Have you ever thought about where the food you eat comes from or the trip it took to reach your plate?
Eating locally grown food reduces our environmental footprint, decreases wasteful packaging, and eases food safety and security concerns. Local food is also fresher, more nutritious, and better tasting. Get involved by:
- Visiting a local farmer's market
- Joining a gardening organization or a local community garden
- Growing your own fresh vegetables or fruit in your backyard or balcony
Community gardens
Growing our future
Join or start a community garden if you do not have space to grow fruits and vegetables but want to enjoy healthy, local food and save on your grocery bill.
Oshawa has several community gardens located on City-owned land. These gardens are community-driven projects run by volunteers and local community groups. Successful gardens are inclusive, welcoming to all, and engage communities.
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Find or join a community garden
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- Find a community garden
- Identify which garden you are interested in joining and contact the group using the email address provided. Some community gardens may have a waiting list
- Visit Durham Integrated Growers (D.I.G.) to locate other community gardens in Durham Region
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How to start a community garden
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The City has developed a procedure to assist those interested in starting a community garden in Oshawa. The most important part of creating a community garden is to gather the support of local neighbours and community members. Then establish a team to review the procedure.
Once you have established the need and interest of the community, the City can assist with:
- Providing information on the development and operation of community gardens
- Helping interested groups find a suitable location (City-owned land including vacant parcels and parkland)
- Establishing the Garden Committee as volunteers of the City through Council
The City works closely with Durham Integrated Growers (D.I.G.) who can provide valuable information.
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Benefits of community gardens
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Gardening is fast becoming one of Canada's most popular forms of physical activity. There are many environmental, social, and economic benefits linked to community gardens, including:
- An affordable opportunity to grow healthy, fresh food
- Providing opportunities to meet neighbours and to learn from others
- Reducing crime
- Fostering awareness of nature and the environment
- Improving health and fitness
- Reducing stress
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Backyard composting
Composting is an easy and cheap way to add nutrients to your garden while reducing the food and yard waste that goes to the curb.
For backyard composting to work best, follow these basic steps:
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Getting started
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- Build a compost unit or buy a composter from the Durham Recycling Centre, 4600 Garrard Rd., Whitby. For details, call 905-579-5264 or email the Region of Durham at [email protected]
- Place in a well-drained, sunny spot. Cut out the sod under the composter to invite worms and microbes, improve the drainage, and speed up the composting process
- Cut or chop acceptable materials into small pieces before placing them into your composter. Alternate wet waste from the kitchen with dry waste from your yard. Be sure not to add thick layers of any one kind of waste
- Mix new material into the existing compost pile using a pitchfork or other garden tool to add oxygen, a key component to successful composting
- Consider covering kitchen material with a thin layer of soil, sawdust, dried leaves, or straw to absorb odours and discourage fruit flies
- Keep compost material slightly damp
- Harvest the finished compost. Use it on your lawn or garden as a natural fertilizer
- Although the breakdown process will slow down or stop when the pile is frozen, you can continue to add materials all winter long. In the spring, turn the pile to restart the breakdown process. Remember to empty the composter in the fall to make room
- Visit the Composting Council of Canada for more tips and tricks
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From the garden
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- leaves (chopped - to speed their breakdown)
- small amounts of dried grass (not wet)
- plants and weeds (without ripe seeds)
- old potting soil
- soft plant stems
- straw/hay
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From the kitchen
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- fruit scraps
- vegetable trimmings
- egg shells (crushed)
- tea bags
- coffee grounds with filters
- small amounts of shredded paper
- paper drink trays and paper egg cartons
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Not for your backyard composter
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- meat, fish and bones
- plastics
- metals
- fats and oils
- dairy products
- pet waste
- cheese, meat or other sauces
- invasive weeds
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Backyard and balcony gardening
Growing fruits and vegetables is a great way to eat fresh, healthy, organic food at little cost.
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Getting started in your backyard
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- Choose a location for your garden to grow - consider soil and sun/shade
- Start small and keep it simple - try square-foot gardening
- Plan before planting
- Choose plants that suit the conditions and exposure
- Grow plants that complement one another
- Use a backyard composter to keep soil healthy and limit the waste you generate
- Share your harvest with your neighbours, friends, or donate to a food bank
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Getting started on your balcony
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- Choose an appropriate pot or container for the space you have
- Start with healthy soil and ensure that there is suitable drainage
- Plan before planting
- Choose plants that suit the conditions and exposure
- Grow plants that complement one another
- Share your harvest with your neighbours, friends, or donate to a food bank
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