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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.