Members of the North Bay Area Community Garden Coalition launch the second annual Grow a Row campaign infront of City Hall on Wednesday afternoon. The city's front garden will be used to grow edible ornamental plants and vegetables to contribute to the collective effort. PHOTO BY LIAM BERTI
After an incredibly successful inaugural campaign last year, the North Bay Area Community Garden Coalition announced their follow up Grow a Row campaign in front of City Hall on Wednesday afternoon.
The campaign asks for area residents to consider planting an extra row in their vegetable gardens with which to donate to local food programs like the North Bay Food Bank, The Gathering Place Community Soup Kitchen and the North Bay Crisis Centre.
The program is open to anyone willing to participate and can range from growing a single extra tomato plant to dedicating an entire harvest; every contribution counts.
“The Grow a Row program is a great way to get fresh vegetables and fruit into the hands of people who may not otherwise be able to access it,” said Erin Reyce, public health dietician with the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit.
“Doing the Grow a Row program is just another way to make sure that those who are accessing the emergency food programs are getting locally grown, often organically grown, vegetables and fruit,” she added.
The Coalition, which formed two years ago, is made up of Greening Nipissing, North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, the North Bay and District Multicultural Centre, The Gathering Place, Nipissing Community Legal Clinic, the Near North Locavores, Transition Town North Bay and a list of other individuals.
Last year, despite getting off to a late start, 24 registered participants pitched in with other community members for the first coordinated effort.
But even with the added pressure of a frantic launch, the group’s initial goal was shattered after the campaign yielded well over 1000 pounds at just two drop off locations.
Based on the success of the inaugural campaign, the Coalition decided to double-down on their effort for 2015.
This year, more than 30 participants have already registered and two new drop off sites have been added, with the Mattawa Women’s Resource Centre and the Mattawa and Area Food Bank joining the effort.
The Coalition has the ultimate goal of enlisting the help of 75 registrants.
“Last year when we launched this, we didn’t know how this was going to go,” said Jill Clark, executive director of The Gathering Place. “But with the 1000 pounds of food that was gathered and donated, it made all the difference in the world for what we were able to offer at the Soup Kitchen on a daily basis.”
Clark also said the program has had the serendipitous benefit of educating some of the clients who are unfamiliar with the ingredients or how they are grown.
What’s more, the food is unarguably more nutritious and delicious than food banks typically offer due to typically high costs and storage issues.
“The majority of our clients live with mental or chronic illness, so for them nutrition is hugely important,” Clarke explained. “Some of the medications they take, if they don’t get sufficient vitamins, they can get malnourished.
“With this, we can provide them with a meal that has good quality protein, is low in manufactured and processed sugar and high in fibre and vitamins,” she added. “We all know that’s the way we should eat and, if we have money, we can all do that. But can you imagine how hard that would be if you didn’t have the resourced or access?”
The Coalition is also asking for businesses and organizations to participate by planting some of the fresh produce instead of plants and flowers.
The City of North Bay has taken a creative approach to the collective effort, replacing the flower bed in front of City Hall with a mixture of ornamental edible plants and vegetables, including peppers, Swiss chard and basil.
One of the attractions for participants, the team says, is the low barrier to entry for people to get involved. All registered participants can also receive free seeds, row markers and a lawn sign upon signing up.
“If you live in an apartment building, if you have a bucket and a cherry tomato plant, you can grow a row with us,” Clark said simply.
Similar campaigns run country-wide, all of which attempt to address the disparity between those who can grow their own food and those who have limited or no access to fresh produce.
This year, the team will be using the hashtag #growarow2015 on social media for tips, reminders and announcements, while also letting people share photos of their gardens for the connected community to see.
For more information, visit: https://northbaycommunitygardens.wordpress.com/grow-a-row/
The 2015 drop off locations include:
1) North Bay Food Bank
1016 Fisher Street
Open Monday and Friday 9 am-2 pm, Wednesday 4-7 pm
2) The Gathering Place Community Soup Kitchen
392 Algonquin Ave
Open Monday through Thursday 8:30 am-3 pm, Friday 8:30 am-2 pm
3) Mattawa Women’s Resource Centre
385 Pine Street
Open for donations Thursdays 9 am-5 pm
4) Mattawa Food Bank
450 Hurdman Street (behind the Mike Rodden Arena)
Open for produce donations 9-11 am on June 10, 24; July 8, 22; Aug 4, 18; Sep 1, 15, 29
