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| Elizabeth McCormack, director of the AV俱乐部 Women's Centre,聽and Ryanne Beaton check out the worms in one of the gardens. (Bruce Bottomley Photo) |
Heather Beaton shakes her head and laughs as she watches two-year-old daughter Ryanne digging in the box garden behind the AV俱乐部 Women鈥檚 Centre, her hands and the rolled-based sleeves of her raincoat covered in wet soil.
鈥泪迟鈥檚 my 诲颈谤迟!鈥� says Ryanne, holding up her hands for mom to see. 鈥�My 诲颈谤迟!鈥�
Further investigation in the garden yields a few fat worms that squiggle away from Ryanne鈥檚 curious fingers.
鈥�My tickle-me worm,鈥� pronounces Ryanne, a wide smile on her little face.
The AV俱乐部 Women鈥檚 Centre, located at 6286 South Street, has opened up its gardens to anyone who wants to dig, plant seeds and watch vegetables and herbs grow. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon have been set aside for the 鈥淢om & Me Community Garden鈥� project, but moms and kids can come anytime. And it isn鈥檛 just for moms, for that matter. Dads, grandparents and caregivers are welcome too.
In the centre鈥檚 backyard there is a trio of box gardens, already dotted with green, healthy seedlings. By summer鈥檚 end, the boxes will be laden with broccoli, squash, celery, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, fennel, cantaloupe and watermelon. There are various herbs too, including peppermint, rosemary, oregano and basil. Last summer, there was so much produce that women鈥檚 centre director Elizabeth McCormack was peddling cucumbers around campus to anyone who would take them.
This year鈥檚 harvest will go to Alice Housing, second stage housing for women and children fleeing domestic abuse, and to the student sustainability group SustainDal, which serves vegetarian food to students on a pay-what-you-can basis Tuesdays at lunch during the academic year.
鈥淚t seems humble,鈥� says Ms. McCormack, surveying the backyard. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 a lot that will come out of here鈥攊t grows very intensely you might say.鈥�
But then, the actual veggies are not really the point of the garden鈥攊t鈥檚 about opening up the AV俱乐部 Women鈥檚 Centre to the community. It鈥檚 about showing kids how food is grown and giving them a place to get their hands dirty.
鈥泪迟鈥檚 about the process, about getting people out, about giving them opportunities,鈥� says an enthusiastic Ms. McCormack. 鈥淎nd whether all that yields a tomato or two is an absolute bonus.鈥�
The garden project was started by student volunteer Jenny Mason back in May. Since then, there have been regulars who come to check on the progress of the seeds they鈥檝e planted, plus a team of volunteers who help out.
If you鈥檙e interested in dropping by or volunteering, Ms. McCormack at the AV俱乐部 Women鈥檚 Centre would love to hear from you. You can call 494-2432 or e-mail dwc@dal.ca.
LINK: on HRM Parent