Guelph's Urban Agriculture Project. Local Just Got Closer!
CSA shares are now sold out for the 2010 season.
Click here and get a Backyard Bounty Box weekly in 2011!
Backyard Bounty is a unique community-based agriculture project. We cooperate with participating community members to convert their yard space into productive vegetable gardens. We currently have over 40 lawns being cultivated throughout Guelph!
It is our hope to foster community, utilize urban space and increase local sustainable food production and education. The organically grown produce is sold to local consumers through CSA shares, at farmer's markets and is available at many restaurants in Guelph.
If you or someone you know would like to purchase a CSA Share, has yard space and/or wants to get involved and learn about organic gardening please contact Julianna at info@backyardbounty.ca or call 519-803-2539.
A New Kind of Business
Backyard bounty believes in a balance of economical, environmental and social values. Though financial excess is not our focus, we recognize the importance of economic sustainability in continuing to meet our social and environmental goals. Our definition of sustainability is to be able to remain focusing our efforts on creating vibrant healthy communities while respecting the natural world so both may grow and flourish harmoniously!
Inspiration for converting lawns to gardens
The inspiration for starting Backyard Bounty was an environmental one. The owner, Robert Orland, saw that lawns are detrimental to the environment and that they are very resource dependant. Lawns are essentially monocultures and a desert for biodiversity. Lawns require mowing which wastes fuel and produces greenhouse gasses. This also creates noise pollution within the city. It's not that we have a problem with turf grass itself, it serves a good purpose in some cases like a soccer fields.
Our society has the belief that lawns are necessary or desirable. Lawns started to show up in the 1600's when lords used their lawns as a way to show status. Lawns indicated that the lord was wealthy enough to not need to grow their own food, and that the peasants grew it for them. More and more people wanted to be distinguished and grew yards to show that they were above the peasant class. Isn't it time that we move away from this old practice and use our lawns for something valuable?
Growing vegetable gardens utilizes these spaces to grow nutritious food for the families of Guelph. The green space that we create supports biodiversity and habitats for birds, insects and pollinators and adds vitality and beauty to our neighbourhoods.
Local just got closer!
Page edited July 28, 2010
