Spring is here, and with it comes the perfect opportunity to plant seeds of hope and nourishment. The St. Albert Food Bank is excited to launch a new initiative intended to provide an opportunity for the families we serve to plant some of their own food this year.
But we need your help. While we have been able to provide some packages of seeds for our clients to take and plant at home over the past few years, this year we are motivated to expand this initiative so more folks can plant some of their own fresh produce. To achieve this, we are seeking donations of vegetable garden seeds to give to the families we serve. Your generous contribution will enable our families to grow a variety of nutritious vegetables, ensuring access to healthy, fresh produce.
Our goal for this initiative is twofold. Firstly, we want to support our families to grow and consume their own produce. This will provide them with easy access to a variety of healthy vegetables, which, in turn, promotes a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Secondly, we hope to equip our families with tools for long-term sustenance as this is a renewable resource. Folks can save their seeds from year to year, creating a sustainable cycle of food production for the family. This fosters self-sufficiency and an understanding that they can impact their own food insecurity in even a small way. It is amazing that a packet of seeds costing under three dollars can produce up to $50 worth of vegetables each year.
There are so many positive benefits to growing vegetables at home. The vegetables are fresher and more nutritious than other sources as vegetables may lose some of their vitamins when picked early. By growing their own food, individuals can control the use of fertilizers and pesticides while growing the amount and variety of vegetables that the family enjoys eating. This, in turn, reduces food waste.
One of the intangible benefits of gardening has been shown to have positive psychological benefits. It can promote well-being while encouraging physical activity and time spent in the fresh air. It can offer a person a sense of purpose and accomplishment. For many, it can be a way to relieve stress and anxiety
Gardening can be successful in small and large spaces. Many nutrient-dense foods like tomatoes, beans and lettuce grow quite easily in pots, and, at the moment, these vegetables are very expensive at the grocery store.
The types of seeds that seem to have had the best results are tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers (can do vertical planting), spinach, beets, and green beans. Spring onions are also an interesting choice as they can be easily grown from store-bought roots. Zucchini and other summer squash are good, but it is important to keep in mind that they take up a little more space and can be very prolific so don’t try to grow too many plants. Radishes are easily grown as are peas.
If you are able to drop off seeds we will happily accept them at 50 Bellerose Drive.
