Canada: Century-old inner-city farm opens March 22 amid growth, change and new prospects
Mason Street Farm is growing wellness, local farming knowledge and of course good vegetables
By Kate Hildebrandt
Capital Daily
March 19, 2023
Excerpt:
While all of this is going on, Brown will be focusing on managing the nursery, supporting the chefs, and also working with Vic High students on their school garden which was sidelined by a massive seismic upgrade project.
“A teacher reached out to us,” he said, “She works with students dealing with stress and ‘school avoidance issues’ and asked if we could help get them into the garden.” Brown decided to volunteer his time with about 10 students resurrecting their garden in Victoria’s oldest school yard from now until June.
Having faced his own similar anxieties, Brown says that’s what drew him to Mason Street Farm 15 years ago while he was running his own landscaping business. He attributes farm work to enabling wellness. “I really do think my internal flora is connected to our farming somehow.”
Brown also points to a steady stream of like-minded ‘garden succession stewards’ who did foundational work at Mason Street, building up the soil, establishing relationships, growing produce just for restaurants.