Community – Page 2 – Farmers on 57th

Pandemic pivoting

sarah July 13, 2020 August 13, 2021Accessibility, Community, Flowers, Garden Club

It has been awhile since we’ve reported from the Garden Club at the George Pearson Centre the long term care facility site, home to 114 residents with disabilities (and abilities, such as green thumbs!) As we all know, 2020 was a very different year, after about mid March. It was tough. We at Farmers on 57th were poised to run another glorious season of therapeutic gardening in partnership with Pearson….when everything stopped. Pearson was locked down to outsiders that weren’t considered essential. At first, family and friends could only visit their loved one through the window. In the end, despite…

Love from Farmers on 57th amidst COVID 19

karen April 1, 2020 July 20, 2020Community

Well, what a predicament we all find ourselves in. Our hearts are deeply pained for all the people suffering, those who are unwell or worried for their loved ones. You are foremost in our thoughts. Top of mind are the residents of George Pearson Centre, many of them fellow gardeners, who live in the long-term residential care facility on whose grounds we farm. All precautions are being taken to protect this community of people who are so appreciative and supportive of the little farm outside their bedroom windows, and who are an important part of our farm community. We are…

Accessible Pathway Renewal Complete!

sarah February 5, 2020 May 14, 2021Accessibility, Community, Garden Club

Hello! Sarah here, reporting from the Therapeutic Gardens at GPC. I’m pleased to share that the pathways around the gardens here have been renovated so they are once again smooth. Farmers on 57th built these gardens in 2009, and the pathways were last renewed in 2015. In 2019 we noticed they were getting reallllly bumpy, and some residents felt uncomfortable and unsafe when going around the gardens in their wheelchairs. It wasn’t exactly an easy job, with our accessible surface being heavy rubber mats that don’t shift when wheelchairs grip them. They were all lifted up, the ground re-leveled, and…

When There is Housing Anxiety, Where is Home?

Heidi June 21, 2019 February 10, 2022Community, Events, Get Involved, Pearson Dogwood Community Gardeners, Volunteer, Workshop

Written by Pendra Wilson Home is where I was today at Farmers on 57th. I was digging holes alone with a pickaxe and shovel. I have to admit I might also have been feeling sorry for myself. Farmers on 57th has been located on George Pearson land, which is a residence for the severely disabled. We’ve been there for 10 years. One of the farm’s mandates is to integrate with the residents. I’m not one of the 4 female founders. I was someone that joined one of the programs wanting to learn how to garden and provide more food security.…

Upcoming Dogwood & Willow Weaving Workshop!

Heidi June 21, 2019 February 10, 2022Community, Events, Get Involved, Opportunities, Pearson Dogwood Community Gardeners, Summer Student, Workshop, Youth Employment

Hey folks, we have an exciting community event coming up at the farm! A Dogwood and Willow Weaving Workshop! Community gardeners, students in the Grow Your Own Food Course, Pearson residents and staff, Market Gardeners, and neighbours of the centre are all welcome to come out and try their artistic side, no experience necessary. And don’t worry if you’re not sure how to weave, Sharon Kallis, an environmental artist and author of Common Thread will be there to facilitate. All are welcome but please arrive early if you would like to participate in the construction of the cadenza as the artist,…

Therapeutic Benefits of Working at the Market Garden – A Volunteer’s Perspective

August 16, 2016 February 10, 2022Community, Urban Farming Volunteer Learning Program, Volunteer

This morning I went to the farm alone. It was the first time I was totally alone here. Moving through this place I have come to know in the past months, I see it as completely new – as I move through it now at this relaxed pace. In the past months I have spent here, I have come to know the market garden as a place of productivity. Time matters. Days matter. Minutes matter. Efficiency, planning, and mindfulness carefully keep the market garden in operation. Timing here is not only limited to how much a human can realistically achieve,…