The joy of being in the garden
Today is Earth Day again and it is so wonderful to be outside and connected again with our gardening friends.
This year Mommas for Mommas are excited to have a new place to hang out with their babies — at the Food for All Community Demonstration Garden behind the Medical Arts Research House on Martin Street. They have been busy cleaning up gardens, spreading manure and planting seeds.
“This is such an exciting, optimistic time of year,” said Donna Benson. “It seems like it has been such a long time since we were able to welcome community volunteers to learn to grow food and help share it with those in the community without access to healthy food.”
It is especially heartwarming to see the children excited and running around, climbing on compost heaps, digging in the dirt, watering newly planted seeds, and Mommas enjoying the social contact with other Momma's. Author Steven Biggs in his book, Grow Gardeners — Kid-Tested Gardening with Children: A 4-step approach, shares that ‘when they realize the garden is a fun place to be, kids will eagerly help.’”
Gardening is such a joy, a healthy endeavor -- and as a community — we can help. There have been over 182 people in the community contacting the small CoVic Garden team this year who want to learn to grow food and share with others. The CoVic Garden project emerged out of necessity during COVID-19 when people could not gather at the demonstration garden, and were given two raised beds and soil — one garden for themselves and one garden to
be cared and nurtured for with the food to be shared with the Food Bank.
“We thought we would have about 25 people ask for help this year — we are overwhelmed to learn so many want to contribute” said Barb Stewart, former
Community Programmer for the Salvation Army Food Bank.
All help is welcome. If anyone has wood, some sawing and drilling skills and space, a truck or time, contact Barb or Eva at: eva@medicalartsresearch.ca