George Municipality's food garden project on track

GEORGE NEWS - The George Municipality's Food Garden Project continues with 506 sustainable and established gardens currently in operation.

New life was breathed into the project during the Covid pandemic to ensure communities could help sustain themselves with job losses and have regular fresh produce on their families' tables and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

The programme launched with 80 gardens in November 2020, which expanded to 265 by the end of the summer planting season in 2021 and now stands at 506 (August 2022).

The current breakdown of gardens is as follows:

Haarlem - 42; Conville - 56; Lawaaikamp - 18; Blanco - 30; Rosedale - 104; New Dawn Park - 54 existing; Waboomskraal - 20; Thembalethu - 90; and Touwsranten - 92.

Jonathan Fortuin, co-ordinator of the food gardens in the Community Development section, says, "We are excited about the project's potential as an income generator and inspired by the communities' sense of pride in bringing food to the table of their own homes and those of neighbours."

Food gardens are being integrated with other social projects such as municipal soup kitchens and crèches.

'Garden of Eden'

"One of our inspiring stories is a Pacaltsdorp resident, Rodwill Alaart, who took over his brother Paulen's vegetable garden after he passed away. He maintains the garden to honour his big brother's memory and to keep up his good work," says Fortuin.

Alaart's garden in New Dawn Park is currently one of the most successful in the municipal project and he already supplies fresh produce to one of the crèches in the neighbourhood.

Says Alaart, "I cannot let the soil lie unused. I decided to call it 'The Garden of Eden'."

He works the garden himself and does a bit every day to keep it going. He is excited about his plans to have enough crops to assist more crèches and soup kitchens. "I believe food gardening is our future to sustain ourselves."

Guidance and help

The food gardens project continues to be run by coordinators who identify possible gardeners in communities and oversee the establishment of small vegetable gardens in their backyards.

The coordinators guide the process, from soil preparation to harvest, and visit regularly to mentor and check on the gardeners' needs and progress.

The aim is that the gardens will become sustainable throughout the year according to the seasons and that gardeners will ultimately not only put food on their own tables, but will have extra to share, sell or barter with.

The municipality continues to distribute seeds to participating gardeners. Each garden is expected to yield a crop to feed five to 10 people, depending on a range of factors such as garden size and growing conditions.

"George Municipality welcomes involvement and support from business, non-government organisations and individuals who can assist in the long-term sustainability of the project," says Fortuin. "Ongoing needs include seeds, compost, pesticides, gardening tools and rainwater tanks.".

Phone Jonathan Fortuin on 044 802 2900 for more information.

New Dawn Park resident Rodwill Alaart is running one of the most successful vegetable gardens.