Members of the Yellowknife Community Gardening Collective will be handing out hundreds of pounds of locally grown vegetables to city charities in the coming weeks.
Dave Taylor, manager of the site at Kam Lake Road and Woolgar Avenue, says the group has donated a portion of all veggies grown ever since it began 20 years ago.
Over the years, donations to groups like the Abe Miller Centre, the Centre for Northern Families, the YWCA and the Salvation Army have continued to grow.
“We’ve been doing this since the garden was formed back in 1995,” Taylor told Moose FM. “It’s been one of our principles from the beginning.”
As much as 1,500 pounds of fresh vegetables will be handed out to needy organizations this fall, according to Taylor.
“There’s an amazing variety of vegetables that have been grown here,” he said. “There’s tomatoes, beans, peas, a lot of greens during the summer and then root vegetables soon as well.
“It’s been a great gardening season and I would expect that there will be lots of donations in the near future.”
The Yellowknife Community Gardening Collective operates six lots across town. Since starting out as a small operation with nearly 20 gardeners, Taylor says the group has grown to nearly 200.
Expansions at gardening plots across the city have allowed members to produce and donate more vegetables than ever before.
To sign up for a plot for next year’s growing season, click here.
Gardening Competition Winners Announced
Meanwhile, the City of Yellowknife has announced the winners for this year’s Community Gardening Competition.
Judging took place last weekend. Criteria for judging included health, maintenance, design and use of space.
This year’s winners include:
- Pamela Taylor and Duncan Cooke for residential landscaping
- Mary and Randy Rivers for front yard / curb appeal
- Naomi Horsman for flower garden
- Karan Spoelder for vegetable garden
- Bertha Harman for container garden
- Heather Makaro for pocket garden
- Lynn and Bob Brooks for rock garden
- Merlyn Williams & Norma and Stephen Giovanetto for greenhouse
“The City is fortunate to have so many talented community gardeners,” said Yellowknife Mayor Mark Heyck in a statement.
“We’re appreciative of the beautification they bring to our neighbourhoods and enjoy celebrating their amazing talent.”
For photos from this year’s competition, click here.
