A large-scale community garden in Lindsay, Ont., has now grown more than 5,000 pounds of food for organizations and programs this summer.
After reporting more than 1,000 pounds of food grown at Edwin Binney’s Community Garden in July, the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes announced on Thursday that the total amount of produce has reached 5,944 pounds. All produce grown at the garden at Crayola Canada’s property is donated to 10 food banks and 11 non-profit organizations.
Last year the garden’s final harvest totalled 5,500 pounds.
The United Way has recently started three pilot projects to deliver produce to clients in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton.
The “Garden at Your Table” collaboration with Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes has delivered garden produce directly to 50 clients in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
In addition, Fresh Produce Fridays, a pilot led by United Way also delivers produce to three social housing units in Lindsay. An extension of this project in Haliburton is already in the works.
“Agency partnerships are critical to help people immediately in tough and unusual times,” said Penny Barton Dyke, the United Way’s executive director.
“Edwin Binney’s Community Garden has many partners with each contributing and dovetailing to bring knowledge, land, access to products and the opportunity to bring fresh produce to kitchen tables. This is an agricultural and education project that is building sustainable practices and partnerships.”
To access programs, donate, or learn more about the United Way and Edwin Binney’s Community Garden, visit online, email or call (705) 878-5081.