The Yara Community Gardens — with plots located on South Hill on Home Street West and next to the Bell Park baseball complex on Grey Avenue — both plan to open their gates on April 1, as gardeners from throughout the city take advantage of the option to grow their own fresh produce.
The good news for anyone looking to get in on the fun is plots are still remaining for anyone who wants to test out their green thumb but simply lack the room to plant their own fruits and vegetables.
“We do have some open plots we want to get filled up so that’s kind of what we’re pushing for right now,” said Community Gardens organizer Suzanne Ramage. “With COVID last year, some people left their spots and some of them aren’t returning this year, then some people have their own houses and own gardens now and don’t need the plot, so we have some spots open.”
A total of 16 plots are open in the Home Street locale, while only a couple are left on Grey Avenue.
To rent a plot, you can contact Ramage at (306) 630-3498 or the Hunger in Moose Jaw office at (306) 692-1916. The cost is a $10 membership fee and 10 cents per square foot, and the Gardens themselves will supply much of the equipment needed to get started.
“They have the option to get roto-tilling done by us for a fee, or if they choose to do it themselves they can do that,” Ramage said. “Then all the water, hoses, the tools, everything is there for them to use. With COVID last year they weren’t allowed to use them, but this year as long as people are using gloves and being careful they’ll be available.”
The plan is to run the season through Oct. 31 and keep things as normal as possible, especially after the strange summer of 2020.
“So far, it looks like it could be as regular as we can get,” Ramage said. “We might have to limit the amount of people in the garden, if it gets too crowded we’ll have to do the social distancing and all that, but that’s just become the normal way of life now.”
The Gardens have grown into an impressive venture for many in the city and a charitable one, at that — in addition to the annual Farmer's Market for Charity, many participants will choose to donate a portion of their wares back to the community at the end of the growing season.
“Some donate a portion of their vegetables back to Hunger in Moose Jaw with some of their meal programs and the Food Bank gets some of them… they help out in lots of different ways and it’s always appreciated,” Ramage said
For the latest updates on the Yara Community Gardens, be sure to visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/yaracommunitygardens/.
