We’ve got lots to celebrate – Lillooet Park Community Garden is the first community garden in the District of North Vancouver, PLUS it was built entirely by volunteer gardeners!

This is an outdoor, family friendly event that will take place rain or shine – please dress appropriately! Snacks, games, garden tours, gardening and composting information, music, honey bee experts plus the mayor will all be on site! Oh, and did I mention there will be prizes?!

Here’s how to find us.

We encourage everyone to walk/cycle or take transit to this event. If these options are not possible and you do need to drive, please consider parking along Lillooet Road in order to avoid congestion along Old Lillooet Road.

Arrive at Council Chambers at City Hall (141 West 14th Street, North Vancouver) at 6pm. We are supposed to be early on the agenda! Please email Emily if you plan on coming: volunteer@ediblegardenproject.com

* The proposal to expand the Lower Lonsdale Community Garden is to the vacant lot directly south of the current garden location. If you would like more details, please contact us at info@ediblegardenproject.com

Ustlahan Social Society - 2010 Grant Recipients

Vancouver Coastal Health is once again offering their ‘Advancing Urban Agriculture Grants’ to the community. The goal of this grant is to increase food security for all members of the North Shore community while specifically working to improve access to healthy foods for people with low income. Vancouver Coastal Health is offering small grants to advance urban agriculture on the North Shore.

Grants of up to $2,000 will be considered (with one grant of $5,000 available), and must be submitted by March 11th, 2010.

For application details click here.

If you’re applying from a school, you’ll need to answer additional questions.

All applications will be considered. However, priority will be given to projects related to the priorities that arose at our Table Matters event held in November, 2010. An ongoing Table Matters working group has chosen the following issues: Food Recovery, Agricultural education for children and youth, Agricultural education for adults, Residential food production, Urban farms and Marketing local/regional food -  click here for the summary.

Though the summer months were swallowed by construction, the garden is now complete and the new gardeners are beginning to experiment with fall and winter crops.

About the NSCGS

The purpose of the North Shore Community Garden Society is to oversee the use and management of new community gardens on the North Shore. Our aim is to:

• promote a diversity of approaches to sustainable gardening

• encourage co-operation, education and community involvement

• share and develop knowledge and practice of organic gardening

• promote well-being by providing access to garden space, and to public gathering space.

• establish and maintain a sustainable method of bio-diverse gardening.

Vice President Responsibilities

The Vice President:

1. Shall attend monthly General Meetings.
2. Shall preside as Chair at all General Meetings in the absence of the President. If neither are present within 30 minutes of the called time, the attending members shall appoint an elected committee member to take the chair for the duration of the meeting.
3. Shall be responsible for initiating/coordinating community garden and grant proposals
4. Shall be the key point of contact for the individual community garden coordinators.
5. Shall assist the NSCGS President in his/her duties.

Please submit a short paragraph describing why you are interested in the position to nscommunitygardens@gmail.com by September 10^th, 2010

Join the City of North Vancouver and the Queen Mary Community Garden for a unique afternoon celebration to mark the official opening of the City’s Queen Mary Community Garden. This outdoor, family-friendly event includes lots of fun activities such as a scavenger hunt and face painting for the kids, tours of the garden, a composting demonstration (2pm), honey bee experts with a demonstration hive, live music and local gardening experts. Click here for the invite.

After stopping at Queen Mary, you can make your way down for the 4^th annual North Shore Neighbourhood House Garden Party in the Lower Lonsdale Community Garden (1-5pm).  There will be fun for all ages with lots of games and activities!

Come out and get your hands dirty with other gardeners in one of our backyard EGP garden sites on Saturday June 12th (Contact Us for location details).  Come out and harvest our bountiful crops, and help with the weeding to keep our garden looking great. No experience or tools necessary (bring your enthusiasm and dress for the weather… it’s been known to rain!)

Come out and get your hands dirty with other gardeners in the EGP Demonstration Garden at the Queen Mary Community Garden (W. Keith Road and Mahon). We will be putting in warm season crops, spreading compost and doing LOTS of weeding. No experience necessary (bring your enthusiasm)! Contact Us for more info!