Interesting Email from Gabe of the Gorge Tillicum Urban Farmers

This came over my email today from Gabe with the Gorge Tillicum Urban Farmers.   I like the idea and should do something more along these lines myself.   Growing my own food and giving some of it away is just good for everyone.

Hello everyone, 

Spurred on by, amongst other things, Margot and Rainey’s success with Haultain Commons (see the video at at bottom of the page) – and Rhona McAdam’s thoughts about planting strawberries in front of her house for people to pick while waiting for a bus – I’ve been thinking lately about growing food for people other than ourselves.
In a nutshell, this email is an invitation to all of us to consider growing some / a bit more food this season (and in the future) for use by others in the wider community.
Here are a few ways I’ve thought of that we might do this (and, if you have other ideas, please share them with the rest of us):

• Grow to Give: Donate some food from our back (front, side) yards to an organization such as Saanich Neighbourhood Place, Victoria Native Friendship Centre, or The Mustard Seed food bank 

• Plant a Row - Grow a Row: Work with the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre as part of their Grow A Row program (http://www.compost.bc.ca/newsandevents/PARAR%20Website%20Blurb%20and%20FAQs%20Revised%202010.pdf).

• CUSP – Community Use Street-side Production: Grow some food along the curb, or on the boulevard, in front of our homes, with an invitation to passersby to help themselves to ripe produce. This is, incidentally, another way to promote discussion about local food and food security with people passing by our homes.

• Participate in the LifeCycles Fruit Tree Project 

• Work with Victoria Transition Food Group on their Capital Nut Project

• We might also decide to emulate the Haultain Commons model and grow food for public consumption in collaboration with our close neighbours.
  

To be clear, what I’m suggesting above is not (at this point, anyway) an organized GTUF activity – it’s just a seed that’s being planted. That being said, if you want to talk with me about sharing the bounty, I’d be happy to do so by email (belle.leon1@gmail.com) or by phone at 250-382-1328).

May this be a good season for growing and sharing, Gabe