of fresh food. But as the price of seemingly everything continues to increase, Paris added, more people are looking toward community gardens to get their food.
The community garden at South Merritt Park, located near the University of Windsor, is one of six community gardens on municipal property.
According to Paris, the purpose of a community garden is to address food insecurity — which has also been made worse due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, rising food prices.
"It's not that some people don't have any food. It's that they don't have enough or it's not good-quality food."
A recent report from Dalhousie University suggests more than one million Canadian households intend trying gardening for the first time in 2022. Among those already growing food at home, 41 per cent of respondents said it's to save money.
But according to South Merritt Community Garden coordinator Tammy Murray, gardening isn't a feasible option for everyone. That's why a community garden can be so beneficial.
"We're hearing more residents talk about wanting to start a backyard garden, but not everybody is in a position to do that. We have some people in social housing down the street here," she said, referencing the costs associated with gardening. "We have some people who find it's a little too back-breaking for them."
"So it's better for them to participate in this type of collective where there's a communal harvest and a communal effort. Everybody helps each other out that way."
Volunteers are calling for more assistance to help get its food from garden to table. The South Merritt Community Garden currently has just five student volunteers. For anyone interested in volunteering, people are asked to contact the Serenity Song Community Association on Facebook.
For those wanting to take food from the South Merritt Community Garden, volunteers just ask those same people do their part in helping the green space thrive.
"We also need help with weeding and watering. So please put in a little bit of sweat equity — and then you can harvest from the garden with us," Murray added.
According to the most recent Consumer Price Index, released by Statistics Canada, food prices have risen 8.7 per cent compared to 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.