Canada: Demand for community gardens grows during pandemic, says York Region Food Network
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the York Region Food Network has seen wait lists to be a part of the five community gardens they run throughout the region shoot up dramatically
By Brock Weir
New Market Today
Feb 1, 2021
Excerpt:
“Food security has always been a question since day one of this pandemic,” she says. “The steady increase in growth has come from people being limited in the amount of spaces they have in their own backyards, their front yards, or on balconies in condo buildings. There is a desire to have more space that people can use and the idea that people want to get their hands dirty. They know that they can reach their own food security in a way, so the idea of growing lettuce or kale is something people have really been inspired by.
“When we look at the last year, most of the seed companies reported they were in year two or year three of seeds. The demand for food greens seeds just shot up dramatically, so people were looking at home. I think this will be a trend that will continue to move ahead, people wanting to provide a little of their own food but also getting that outdoor benefit that gardens offer.”
This trend might be evidenced in Aurora by the positive reception received in recent proposals to allot a portion of a new park on Hartwell Way for raised bed community gardens. In previous years, proposed community gardens in parks, particularly those within or close to neighbourhoods, have been the subject of significant pushback from neighbours citing the potential for pests and even aesthetics.
