Strawberries, lavender, and sage transplanted to the UTSU garden this summer
But we need your help to continue.
Despite the inactivity of the Food Policy Council and the loss of Hart House garden space this past summer, long-time Dig In! volunteers have continued to garden on campus. Although a mysterious guerilla gardener planted annuals in the Hart House plot, Dig In! was informed we would lose access to the space due to upcoming construction. We were able to move our perennials (rhubarb, mint, lavender, strawberries, sage) to the UTSU Equity Garden, and had a successful garlic harvest. Although the garden has been mostly untended this year, lots of annuals from previous years self-seeded (e.g., tomatoes, kale, parsley). It goes to show that once you establish a garden, it’s easy to maintain with just a little intervention.
See below for more information about upcoming construction. We are working with Hart House to ensure at least some space remains for us to use as an herb garden post-construction.
We need your help to continue! Currently the club is being run by three long-time volunteers, only one of whom is a student (and only part-time, in her final year). We need students to take over, to get this club back to what it once was: student led – student fed! Don, Nelly, and Kristy will continue to provide mentorship, but we need students actively involved in the organization to keep it alive! We also welcome the participation of staff, faculty, and community members.
Please email us if you want to get involved or take on a more active leadership role this year.
Hart House Construction Notice
Hart House’s mandate is to provide an inclusive, accessible, safe space for all and this includes upgrading our century-old building over the next few years. We are looking to not only repair and maintain Hart House, but to create rejuvenated spaces that will help launch us into the next century. From May to December 2017, we are in the process of refreshing the Arbor Room, the adjoining food services area and the entrance and patio on the south east side of building. Providing a fully accessible entrance to this popular location is of utmost importance. To accommodate this necessary upgrade, the adjoining garden area will need to be removed. Perennial plants from the garden have been relocated to the UTSU Equity Garden.
Over the seasons, this garden has been lovingly tended by volunteers from Dig In! Hart House has been a long-time partner of campus agriculture and we will continue to advocate the work that they do and are looking into ways to support them through our programming. For more information on Hart House renovations, visit http://harthouse.ca/renewal