Guelph Wellington Urban Agriculture Challenge
Incredible initiatives led by local champions of urban agriculture
where it started
In September 2020, the Smart Cities office launched the Guelph-Wellington Urban Agriculture Challenge. This program, led by Harvest Impact, in partnership with Our Food Future, invited proposals for projects that would support circular economic recovery and accelerate food production, getting more food to the table with less environmental impact.
By February 2021, ten local not-for-profit and social enterprise projects shared $106,000 in funding to develop sustainable initiatives that would help more people in Guelph-Wellington access healthy food. Projects began in spring 2021, with others active in 2022 and beyond.
funded projects
Stream 1. Transformative Urban Agriculture Award (1) – $70,000
Stream 2. Scaling Out Community Agriculture Award (1) – $20,000
Stream 3. Shovel and Fork Awards (6) – $2,000 per award
- Everdale Environmental Learning Centre, Kindle Communities, and the Guelph Community Health Centre: To help build Shelldale Farm Park, a community garden project to support low-income community members to grow fresh crops through a four-season commercial greenhouse, outdoor raised beds and micro-fields, a food forest, and changes to the existing community kitchen.
- Ignatius Farm, Guelph: To expand its small plot fruit orchard and lead community education programs that encourage local fruit farming
- Farmageddon: The Urban Composting Field School of Guelph to help community members learn to build composters using recycled materials
- James Community Garden Expansion Initiative, Fergus: to expand its successful community garden program to a second site
- Sprouts Scouts Community Engagement project, Guelph: To increase physical accessibility of the Burns Drive Park community garden
- Rainwater Harvesting Benches project at Goldie Park, Guelph: To fund the purchase and installation of innovative rainwater harvesting benches for a community garden project
- Community Spirit through Community Gardens project, Guelph: To install a community message board to increase communication between the gardeners and the community
- Harcourt Communal Garden, Guelph: To purchase equipment such as a vertical growing system, drip irrigation and raised beds to increase accessibility and increase production
- Freedom Dreams Co-operative Education Program: To see communities of colour launch food and farm cooperatives that increase local food access within these communities while increasing representation and inclusivity within Canada’s co-op sector
- Putting Down Roots: Newcomer Youth Community Garden to provide opportunities for food growing, education and leadership for youth and newcomers to Canada
Funding for an additional two projects which had the potential to address issues of inequity and have a significant impact for people in Guelph-Wellington who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of colour was secured during the evaluation process.
“Urban Agriculture is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in our built environment where we live, work and play”, says Julia Grady, Executive Director at 10C. "It contributes to food security and local economies, and increases social connection and resiliency."