ANTIGONISH, N.S. - Numerous Antigonishers with green thumbs braved Saturday’s muggy, occasionally rainy, conditions to celebrate an auspicious milestone for Voices Antigonish Community Gardens.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the community garden behind the Antigonish Farm and Garden Co-op, many of the people who avail themselves of the garden plots gathered to eat and talk about the many great things they are able to grow in town.
“It’s here for anybody that wants a place to garden. We have people that live in apartments, or have no places to garden, and people that want to grow their own food, since it’s more affordable to them. We have people on low income who want to come and grow their own food,” Colleen Cameron said.
Cameron, an organizer with the community garden, spent some time that morning preparing a scape soup, made up of ingredients out of her own garden.
Of the crowd of more than 20 gifted gardeners that showed up, Joe and Brenda Deyoung, who plant in one of the boxes at the site, were effusive in their praise of the community garden, and the opportunity it continues to be for them.
“We’ve been gardening here since it started 10 years ago,” Brenda said. “We own a box, and our son owns another – he also helps us with ours. We really love the fresh vegetables, the fact that they are organic, and the taste of the food. It’s really back to nature.”
Both Deyoungs, who regularly make the trek over from their home on Viewville Street, were quick to list off a litany of produce they grow in their box – an impressive variety for such a small area of square footage.
“We’ll be back next year, God willing,” Joe said.
The garden area behind the Co-op building consists of 23 four-by-eight-foot boxes, filled with a litany of different fruit and vegetables that include peas, beans, cucumbers, carrots, garlic, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and tomatoes – to name a few.
The growth has been incremental and steady over the years, Cameron noted, with “eight boxes gradually becoming 23 boxes.”
“We keep changing, and it’s an example of the community supporting itself. We’ve had a lot of support,” Cameron said.
She alluded to support from the Antigonish Farm and Garden Co-op, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Natural Resources, the local community garden clubs – as well as the Town and Municipality of the County of Antigonish.
The first boxes for the garden were built in spring of 2008, with the intention of creating sustainable and healthy food options for the people of Antigonish. The Voices Community Gardens group also supports a number of other gardening initiatives throughout Antigonish, including garden boxes for L’Arche, and local mini home parks and nursing homes.
