About Us
The Community Gardening Network (CGN), established in 1997 and moved to Just Food in 2006, is an information and resource-sharing network that supports the sustainable development of community gardening across Algonquin land/Ottawa.
CGN assists in:
- starting new community gardens
- providing support to existing gardens
- supports all forms of household food-growing and the building of edible landscapes across Algonquin land/Ottawa.
The name Community Gardening Network reflects our work in supporting gardeners everywhere, whether they are at home on a balcony or yard, in a community garden, or just looking to learn more.
The CGN is supported by our full-time Community Gardening Network Coordinator who can be reached at communitygardening@justfood.ca.
Central CGN Activities
- Keeping food and gardening information flowing, building skills and capacities through workshops, technical support and funds, and raising awareness about food and gardening through newsletters and events.
- Assisting new community gardens to get established each year, including building skills and capacity through our “How to Start a Community Garden” workshops and resources
- Funding garden developments by providing grants from the Community Garden Development Fund (CGDF)
- Working with private and public landowners to increase access to land for community gardens in the city
- Keeping food and gardening information flowing between Just Food, the community garden coordinators, and the gardeners
- Building gardening skills in the city through our beginner level gardening workshops
- Encouraging food preservation of the summer’s harvest through our canning and food preservation workshops
- Raising awareness in the city about community gardening through online newsletters and special events
What are Community Gardens?
Community gardens come in many forms, ranging in size and type.
Here are some examples:
- Collection of balcony gardens in an apartment building
- Large plot gardens
- Communal donation gardens
- Front yard community gardens
- Food forests
- Children’s gardens
- Commons gardens
- School gardens
- Pollinator gardens
- Etc!
Importantly, community gardens are used primarily for food production for either personal use or donation, and are not used as a growing site for for-profit market gardening.
Community gardens can be found on a wide variety of land, including (but not limited to) land stewarded by the City, NCC, Ottawa Housing Community, faith-based groups, schools, and more.
Why Community Gardens?
People join community gardens for many different reasons and purposes. Some common reasons include:
- Learning how to grow food
- Teaching others to grow food
- Providing food donations to food programs (Plant-a-Row, Share-a-Row)
- Building & engaging with your community
- Enhancing community safety
- Improving mental and physical health (garden therapy)
- Empowering individuals with resilient skills
- Enhancing the beauty and functionality of public spaces
- Becoming part of the growing local food movement to enhance food security, food access and food equity
- Contributing to a healthier environment (supporting pollinators, offsetting carbon, etc.)
Benefits of Joining the CGN as a Community Garden
- It’s free!
- Receiving a Community Garden Development Fund (CGDF) grant
- Help to fill out a CGDF application or another proposal application
- Receiving support to start up your garden and look for land
- Getting soil tested
- Community Gardening Network Newsletter for Coordinators
- Access to FoodChat, our online discussion platform
- Receiving seed, seedlings, soil and/or compost
- Support with problem-solving as issues arise in your garden
- Accessing City of Ottawa Insurance coverage
- Accessing Trail Road mulch/wood chips as available
- Borrowing tools from CGN’s shared tools (i.e. trailer, new garden build kit)
- Using CGN storage space
- Accessing a free community bank account with Alterna Bank
- Participating in Gardening Skills Workshops
- Making connections with other gardens
- Additional customized support
E-mail us at communitygardening@justfood.ca!
Plant-A-Row, Share-A-Row (PARSAR)
The Plant-a-Row, Share-a-Row campaign encourages home gardeners and community gardeners to grow food for their neighbourhood food cupboards. Gardeners pledge to grow at least one row in their garden to be donated. For home gardeners, this can be a row or a section of your back or front yard.
For more information, please navigate to the Plant-a-Row, Share-a-Row section.
