Community Gardens

Benefits of joining a community garden

Community gardens offer many benefits to gardeners and the community. They contribute to:

• More inclusive neighbourhoods by providing a chance for people to meet and work together
• Healthier diets due to eating locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables
• Physical and mental health: gardening is part of a healthy lifestyle and outdoor physical activity can help relieve stress
• Easy access to affordable food
• Food skill development through sharing ideas from various cultures
• Enhanced environmental awareness; people learn that growing food locally means less use of fossil fuels compared to importing food

Community school gardens

The Ministry of Education sees school gardens as a tool for promoting well-being. Gardens increase students' knowledge of healthy food, promote practical outdoor education and engagement in school, and support academic success. Learn more about Gardens for Healthy Schools from a recent scan of school gardens in Waterloo Region. Also, for tips on how to start up a new garden, check the School Food Gardens Start-up Guide.