The Students’ Administrative Council (SAC) headquarters is getting a green makeover. After a year of abandonment, the SAC garden at 12 Hart House Circle has been revived by Emily Arvay, a U of T master’s student in creative writing, who considers the previously overgrown, but entirely functional garden, a shame to waste.
The garden, dubbed the Food for All Community Garden, is composed of small plots arranged around the SAC headquarters. Only four months into her new job, Arvay has already spent the summer weeding and clearing the soil beds in preparation for new seeds and seedlings. In the end, only seeds that would germinate within one month were planted in the hopes of having a yield before the first frost.
“Once the greens are harvested, the majority of our produce will be donated to meal programs for those in need,” said Arvay. By collaborating with local programs, SAC plans to distribute the veggies to low-income families who want healthy meal options.
The largest plot now boasts a number of mature herb and vegetable plants while other plots have only recently been seeded. The harvest will include a variety of crops, including tomato, basil, parsley, and oregano, while the newly-seeded soil-beds include kale, lettuce, and beets.
With the exception of some herbs, all of the garden’s plants and seedlings are organic. According to Arvay, no preservatives go into the body with the garden’s organic foods.
“I think that people need to shift their ideas of healthy versus unhealthy food,” she said. “An organic tomato may be misshapen and we would think that it’s because there is a problem with it or because of chemicals in the soil, but this is not the case.”
When it comes to the subject of genetically modified (GM) foods, Arvay recognizes that the debate is difficult to resolve.
“It’s a question of short-term versus long-term benefits,” said Arvay. “It’s hard to say to people that are in desperate need of food that [genetic modification] is wrong, or that it compromises the integrity of food. But it does compromise the integrity.”
The concept of organic and eco-friendly gardening spreads beyond the seeds. Arvay stressed that the garden does not use any inorganic pesticides or fertilizers. Instead, only organic fertilizers, provided by a local gardener, are added to the soil.
When it comes to common garden pests, the garden has been relatively fortunate this season. Only recently, a small but contained cutworm infestation had to be dealt with by handpicking the worms on to other patches of soil.
Arvay has many ambitious goals for the future of the Food for All Community Garden. A key project is fundraising for a rain-collection and storage unit for the garden to limit its use of groundwater.
“The founder of the garden was really wonderful in making the garden completely sustainable-with the exception of using tap water,” she said.
For Arvay, working in the garden is a meditative experience.
“Living in the city, it’s easy to lose touch with your environment and the environment itself,” she said. “The garden is a great way to give back to the community and feel more connected to your environment.”
