Growing Good Food and Good Friends
When Estevan and Juan get to the garden, the first thing they do is grab a few buckets of water, head to the carrot patch and pull up a healthy snack. There’s nothing like the satisfying crunch of carrots you’ve grown yourself -- and the weeds can wait.
The teenage boys and their parents are part of the Local Food Project for Spanish-Speaking Gardeners, an initiative of the Middlesex London Health Unit aimed at helping recent newcomers learn how to access local, seasonal, inexpensive and nutritious food.
Good food and friends can make all the difference for newcomers settling into a new life.
“The project is helping people eat healthier, make social connections and learn new skills,” says Lynn Prentice, Health Promoter at the Middlesex London Health Unit. “Lots of people tell us that this has been good for their family. They’re getting out into the garden instead of sitting at home watching TV.”
Estevan and Juan’s compact plot in Berkshire Gardens is bursting with neat rows of tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes and even cilantro from last year’s seeds. The whole family has made friends with other gardeners and grows enough to eat fresh, organic vegetables every day, usually with some to share.
Middlesex London Health Unit funds and co-ordinates the program in partnership with London Community Resource Centre, who offers garden plots at a reduced rate. London Community Foundation’s Urgent Needs Granting Program earmarks funds specifically for community garden projects that work to integrate newcomers and boost health status.
“This project is a great example of many partners working together to make something good happen,” says Martha Powell, CEO of the London Community Foundation.