ESTEVAN - An Estevan woman is looking to bring a different type of garden to the community.
In a letter to Estevan city council for the March 28 meeting, Bethany Paul inquired about heading up a community “take as you need” garden for Estevan.
“As prices for produce and gas rise, I know many families are struggling to provide healthy meals for their families,” she wrote.
Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, corn, beans, cucumbers and zucchini are all easy to grow in this climate, she said.
Paul recognized there is a community garden already in the community, where gardeners get to grow their own produce, but she is unaware of any garden grown specifically for families in need.
Paul and her husband Chris had a plot in a community garden in Regina when they lived in the Queen City, and it was an ‘amazing experience,’ and her husband and his grandfather used to plant a large garden every year with the intention of supporting families in their circle who were in need.
“We lost his grandfather a couple years ago, and since then Chris has dreamed of carrying on the legacy. We simply don’t have the land to accomplish it,” she wrote.
After racking her brain on how to make this dream a reality, she said she realized that the City of Estevan may know of some land in the area that would work, which prompted the letter.
“I never imagined I would have such a positive response,” she said.
Their vision is different from the community garden, in that they want to grow the vegetables for people who don’t have the time or desire to garden it themselves.
“Starting a garden is time consuming and can be costly,” she said. “At this point in time, after some consideration, we are planning to reach out to the Salvation Army and the Warm Welcome Kitchen and arrange regular deliveries to them during the harvest season.”
They will also get a Facebook page going for those interested in volunteering or donating tools, soil, starter plants, seeds, water haulers, signage and more to the cause.
“We will plan regular events for planting, weeding and harvesting to promote a real community vibe,” she said.
The couple plans to run this year for a trial year, and if they have a positive community response, they will get a formal committee going by next year.
They would be monitoring whether the community supports the project through volunteers, donations and resources, to keep it going at the scale they want. And they want to see what kind of growth potential is there for the coming years.
“We are considering getting charitable status in order to apply for some government grants to help with the project and take some pressure off Estevan businesses and residents to keep this going,” she said.
They are flexible in the location for this year, as they have a dream to harvest produce for the community. If land is donated to them by the city, or by a local farmer or another person, they will make it work. They have plans to haul in water if need be, but ideally the land that they borrow will have water available on site.
In her letter to council, Paul wrote that the location would be accessible for those who are not able to drive or walk long distances.
“I think it would be nice, after the garden is established, to include a community pantry at the same location, so that people who come to take something can leave an item in the ‘free’ pantry,” she wrote.
This would be a beautiful community project that would bring people together, she said.
Members of council expressed their support for the concept, but also said they needed more information, including a location. Councillor Kirsten Walliser noted other communities have similar gardens, and others suggested a location on Fourth Street could work.
They have invited Paul to attend a future meeting.
