Canada: Spike in demand for community gardens in Richmond
575 people are on the waitlist for community gardens in Richmond as of Tuesday
By: Kirsten Clarke
Richmond News
Mar 27, 2021
Excerpt:
As of Tuesday, there are 575 residents waiting for their chance to plant their own flowers, vegetables or herbs in a community garden plot.
“We’ve seen that the pandemic has really shown the faults in our food system…So that insecurity around food sources has really pushed people to alternative sources,” said Sarina Clay-Smith, urban agriculture program manager for Richmond Food Security Society, which oversees the city’s community gardens.
“When we rely so heavily on importing foods, it can cause a lot of people to be worried – like when the pandemic shut everything down – if people are going to be able to source the same food.”
The gardens can also help reduce social isolation and provide a sense of community, said Ian Lai, executive director of Richmond Food Security Society.
“It’s a great place for people to gather and learn together,” he told Richmond’s parks, recreation and cultural services committee on Tuesday.
Last year, there were 225 new signups – nearly double the 134 waitlist signups in 2019. So far this year, 46 people have added their names to the list. For some gardens, Clay-Smith said, the wait can be as long as three years.
At Tuesday’s committee meeting, councillors voted to move ahead with the plan to build 200 community garden plots on the Garden City Lands this summer.
