This week sees the Quesnel Community Garden wrapping up its third season. This month ends a great growing season for the garden. Big improvements included the cleaning up and planting of the fence line and some new raised beds, as well as the addition of the great new gazebo. The garden provided more than 150 grocery bags of produce to charity including Salvation Army and Seasons House kitchens this season. We saw an increased interest in the garden this year with many stopping in just to admire the garden and many looking for something to eat. The Quesnel Community Garden strives to encourage and educate about composting and local urban food production, it’s surprising how productive a city lot can be and how many people it can feed.
Four new signs were added to our sponsorship tree, designed by local artist Yvonne Dixon. They are Baker Creek Enhancement Society for continual support, College of New Caladonia for extending us the use of the greenhouse for early starts this spring, Quesnel Rotary Club for funding the purchase of some new tools as well as the materials to construct the gazebo and finally Mercury Custom Woodmilling for donating the millwork for the timbers used in the construction.
In 2012 the Quesnel Community Garden became a member of the Seed Sanctuary of Canada and grew out golden flax, calendula and multi-hued quinoa for seed saving.
Next season we hope to build some new raised beds to accommodate some of the residents at Maeford Place who are interested in growing vegetables.
The Community Garden is located in North Quesnel off Shephard Street, behind QJSS.
Anyone interested in becoming a member should contact the Women’s Resource Centre or come and visit the garden next spring.