Our Farms are Ecosystems
Holistic land stewardship is at the heart of our growing philosophy

We view our gardens as living ecosystems that are balanced and healthy as a result of management practices that support life. Sometimes this means doing a big job the old fashion way – with lots of people and hard work. This approach encourages us to ask for support from the many able hands in our community and connects people through growing food for their neighbourhood.

The food grown at our Schoolyard Market Gardens is grown using organic techniques – free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. However, due to our urban context we are unable to become certified organic. Nonetheless, all of our growing practices align with certified organic standards as much as possible.

Some of our specific growing practices include:

  • Maintenance of soil fertility through compost, organic amendments, and cover cropping,
  • Control of pests and diseases with traps, physical barriers, crop rotation, and by encouraging beneficial insects to inhabit the garden,
  • Control of weeds through hoeing, hand weeding, and minimal tillage,
  • Purchasing organically grown seeds when available and no genetically engineered (modified) organisms.