I hold a special place in my heart for locally grown produce. I try to get as much fresh, local produce as I can get my hands on. It doesn’t just positively affect our dinner plates- supporting local growers also creates a positive impact on our economy. With recent increases in global food prices, coupled with continued hikes in the price of oil, it’s almost come to the point of necessity for us to seek out local, sustainable food as much as possible.
Fresh vegetables. Could these be from an urban farm?
Sure, there are a handful of farmers’ markets (like the St Lawrence market, for example), and more to come with the approaching summer season. But what about easily accessible, daily distributors? The answer is urban farming. The fact that escapes most people is, all the area we have developed is former farm land. The GTA should be used as Canada’s bread basket, considering it has some of the best soil and farming conditions in the country. And, although buildings and subdivisions have eaten up the majority of our farmable land, we still have a great opportunity to begin growing our own food once more.
The beautiful thing about urban agriculture is that it comes in so many forms- from the produce that ends up on your table to the flowers that would have been traditionally purchased through florists (think bridal bouquets, or even just ambiance flowers for the living room), there are a great many eco-conscious Torontonians who are changing the face of agriculture in the city, and making it easier for consumers to find sustainable product.
The City of Toronto and the Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA) have also created an urban farm, named The Toronto Urban Farm. The farm sits on 8 acres of TRCA-owned land at Black Creek Pioneer Village, at the southeast corner of Jane and Steeles. Located in one of Toronto’s most vulnerable communities, this community development initiative engages the community to participate in urban organic farming. This program not only produces quality organic food, but also encourages leadership development, environmental stewardship and promotion of healthy living, and allows for a community capacity to address local food security and environmental issues. By using both paid employees and volunteers from the community, The Toronto Urban Farm puts a particular emphasis on providing youth employment and training, increasing participants’ knowledge of organic farming and local food systems, along with education on good nutrition and healthy lifestyles. Furthermore, this initiative increases the availability of rare and almost extinct vegetable and plant species, growing a variety of heirloom plants and vegetables.
The Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has created an agriculture program in its own backyard. Every Monday and Thursday at 10:30 am, Torontonians are able to purchase freshly grown veggies from the CAMH garden. This initiative is overseen by FoodShare, a non-profit organization dedicated to affordable, attainable food from field to table for urbanites. Likewise, the Toronto Community Garden Network (TCGN), is a community of individuals and organizations dedicated to making agriculture in Toronto a common part of city life. From parks to rooftops, there are a number of urban farms where you can get involved, or call for produce purchases.
Delicious Thai salad bundles
One gardener, living in Parkdale, has changed the way we buy flowers with her organic flower gardens. By borrowing others’ gardens, she grows enough flowers to sell to eco-conscious consumers (many of them brides seeking wedding flowers), who don’t wish to purchase their flowers at the expense of the environment. There is an abundance of information on the internet about how to start and maintain an urban garden in your home. However, many people don’t have the time, energy, or desire to grow anything themselves (fair enough, people are busy, after all), which is where urban garden sharing initiatives come into place. The theory behind urban garden sharing is this: there are people who like to garden and wish they could do more of it, and there are people with front and back yards that could be utilized for growing. By coupling those with extra gardening space that is not utilized by its current owners, and those who enjoy gardening but lack the available space, a community is strengthened and edible and ornamental gardens alike are achieved. There are also a great many service companies available to assist new growers create their urban gardens, providing everything from seedling starter kits to regular garden maintenance. With summer quickly approaching, and people becoming more health-conscious and eco-conscious, now is a great time to look into urban gardening and farming options.
First image courtesy of African Studios
Second image courtesy of Lizz Hill
