Take Action Burlington

Burlington’s newest and largest community garden will be constructed this spring.  Located in Maple Park alongside Maple Avenue, north of the parking lot, there will be a minimum of 33 ground plots and two raised accessible plots available for $50 per season. People may commute by Burlington Transit (Route 10), walking and cycling. Parking and public washrooms are available nearby in the park.

Are you interested in applying for a garden plot?

• Applications for a Maple Park garden plot are open between March 14 and 30.

• Apply online at burlington.ca/communitygardens or pick up a printed application form at:

• Burlington Seniors’ Centre, 2285 New Street
• Burlington City Hall, 426 Brant Street, at the Service Burlington counter
• Burlington Central Library grand lobby at the City of Burlington and Burlington Sustainable Development Committee display tables, March 11 to 25

• Drop off your completed application at the Seniors’ Centre or City Hall by March 30.

Did you know?

• With the addition of Maple Park, the city will now manage four community gardens with 123 garden plots in total. The city’s other community gardens are located at Central Park, Amherst Park, and on the Francis Road Bikeway (near Marley Road) in Aldershot. Please note that the garden plots in the three other locations have already been allocated for 2016.

• The city has launched the Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund. Residents interested in starting up and operating a community garden in their neighbourhood on public land may apply for matching funding. The deadline to apply is April 29, 2016.

“Buy Local” and “DIY Growing” matters

• You can’t get any more “local” than growing your own organic food.  Take some time this season to “dig in,” and teach (or remind) yourself, your family and friends of a very basic life skill.  Get outdoors and enjoy the therapeutic and physically beneficial activity of growing your own food either in your own space, or a public garden surrounded by a community of support.

• Eating seasonally supports local farmers and food producers, enhances our food security, and contributes to a much more viable, local and sustainable food system. As local farmers succeed, prime Ontario agricultural land is saved from development, and new economy jobs are created. Learn more at greenbelt.ca/greenbelt_farm_profiles.

Visit a community garden

• Take a walk around to watch the progress as the vegetables are planted, grown, and harvested by the gardeners.

• Group tours with learning activities may be arranged at any location by contacting the city’s community garden coordinator at communitygardens@burlington.ca. We are here to help you grow, learn and eat healthy!

Learn more about Burlington’s environmental initiatives at burlington.ca/environment or at TakeActionBurlington.ca.

 

About the guest blogger:

Michelle Bennett volunteered as a member of the Burlington Sustainable Development Committee and with BurlingtonGreen before becoming BurlingtonGreen’s Local Food Network Coordinator. Michelle is currently the City of Burlington’s Community Garden Coordinator. Her motto is Refuse. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Grow. Buy and eat local.