The Plant a Row - Grow a Row program has had to cancel its kickoff event but is looking forward to a productive growing season in 2020.
The program had planned to kick off its 2020 season with its 21st annual Spring Gardeners’ Party on March 12, but has had to cancel the event that had been scheduled to take place at St. Thomas More Collegiate tonight. The program encourages gardeners to plant an extra row in their gardens and donate nutritious, fresh produce to help local shelters, recovery homes and the Union Gospel Mission.
New West program coordinator Claude LeDoux said the spring gardeners’ party will be rescheduled if possible.
“The program will definitely go ahead,” he said in an email to the Record. “If possible, we will reschedule our event once the school has had time to take stock and re-evaluate their concerns of the possible spread of this virus.”
The annual gardeners’ party is a chance to learn more about the Plant a Row – Grow a Row program, get some useful gardening handouts and giveaways, enjoy coffee/tea and home-baked treats and hear from inspiring and knowledgeable gardening speakers. Brian Minter, Conway Lum, June Hewko, Egan Davis, Michael Campbell, New West Bee Keepers, West Coast Seeds and Amsterdam Greenhouses were among the guests set to take part in this year’s event.
While the launch of this year’s program has been postponed, organizers still intent to collect food for local charities in the coming months. From June 12 to Oct. 4, food collections will take place every Sunday morning from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. at St. Thomas More and will then be delivered to local charities.
