Many people dream of harvesting their own food supply, safely and while paying attention to the environment, right in their own backyard. In urban settings, turning this dream into a reality can be challenging, but Victoria has decided to do something about it. Introducing, the Growing in the City initiative.
The Growing in the City initiative was developed to encourage individuals to get involved and grow their own vegetables and fruits. It provides opportunities for communities to create small-scale urban agriculture patches on private and public land. By connecting people within various neighbourhoods, this initiative will change the way communities consider their food supply and provide enriching experiences for individuals, families, friends and neighbours.
The city of Victoria is taking many different steps to support urban agriculture development. Some of them include:
- Creating Boulevard gardening guidelines that provide information, rules and regulations for people who are interested in transforming the boulevard beside their property into vegetable and fruit gardens
- Establishing and supporting community gardens in Victoria
- Growing and maintaining community orchards in various parks in Victoria
- Composting, recycling and other ‘green’ initiatives
- Changing the regulations for catering and food service at City Hall to eliminate single-serving bottle usage and exclusively serve Fair Trade coffee
- Promoting and supporting public markets where local produce and goods are bought and sold
- Funding for the Urban Agricultural Hub
Throughout the development of this project, the city of Victoria has spoken, and the voices of citizens have been heard. The findings include a high level of support for urban agriculture development that ranges between 87-percent and 98-percent in various areas. The public is especially interested in providing everyone with safe, affordable and healthy food, easy access to local markets where individuals can purchase such food and utilizing vacant lots to grow such food. Many also expressed concern that the gardens must be keep tidy and always be well maintained so as not to take away from the aesthetic qualities of the many neighbourhoods across Victoria.
The final recommendations are currently being considered and brought to life in Victoria, and they will be brought to the Council for adoption by spring 2016. An important educational component of the initiative is also slated to begin in spring and summer 2016.
Once established, the Growing in the City initiative will result in:
- City-owned land set aside for gardening and food production
- New policies that support urban agriculture and food harvesting
- Recommendations that encourage citizens of Victoria to get involved in this initiative
- Creating community gardens that are inclusive of food sources, flowers and other indigenous and native plants
- A set of guidelines for the long-term management and success of this program
Sustainable living is important to everyone living in or visiting Victoria. The Growing in the City Initiative is an important project that will benefit the environment and citizens and create an added layer of sustainability. With the success of this initiative, citizens will have increased access to healthy, local food sources, and once wasted land will have a new purpose. To learn more about the initiative or get involved yourself, visit the city’s website.