Community garden in the planning stage

While we may just be starting winter a group of people in the city are working toward establishing a community garden in the city next spring.

"A few of us got together this year," explained Tricia Reed. She said there were about six people involved in planting a garden on some land provided by the Alliance Church.

"We met once a week," she said, which was enough to look after the garden collectively.

When produce from the garden was ready, "one of us would take it to the local food bank," said Reed.

On Thursday, Nov, 24 (tomorrow) a meeting will be held at the Alliance Church, 186 Allanbrooke Drive, in order to gauge interest in expanding the community garden concept.

"We're going to see if we can attract more people from the community," she said.

While this year garden produce was donated Reed said they see the potential for people to grow food for themselves, and perhaps donate some to the food bank as well.

In that regard Reed said hopefully people involved with the food bank will play a role.

"People who are actually getting the vegetables could participate in the growing of them," she said.

Reed added the idea of a community garden goes beyond growing food for those in need. She said it can be a way for people without a garden spot, seniors, apartment and condo dwellers, to still grow some of their own food.

By attracting a broad cross section of people to a common garden location it could support community building on a different level as well.

"We want to make it a very accessible community gathering place," he said.

Reed said they hope Thursday's meeting will bring out individuals and those representing groups such as SIGN and the health district so a firmer vision of how the community garden might best be implemented in the city can be determined. She said while there are different models which could work, she said they hope it ultimately has a strong "community emphasis."

The garden idea is being launched under the umbrella of the Assinaboine Food Security Alliance, with Pastor Fred Schneider of St. Paul's Lutheran Church spearheading the effort.