Tuesday 29 August 2017

Hello everyone! Hope that you have all made the best of this years weather with your gardens, it has not been as favorable as we had hoped but that is the nature of gardening. Our fearless leader John has asked me to post the following information provided to us from our friend Jordan Bouchard at Just Food:

Hello Gloucester Gardeners. Today I wanted to identify a question that has come up around the Network.  There has been a need identified to provide clarification around selling produce grown in community gardens.
You may have heard last year that there was a zoning bylaw change that allowed for the sale, donation & sharing of food from residentially zoned areas.

This is exciting news! Community gardens for decades have been donating & sharing food with friends & neighbours - which before this zoning change was technically not allowed.  We're happy to see this formalize these activities in this zoning change.

On the sale front - we're very excited to allow for a urban gardening to open up as a allowed commercial enterprise around Ottawa.   It's important to note that what this zoning bylaw change does not do is allow for community gardeners to sell their produce out of community garden plots for individual gain.  Existing rules in place in the form of garden leases & other participation & funding documents prohibit this type of activity from taking place in community gardens in Ottawa.  These plots have emerged in all corners of the city as community oriented growing spaces as opposed to commercially oriented.

if you are a gardener who is interested in commercial food production, luckily theres plenty of opportunity in Blackburn Hamlet.  At Just Food Farm, at 2389 Pepin Crt. We operate a training community farm where individuals can access larger parcels of land (1/4 acre or more) with the intent of selling commercially. 

 If you would like more information on zoning, or on the Just Food Farm please do be in touch by sending me an email atcommunitygardening@justfood.ca

I hope you're all having a great year - happy gardening!

Jordan Bouchard
Just Food
Coordinator
Community Gardening Network of Ottawa
Community Garden Development Fund
www.justfood.ca