Next spring there will be!
United Way has been working on food security initiatives for many years. We manage 40 community garden plots and have helped to build over 70 more plots throughout City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton. One of our goals is to increase the yields of fresh produce to use through the good food box program, collective kitchens, Meals on Wheels, cooking classes, food banks and food cupboards.
Crayola Canada is a proud supporter of the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes. They are always looking for ways to further support our United Way. On their property they have 30,000 square feet of unused land. They believe that this land should be used to benefit the community. Crayola has entered into a land use agreement with United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes. This land will be used for large scale gardening and harvesting of produce to benefit the community.
Fleming College is also part of this groundbreaking project. For many years, Fleming College has been a community partner on several initiatives with the United Way and some of its funded agencies. They will be providing equipment and expertise to assist with this food security initiative. This project will also offer their students unique learning opportunities through school projects, volunteering, placements and paid internships.
The United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes is grateful to Crayola for the use of this land which will be used to grow food and provide learning opportunities for students at all levels. Thank you to Fleming College for their dedication to this project, as they helped us with our initial strategic planning. Thank you also to Roger Hill from Hill’s Florist and Greenhouse who created preliminary designs for the space.
This social innovation garden project will enhance the availability of fresh produce for programs such as the Good Food Box, collective kitchens, Meals on Wheels, cooking classes, food banks, food cupboards and the Kawartha Lakes Food Source. This project is a true testament to what is possible when we come together as a community.
This fall the ground will be ploughed in preparation for planting in the spring!
