Mission Statement
The Bells Corners Community Garden (BCCG) is dedicated to fostering food security, sustainability, and community engagement through urban gardening. We grow fresh, nutritious vegetables to support local food banks and ultimately neighbours who need access to healthy food.
By cultivating a shared space for learning, collaboration, and environmental stewardship, we empower our community to connect, grow, and give back.
Front-yard garden
Yes, our end goal is to have a designated space for a communal garden in Bells Corners. But, while we work on making that a reality, we’re growing a variety of vegetables in our 100 square foot front-yard garden.
We have grown onions, lettuce, peas, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, chives, zucchini and even squash—before the vine borers got it! The food is being donated to the FAMSAC Food Cupboard. Each growing season, we plan to grow more and donate more vegetables from the front-yard garden.
Meanwhile, we are looking to expand the number of neighbours who would like to donate vegetables to the food bank. So if you’ve got the yard space and the time to contribute to a worthy cause, then consider joining this front-yard garden community!
Plant-a-row, share-a-row
Calling all Bells Corners gardeners with space to plant-a-row, share-a-row! This budding Just Food idea encourages community members to plant a row in their gardens to share with the local food bank. Or, if gardeners have excess vegetables, and would like to donate it to the food bank, our BCCG team would be happy to coordinate the pick up and delivery.
One zucchini here, one egg plant there—before you know it, we will have a big basket of fresh vegetables, compliments of Bells Corners neighbours to donate to vulnerable families in our community!
So, drop us a line, and happy gardening and happy harvesting, folks!
Donate your yard
The BCCG front-yard garden is a testament to what neighbours can do when we work together. If you have yard space with amazing sunshine, and you’d like to grow fresh food for yourself and the food bank, this initiative is designed for you.
The goal is to meet residents where they are. So do you want to grow fresh food for yourself and donate some to the food bank? We can help you set up! Or, do you prefer to donate your yard, and coordinate community volunteers to tend the garden?
No matter how you choose to participate, your generosity will help provide fresh vegetables for families in need. So get in touch, and let’s grow together to cultivate community, one yard at a time!
A front-yard garden with a purpose
—Ken Rosehart, BCCG VP of Garden Operations
“I grew up in rural Southern Ontario and we always had a family garden where we grew our own food. Grandma would do the canning, and we would freeze the corn and peas, and store the potatoes in the food cellar. That was the vegetables we consumed during the winter months. I live in Ottawa now, but I wanted to go back to the joy of growing my own food.”
