HSH Community Garden is 10

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Blueberry Fields - Home Suite Hope’s Community Garden – which operates at the Upper Oakville Shopping Centre, hosted a celebration and picnic in late June.

The celebration was attended by many in the community, including HSH staff, Caseworker Dayna Ramawad and Admin Assistant Angela, staff from Kerr Street Mission and many volunteers and community members. There was food, free seedling and seed giveaways, an activity table for children, garden tours and gardening advice.

Founded by the late Ken Stockstill, who was employed by mall management, Blueberry Fields is operated at the shopping centre under the watchful eye of volunteer coordinator Ruth Borst and an army of volunteers. Its harvest is delivered to KSM where HSH participants can access it, along with clients of KSM and the public.

The work of Ruth and the volunteers, and the generosity of the shopping centre is truly appreciated as more than ever people, and especially those served by HSH, are depending on food support.

The 5,000 sq. ft.-garden, has 2,000 sq. ft. of growing space in nearly two dozen planter beds – and successfully turns out a bounty of potatoes, cabbage, zucchini, lettuce, beans, rhubarb, green onions and more. It also grows items like kale, tomatoes, herbs and berries.

Ken used to say seeds are sown according to the concept that whatever can go into a stew, can go into the garden. There are carrots, peppers, onions, zucchini, cucumbers, cabbages, even butternut squash.

In 2015, the owners of the Upper Oakville Shopping Centre approached its property manager Megan Richardson and Ken, wanting to create something from the vacant lot behind the centre. Megan and Ken saw an opportunity to give back to those in need and the mall’s owners were quickly onboard. As the garden’s harvest grew over the years, HSH and KSM partnered to make it available to anyone in need.

Volunteers staff the garden, people from the neighbourhood, across and corporate volunteer groups, who want to give back to the community, work there all season long.

These volunteers do bed preparation, planting, weeding and harvesting; and, even deliver the harvest to KSM.

If low-income families need to rely on food banks such as that offered by KSM, and non-perishable food donations, the garden complements it with fresh fruits and vegetables.

For more information about the garden or to volunteer, visit www.homesuitehope.org

or https://www.oakvilleshops.com/blueberry-fields/