Against the backdrop of rising food insecurity and costs, a typical urban Saanich lot is being cultivated to help fill bellies and develop skills.
With friends, family and neighbours all well fed, Erin Prescott donates the myriad overages from her backyard garden – spring growing provided copious amounts of lettuce – to the Shelbourne Community Kitchen through its Grow A Row program.
“I really love that it is in our neighbourhood. It’s amazing to have those resources,” she told the Saanich News. “I appreciate the philosophy and how they operate.”
The non-profit programs work to alleviate social isolation while lowering barriers to healthy food for community members.
It fosters appreciation, interest and knowledge of food through its own garden, kitchen and pantry programs.
A lifelong gardener, Prescott appreciates the taste of fresh-grown produce and that so much can grow in this part of the world. While her current garden fills a small city lot now, even with a small north-facing patio earlier in life, she and her husband managed to grow bok choy. Growing food cultivates appreciation for the work that goes into it, she said.
“I do believe everyone can grow, some more so than others,” Prescott said.
When she brings the bounty of her garden to the Shelbourne Community Kitchen, volunteers and staff there are open, flexible, accommodating and friendly. Overall, it’s a welcoming space, Prescott said, leaving a lingering positive feeling seeing good food being put to its best use.
The neighbourhood food centre, recently relocated after renovations to 3787 Cedar Hill Rd., is all about building community through healthy food, executive director Kim Cummins explained. It offers an on-site pantry program to distribute food, cooking to prepare and share healthy meals and learn, garden programs that are dedicated to growing food and learn alongside each other.
The decades-old program has backyard and commercial growers voluntarily pony up their extras for use in the myriad community kitchen programs. It started in 1986 in Winnipeg, when farmers began to donate excess produce to their local food bank.
It’s been around nearly a decade at the Saanich non-profit, connecting farmers and residential gardeners with the community and providing nutritious food to vulnerable neighbours.
“We learned about the program way back when we were just starting as an organization,” Cummins said.
The program kicked off in full force in 2017, working with Camosun College students to encourage folks to participate, supporting people in the community experiencing food insecurity. The team developed a robust system, she said, and learned some big lessons early on.
“(Gardeners) really want to know one thing, ‘When are you open and do you take zucchini?’” she said. “It’s been this wonderful low-labour, high-impact and fun way where the community who want to support their neighbours can. We have been able to let people know that’s another way they can support our work and make the best use of their skills.”
Since then, backyard gardeners and farmers have added 14,340 pounds of produce to the kitchen and community pantries.
“As an organization, it’s a really great way where we can build community relationships and share the healthiest food we can,” Cummins said.
People ask what they need, and realistically, staff and volunteers will put to good use any donation, whether it’s teaching and cooking in the kitchen – unusual items will even parlay into culinary exploration – or dished out to the community.
Right now, all donations are welcome, including cash and non-perishables to fill the pantry that is languishing a little lower than usual.
“During the renovations, we were delivering our programs and offering our services the whole way through … but it was a little tricky for some of our community support to find us,” Cummins said.
That’s led to emptier shelves heading into summer and the subsequent launch of the Spring into Action, and coming Summer Send Off food drive campaigns. The spring goal is $30,000 to keep healthy food accessible for families in the community.
“The challenge is that food insecurity is an urgent issue the whole year through,” Cummins said, noting fall and winter are the “giving season” and tend to be primary times for all non-profits to stock up for the slower times.
“We’re looking a little shy in that department this year, so we’re looking for an extra boost as part of that summer sendoff, just to keep the shelves filled for those who are looking for a little extra support for themselves and their family.”
Learn more about how to grow a row or stock the shelves online at shelbournecommunitykitchen.ca or by emailing info@shelbournecommunitykitchen.ca.
