TOWN FARM CO-OP
New Waterford woman harvests an urban farm and school
Learning all about urban farming and gardening.
These days, you don’t have to be Old MacDonald and live in the country to have your own farm.
“A home garden can greatly reduce a family’s grocery bills,” says New Waterford resident Nicole Dixon, executive director and operator of Town Farm Co-op, adding that even a small yard can produce a food garden.
“It’s also fun to grow veggies that could be difficult to buy, like yellow or black tomatoes and purple carrots and beans.”
Dixon has received provincial funding to start an urban farm and garden school, teaching natural farming in hopes of regenerating communities, building local food security and fostering a new generation of food producers.
“If we can help low-income families become good food growers it’s going to help them and inspire others to garden,” she said. “Even in my own backyard I’m seeing my neighbours now become interested in gardening.”
The funding will allow for a pilot project to subsidize 15 families and applications will be accepted until May 25.
Dixon, originally from Ontario, moved to Nova Scotia about 16 years ago and six years ago to New Waterford after accepting a job with Cape Breton University. However, Dixon said the CBU job didn’t work out and three years ago she went on stress leave. Gardening had been a hobby for more than a decade but she turned it up significantly as a way to deal with her stress.
“I love growing my own food and love how fresh it is.”
One day, while carrying a couple buckets of compost, she heard a neighbour yell over to her: “You look like a farmer now.”
Dixons said she immediately thought: “I do feel like a farmer and I love this, so why couldn’t I make this into some sort of business?”
At first Dixon wondered how she could become a farmer, living in a company house in a small town on a 6,000-squarefoot lot. But when she began researching everything she could find on urban farming, she discovered urban farming initiatives everywhere, including in Detroit and Halifax.
Dixon thought it would benefit her community overall if people learned to grow their food at home.
“Not only is it healthier and yummier and fresher, gardening is good for the body, mind, and soul.
For the past few years Dixon has worked on the idea of opening the co-op and school and recently received $25,500 through the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage and the Department of Community Services’ Building Vibrant Communities grants program.
Dixon said as a pilot project she will be guiding 15 families through a growing season. Families interested in participating in the project must live in District 11 11 of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and be on fixed or lower incomes. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 25. Participants will receive everything they need to grow food at home including a raised bed, soil, compost, seeds and seedlings and materials to extend the growing season into fall and winter. There will also be workshops on growing, maintaining, harvesting and preserving their food. Participants will also receive a discounted membership to the Cape Breton Food Hub, which, along with the Gardiner Mines Blue Heron Farm, partnered with Town Farm on this project.
Dixon said this project is just the beginning.
“This is our pilot year — we hope next year to offer to twice as many families,” she said. “This year it’s New Waterford but hopefully we can then expand to other communities, wherever anyone wants to grow at home.”