Location: 555-Rexdale Boulevard, Toronto, ON L4V 1R8 – Planted: July 6th, 2024
Our group is always looking for ways to build equity in our communities and this post is a heart-warming story of one how USS member Danielle led one such collaboration with an inspirational program in Toronto. Sundance Commons is an agricultural non-profit that operates at four farm locations in southwestern Ontario. They provide the tools, guidance, and access for new farmers who face barriers to entry in the agricultural sector and land access more broadly. Since March 2024, Sundance Commons has been operating at a 1-acre site at Woodbine Racetrack, in partnership with Woodbine and the TRCA, running a market garden, farm incubator program, and community field days at the site. Our member, Danielle, is a farmer there and had wanted to offer great programming during the June community outreach day on June 29: Community members would plant a strip of native plants grown by USS members to attract pollinators. USS members would be there to talk about pollinators and native plants, and to give out some seedlings and educational material.
The forecast of severe thunderstorms cancelled that event so we decided to take on the planting ourselves. On July 6th, Sheri, Maia and Sayeh loaded up two cars with cardboard and 150+ mature, second-year plants from 38 varieties, and headed over to the Sundance Commons to plant their first Native Plant garden.
We were joined at SC with Danielle, Justin and Mattia and we jumped into action, laying down cardboard, and covering it with a thick layer of soil.
Once we laid out the plants, everyone took part in planting them.
Since that initial planting, the garden is thriving and and attracting lots of beneficial wildlife.
