Guest post by Daniela Paolone, member of Junction Parents
My three year old daughter calls the local grocery store “the banana store” because of the huge bananas that are part of the logo on the store front. Interestingly enough, the chain’s logo on some of its trucks includes a tomato. And she finds it hilarious that a “tomato truck” would go to “the banana store.”
So one day I wanted to know where she thought the “tomato truck” went to get tomatoes. Her answer: “The tomato store.” And where did the tomato store get its tomatoes from, I asked. She hesitated for a second. “The tomato truck?”
How many children who live in large urban centres like Toronto get a feel for what it’s like to plant, care and harvest your own tomatoes, or any other fruit or vegetable for that matter?
I grew up in an Italian family. My parents grew vegetables in their backyard and my grandfather owned an olive grove. He kept pigs for prosciutto. Needless to say, my parents didn’t need to actively teach me about the relationship between land and the food we ate. It was part of our life. An implicit understanding.
Everyone should possess some knowledge on how to grow food. Not only is it an essential skill, but it is also a way to ensure that generations to come acquire a respect and love for the land that nourishes them.
At a time in history when transportation costs at an all time high, and many are trying to find ways to reduce their carbon imprint, sustainable, local food has become paramount. How do we teach our young about the delicate relationship between the food we buy at the supermarket, the resources used to produce it, and consequently, the impact it had on the environment?
We start small. Some of us are fortunate enough to have the resources and the time to grow our own vegetable gardens at home. But what about others who have neither the time nor the knowledge and skills?
We turn to our community. Many urban centres all over North America are making changes to their bylaws to allow for farming on city land. San Francisco just recently passed legislation to make urban agriculture legal in all city zones. This is precedent-setting. It makes it easier for residents to convert vacant city-owned lots into gardens, and allows them to sell their produce legally.
“The legislation allows for the sale, pick-up and donation of fresh food and horticultural products grown on-site in all districts, and for the sale of “value-added products” such as jams or pickles where the primary ingredients are grown and produced on-site in all districts except districts zoned for exclusively residential uses. Food and horticultural products grown that are used for personal consumption remain unregulated.” (
http://sfmayor.org/index.aspx?page=353)
Community gardening is so much more than using underutilized land to grow and eat fresh food. It is more importantly about community development.
According to Sustainablog.org, who just released a list of the best 5 cities for urban gardening (
http://blog.sustainablog.org/urban-gardening-best-cities/),
“One way large cities are becoming green is through urban gardening. Community gardens help bring communities together. They do this by producing food specifically for those in need, hosting youth programs, and reducing crime rates (or, at least, being credited for doing so).”
An easy sell: community development through sustainable agriculture.
The concept of urban farming is not entirely foreign to Junction residents. We have all seen the allotment gardens in High Park. However, there is a difference between community and allotment gardens. "In an allotment you are assigned a plot and pay a seasonal fee. A community garden involves a group effort both in terms of getting the garden established in the community and in the decision making process." (
http://www.toronto.ca/parks/engagement/community-gardens/community_faq.htm)
The following map clearly shows that there is a high concentration of community gardens in Toronto's downtown core.
http://www.toronto.ca/parks/pdf/engagement/community-gardens/garden_parks.pdf
There are no community gardens in Ward 13.
I am currently working with a group of volunteers to organize a community garden in the Junction. Hopefully this will be one of many initiatives in our neighbourhood which will help build community, produce delicious food, and show our children that the food we eat does not grow in trucks, but on land cared for and maintained by human beings.
