Dozens of people took part in a unique bus tour, Sunday. The tour is part of a local movement to inform Edmontonians about the importance of urban farms and locally produced food.
The tour stopped at a number of farms in northeast Edmonton, including Riverbend Gardens. Janelle Herbert’s family has owned the land since 1958 and has been producing food locally, ever since. Herbert is worried her land, and business may soon be taken away from her.
“Right now, Edmonton is planning for an area structure plan in the northeast, which includes our property,” she says adding “One of the plans actually has a highway slated to go right through our property. So, that would mean the end of Riverbend Gardens and we would no longer be in operation.”
The city of Edmonton is currently working on a Food and Agriculture Strategy. It will address issues such as increasing access to local food, providing opportunities to grow and process food in the city, and reducing the city’s ecological footprint.
The Greater Edmonton Alliance is an organization that hopes preserving some of the land in northeast Edmonton will become part of the city’s strategy.
“We just hope our city council makes decisions to ensure as much self-reliance in food production for the future as possible,” says Monique Nutter adding, “While we haven’t seen the strategy yet, we’re really hopeful that it will contain provisions for preserving agricultural land.”
The Greater Edmonton Alliance hosted the “Farming in the City” guided bus tours Sunday, in hopes of giving people a sense of where local food comes from. It is also intended to stress the importance of urban farms and locally produced food.
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“It’s important to have local food, partly for choice, and for quality and freshness. Consumers are looking for local product and there’s a demand for it,” says Herbert.
Mack Male took one of the tours Sunday.
“I think it’s incredible that we’ve got such fertile land that grows vegetables and fruit for Edmontonians, right in the city.”
He says if the city goes ahead with development in the area, people will really lose out on the benefits it provides.
Herbert says she’s hopeful, but knows there are people that are unaware of what she’s trying to save.
“We’re hoping it’s something of value for Edmontonians and we believe it is, and they should know if they’re going to lose this piece of paradise.”
With files from Slav Kornik.
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