As concerns about food security rise, one organization is working to help Greater Victoria residents plant their own gardens.
The Food Eco District (FED) provides a food garden kit that includes a few planters, soil, three starter plants and seeds, all delivered to new home gardeners, along with an initial consultation and information package. The project launched on April 1 with the goal of getting 500 homes a gardening kit, and since then, more than 300 people have applied.
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Holly Dumbarton, the project’s manager, says she hopes the initiative will help people who have been laid off or immunocompromised, seniors nervous about leaving their homes and people feeling isolated.
The project will be giving out over 2,000 planters to families, depending on their size and the space available.
Gardens were installed in 11 homes May 1 to 8 — a “smaller week” says Dunbarton, “to help work out the kinks.” The plan is to install gardens in 20 to 25 homes per week until the goal of 500 gardens is met.
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“I would love for more of the population to have a great relationship with food, it’s not an urban farm but we see this as an opportunity to create a dispersed farm,” says Dumbarton. “[We’re creating] a family of growers across the city, who are all starting in the same place and getting the same resources.”
New gardeners also get access to the #MyFEDFarm chatroom and web series to provide support throughout the growing season.
On Friday, May 8 FED launched its crowdfunding campaign where people can help sponsor an individual garden, a balcony or a neighborhood garden. To donate visit fundrazr.com/MyFEDFarm or to apply for your own garden visit get-fed.ca/myfedfarm.
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