Here’s a quick look at what has been happening in the garden in August 2020, and what the rest of the season may bring.
The City of Toronto has comprehensive rules and regulations that community gardens must follow to stay open during the COVID-19 outbreak. These documentation and disinfecting requirements have remained unchanged since May so we will be maintaining our current practice of limiting work to leadership team volunteers, and focusing on contributing to increased food security in our community by donating our produce.
Harvest News: Our small team of volunteers working throughout the spring and summer have done an amazing job planting up the garden. We have already donated more than 60 lbs of food to various community organizations including caterToronto, Second Chance, Christian Horizons, Community Share Food Bank and Community Head Injury Resource Services (CHIRS). Produce donated includes garlic, rhubarb, gooseberries, kale, squash, tomatoes, peppers, cucamelon, beans, beets, carrots and potatoes.
Patty Pan Squash
Garden Maintenance: Even with the challenging weather conditions, we are managing to stay on top of watering, composting and weeding. We have also been able to work on some key garden projects such as a vegetable washstand, shoring up the compost bins, and rehabilitating the herb and raspberry patches. As resources permit, we will also work on the front garden, which does not produce any food but is important to our habitat.
The Garden Community: We have been gratified to see so many people walking through the garden, checking out what is growing and admiring the wildflowers.
A Look Ahead to Fall: We will continue harvesting and donating our produce to local community groups. We will continue to monitor City guidelines to see if we are permitted to expand work parties to larger groups of volunteers or initiate sales to the community
A convenient way to keep up to date on what is happening in the garden is to follow us on Instagram @pngtoronto or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/409442569253283/
