WATCH ABOVE: Carolyn Kury de Castillo explains how the charitable harvest plans to grow, so it can grow more.
CALGARY- Sunday marked the final harvest for “Grow Calgary”, an urban farm near Canada Olympic Park that grows food for the food bank.
But the charitable harvest is about to get a whole lot bigger as the project plans to expand around the city.
The last of the carrots were unearthed Sunday, as Grow Calgary volunteers wrapped up their second harvest just west of Canada Olympic Park.
“Fabulously and amazingly successful, we had a great year,” Paul Hughes, a volunteer for Grow Calgary said.
The farm yields enough produce to fill 12,000 hampers for the food bank this year.
Amanda Weightman from Grow Calgary says a lot of the food that is usually donated to the food bank is canned non-perishable items, so Grow Calgary provides a healthy option.
“We are able to give fresh healthy organic food to people who otherwise may not be able to afford or access it. But the impact is small compared to how many people need food,” Weightman said.
That’s why Grow Calgary wants to expand. For the past two growing seasons the province has leased four and a half hectares of land to Grow Calgary. Now, the non-profit group has requested an additional 254 hectares of land on the transportation utility corridor.
“If Calgarians want to wrap their heads around Grow Calgary’s expansion, it’s a lot like a golf course. So this is hole one (piece of land) and we plan on having about a 27 hole golf course spread out around the transportation utility corridor,” Hughes said.
Calgary’s business community is eager to help cultivate the plan. Sam Kamis the owner of ALSA road construction has donated water tanks, trucks and his time.
“It’s just the fact that we have all this land and nobody uses it. So if we can use it to nourish and feed people, I think that’s a great thing,” Kamis said.
But some nearby residents aren’t impressed with how Grow Calgary looks. The Valley Ridge facebook group is asking that the area be cleaned up and is urging others to call 311 to voice their concerns.
“I was really committed to finishing the harvest and now winter season, as all farmers know, you clean up at the end of the winter season and I will be doing that. It was just a little bit premature, give us some time.”
Paul Hughes says the province is supportive of allowing Grow Calgary to grow.
The plan is to bring on about 24 new hectares a year for ten years, with veggies cropping up in all quadrants of the city.
Some of Sunday’s harvest was already on plates being enjoyed at market restaurant on 17th avenue.
The three course dinner Sunday night is a fundraiser for Grow Calgary.
The restaurant is donating all the staff hours for dinner prep and service.
Comments