If you dream about growing your own vegetables but don’t have access to a garden, a local organization may have just the solution.
Penticton’s Medical Arts Health Research Group (MAHRG) is setting up local residents with two free garden boxes, including soil and seeds. The produce from one box is to be enjoyed in their home, while the veggies in the other are to be donated to the Penticton Food Bank.
“We’re encouraging Penticton locals to go out and garden to produce food for yourself as well as for the Food Bank,” says MAHRG summer student Sierra Hartmann, who is helming the project.
“It’s this idea of dirt therapy – to connect with each other and with nature – to support our mental health. It’s also about bringing fresh food to Penticton and protecting our food security.”
Response has been overwhelmingly positive, she added. “I personally love going to the houses and meeting all the people who are taking part. Every recipient wants to give back in some way and it’s wonderful to come together as a community.”
The initial plan was to build raised garden beds for 25 houses total. However, thanks to a generous donation of lumber from BP Wood and soil from Superior Peat, they are now able to expand even further.
Hartmann and the Medical Arts team would also like to thank local businesses Home Hardware, Blaze King, Sandstone Landscaping, Flowers on the Bench and Okanagan Seed Savers for their donations of supplies including lumber, screws, soil, fertilizer, gardening tools, seeds and seedlings.
Seeking Donations and Extra Hands
Would you like to help out? The garden box project currently seeks more donations of vegetable seedlings. Also, they could use extra volunteers to help assemble or distribute the boxes.
Hartmann has also created a GoFundMe page seeking financial donations, which would help finance the project’s return next summer.
Tell Us Your Story
Do you have a positive business story to tell? Is your summer event going digital? Email us at economicdevelopment@penticton.ca.