Community garden project teaches youth about agriculture in Ahuntsic-Cartierville
Ferme de Rue has partnered with Sanctuaire Saint-Jude to grow vegetables on church land
In the green space belonging to the Sanctuaire Saint-Jude church in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, community members and school children are busy working the land of a new urban farm.
Dubbed La Ferme de Rue Montréal (Montreal's street farm), the garden will grow vegetables, flowers and other plants to sell and donate to people in need.
The farm's founder, Réal Migneault, says the project's goals are ecological, social and educational.
"Everything that we do is within 10 km of this place, which probably makes it the most ecological plants to put in your garden," said Migneault. "The whole chain, everyone gets a fair share of what we're doing."
The urban farm has partnered with a nearby hardware store, a Rona on Sauvé Street East, which will sell the plants and vegetables grown only a few blocks away.
The revenue from sales will help keep the project going, while the rest of the produce will be given to families experiencing food insecurity.
Migneault talks about the project as a way to "develop empowerment" in citizens and connect them to where their food comes from.
"We need to rethink the way we do things as a local community and the way we are building our economy," he said. "This is what we mean by creating the agriculture of the future."
This week, a class of fifth-grade students visited the site to help sow seeds and learn about urban farming.
Migneault, who lives nearby, says he'd like to expand the project to other neighbourhoods across the city.
"I hope it will inspire other citizens," he said. "I hope it's going to create a momentum what we're doing here, that's kind of my dream."
In order to help out, the church is offering the use of its land for free.
Nicolas Sengson, the pastor, told CBC that he was happy to collaborate with the urban project and create a real community-based effort.
He said before the farm project came along, the land "was not used in terms of practical things, it was an empty space."
Now, it's bustling with activity and teaching valuable lessons to young people.
"Education, of course, is not only school-based," said Sengson. "We would like to help create a mentality toward nature."
With files from Matt D'Amours