What's Up Bracebridge Gravenhurst June 2010 - Whatsupmuskoka ...

Gardeners gather with representatives of Gagnon’s Your Independent Grocer to celebrate the season of planting at the new community gardens.Photograph: Don MacTavishFamilies grow food at new gardensBy Jason DicksonThe evening of June 4 marked thelaunch of an exciting new communitygarden project on the plot of land byGagnon’s Your Independent Grocer inBracebridge.The gardens are a pilot project by thePoverty Reduction of Muskoka PlanningTeam. Thegroup, known asPROMPT, is a localcommunity agenciesdedicated to reducingpoverty in the area.Project coordinatorSusan Biehn-Smithsays the gardens arean essential contributionto this goal.“Most of the gardenerstaking partlive in rentals, withno access to land, ona fixed income,” saysBiehn-Smith.Gagnon’s YourIndependent Grocerquickly agreed to offer the land afterbeing approached by PROMPT.“We are very happy to take part,”says store owner June Gagnon. “This isjust the beginning.”The plots are sized 4’ x12’, and aremeant to yield enough fruit and vegetablesto feed a family of four.“We asked people what they’d like togrow,” says Biehn-Smith. “We haveonions, garlic, tomatoes, herbs – all fast“We haveonions, garlic,tomatoes,herbs – allfast growingfood.”26 June 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.comgrowing food.”To help the project get started,McKenzie Seeds donated 100 packs ofseeds as part of the Grow a Row challenge.The Home Depot Foundation,Savour Muskoka, the Bracebridge HorticulturalSociety and Fowler Constructionhave also donatedtime andresources.Mary Ellen Deane,PROMPT memberand dietician at theSimcoe MuskokaDistrict Health Unit,says community gardensgo a long way toimprove the diet ofthe community.“Vegetables andfruit are the mostcommonly missedfood in a diet,” saysDeane, “mostlybecause of the perceivedhigh cost.”Stephanie Myshrall, who attendedthe launch with her daughter, feels thatit is an excellent way to spend time withher kids.“This is going to be an experimentfor me,” says Myshrall. “I’m going totry and grow muskmelon.”Guy Gagnon, owner of Gagnon’sYour Independent Grocer, has eventaken up a plot himself and plans togrow vegetables with his daughter Jolie.Photograph: Don MacTavishDebbie Andrews adds a splash of colour to her vegetable garden plot.