The City of St. Catharines Recreation and Community Services Department is pleased to continue its support of the “Community Gardens” program. This program provides an opportunity for participants to learn about gardening while growing their own vegetables. Participants in the program include clients from Community Care, as well as residents from regional housing complexes. The City prepares 30 garden plots at Torosian Park on Ventura Drive. All “Gardner’s” supplies are provided and there is no fee for participants. The City of St. Catharines is proud to join with Community Care, Healthy Living Niagara, Niagara Regional Housing and Public Health Departments for the 8th year in supporting this venture. Community Gardens allows residents to participate in an enjoyable physical activity while beautifying the community and stretching food budgets.

Plant a Row ? Grow a Row

Your garden can help feed people in need!
How often is it that you can enjoy a favourite hobby and help others in the community at the same time?

Plant a Row • Grow a Row is a fun way to do both.
Established by the Canadian Association of Food Banks, The Composting Council of Canada and the Garden Writers Association of America, Plant a Row • Grow a Row builds on the long-standing tradition of gardeners loving to share their harvest with others.

The Plant a Row • Grow a Row program invites local gardeners to grow an extra row of vegetables, or donate extra fruit and vegetables to their local food bank.

How can you help?
Whether your vegetable garden is large or small, add an additional row, bed, or pot and plant something extra. If you have extra fruit or vegetables, earmark them for donation. Encourage your family and friends to do the same. This is a wonderful project for everyone, from small children to seniors, from those who have a huge vegetable plot to balcony gardeners who can grow vegetables in pots. Every little bit helps!

How to be involved

1. Plant your seeds and nurture your garden
2. At harvest time, take the produce that you would like to donate to:
   Community Care Food Bank, OR bring down to Community Harvest Day
3. When you bring in your donation, don’t forget to let the Food Bank know that your produce is designated for the Grow a Row program so that it can be weighed and added to our total.
4. Pat yourself on the back for making a wonderful contribution to our community AND for being physically active!

Which crops are best for donation?
Root vegetables are best (carrots, parsnips, potatoes) however, any produce that can be easily handled and stored, including broccoli, cabbage, peas, beans, tomatoes, radishes, sweet peppers, summer squash (including zucchini), apples and pears are welcome.

The Community Care Food Bank will happily accept more fragile produce like lettuce or herbs. Please handle with care!
Your donation, whether it’s a bag of tomatoes, a truckload of zucchini, a box of apples or something else that you’ve grown will be appreciated and put to good use. Simply remove any soil and bring it in.

Making your donations...
Produce may be dropped off at:
Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold
12 North Street,
St. Catharines
905-685-1349
Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

19 Albert Street West, Thorold
905-227-9240
Mon-Wed-Fri 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Local Partners of Grow a Row

• Community Care
• Bruce Zimmerman’s Open-Line Garden Show
• St. Catharines Horticultural Society
• City of St. Catharines
• Regional Niagara Public Health Unit
• Niagara Regional Housing