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LOVING SPOONFUL: WITH LOTS OF SUNSHINE, AND HOT WEATHER OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, VEGETABLE GROWING SEASON IS WELL UNDERWAY SOUTH EASTERN ONTARIO.
July 12, 2010
FOR AT LEAST ONE COMMUNITY GARDEN IN THE KINGSTON AREA, THAT MEANS GIVING AWAY THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOUR. NEWSWATCH'S ERIN HOWE EXPLAINS WHY. PKG
TIM LYON IS SOWING THE SEEDS OF A LOVE FOR VEGETABLE GROWING AT THE ACORN GARDEN. HE'S A REGULAR VOLUNTEER HERE AMONG THE FRAGRANT PATCHES OF BASIL, ONIONS, AND OTHER GREEN GOODIES. LYON: "EVERYTHING FROM PREPARING THE BEDS TO PUTTING SEEDLINGS IN. THIS TIME OF YEAR, ITS A LOT OF WEEDING AND HARVESTING." BUT, HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO REAPS THE BENEFITS OF THESE CROPS - ALL OF THE PRODUCE FROM THIS PLOT WITHIN THE OAK STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN IS GIVEN TO GROW A ROW - A PEOPLE-HELPING-PEOPLE PROGRAM TO HELP THE HUNGRY. ((BYTE: RUSTLING OF GROCERY BAGS OF VEGGIES)) SARAH FOOHEY WORKS FOR THE LOVING SPOONFUL, WHICH RUNS THE LOCAL GROW A ROW PROGRAM. SHE SAYS IT ALLOWS PEOPLE WITH ACCESS TO FRESH PRODUCE TO HELP THOSE WITHOUT. FOOHEY: "THERE IS A VERY GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DONATING NON PERISHABLE FOOD, BUT TO GET A FULL, HEALTHY DIET, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET FRESH VEGETABLES, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE IN SEASON, AND THEY'RE VERY EXPENSIVE AND HARD TO COME BY." HOWE: "LAST YEAR, PRODUCE DONATIONS TO THE GROW A ROW PROGRAM EXCEEDED THREE THOUSAND POUNDS. NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR HERE IN KINGSTON, ORGANIZERS ARE HOPING TO BRING IN EVEN MORE FRESH FRUITS AND VEGGIES." FOOHEY: "AS PEOPLE START TO ANTICIPATE IT, THEY PLANT MORE, INSTEAD OF JUST GIVING WHAT THEY ALREADY HAD PLANTED, SO THIS YEAR, WE'RE ALREADY GETTING MORE, EARLIER IN THE SEASON THAN WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR." ((BYTE: "I'LL GET ONE MORE. . . ")) BACK AT THE ACORN PLOT, LYON LOVINGLY TENDS TO THE VEGETABLES. LYON: "WE GROW LOTS OF FOOD HERE IN THE OAK STREET GARDEN FOR OUR OWN TABLES, AND IT'S NICE TO HAVE ONE SEGMENT THAT'S DEDICATED TOWARD FEEDING OTHER PEOPLE." GROWING A MOVEMENT TO NOURISH HIS FELLOW KINGSTONIANS. ERIN HOWE, CKWS NEWSWATCH, KINGSTON.
