Want to grow your own food but don't have the space?
Community gardens open space to interested gardeners and other like-minded community members to grow everything from food to flowers for home use. For a small fee, gardeners gain the use of an individual plot of land that they must maintain, in exchange for a small contribution to the upkeep and maintenance of the entire community garden.
Gardens are often very popular and available plots may be limited -- so act quickly and get in touch with your local community garden!
Interested in checking things out?
Many community gardens, like those hosted by
Burnaby and Region Allotment Gardens Association (BARAGA) and
Sustainable SFU in Burnaby and the
Queen Mary and Lillooet Park Community Gardens in North Vancouver, are currently full, with waitlists being taken for plots that may open up in the future.
If you're in no hurry, you can register for a waiting list. In the event a plot is not renewed or becomes available, you will be notified on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If you're looking to get your hands in sooner than that, community gardens such as those run by Urban Digs are now open to applications. You can find many by doing a search online for your particular community or city of residence.
A preliminary list can also be found here:
http://www.cityfarmer.org/vanccomgard83.html
Urban Digs Farm
The community garden at Urban Digs Farm in Burnaby has 25 plots available to grow food, flowers, and herbs for personal use. This year's season starts in early- to mid-May and runs until the end of February 2014.
For a small yearly fee ($20), gardeners will be assigned an individual plot, an 8 x 4 foot raised bed. If a gardener meets their responsibilities and the Farm guidelines, there are opportunities to continue for the next season.
To find out more about the Urban Digs Farm community garden program, or to complete an application form, visit the Farm website:
http://www.urbandigsfarm.com/community-garden.html
for their 14-acre allotment garden.
