Canada: Scarborough residents transform vacant lot into community garden and hub
A local developer, Republic Developments, lent the organization the unused land, until a proposed development known as Scarborough Junction begins in a few years.
By Debra Norton
Special to the Star
Sept. 9, 2021
Excerpt:
Tidy rows of raised planter beds, freshly planted trees, picnic benches and a pizza oven all surrounded by a white fence might look out of place in an industrial parking lot near St. Clair and Danforth Road, but it’s actually an urban farm set up to help increase access to healthy food and community green space.
Scarborough Junction Community Farm will participate in Toronto’s Urban Agriculture Week, taking place from Sept. 11 to 19, celebrating locally grown food and urban gardening. Events held across the city will provide opportunities to learn more about how growing food can help ensure fresh, local produce is accessible to everyone, make the city greener and build stronger communities. Its newest event, Veggie Derby, encourages growers to donate fresh produce at sites across the city. “It’s an opportunity to hear some of the stories and get an understanding of the full range of what growing food in the city does,” said Rhonda Teitel-Payne, co-coordinator of Toronto Urban Growers, which is running Toronto Urban Agriculture Week.
