Brandon, MB – Piloted in 2017, the Incredible Edible Route is coming back to Brandon! Our inaugural year consisted of twelve navy self-watering planters overflowing with fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and positioned at various locations in the downtown. In 2018, we grew from 12 to 17 locations and will be adding more workshops and a local food publication in 2019.
The projects message is that gardens are more than having an isolated space to garden – it is the chance to connect and work together with the community around the unifying theme of food. “This is more than just growing vegetables in a public space,” says Hope Switzer, Community Development Coordinator of the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation (BNRC) and Incredible Edible Team Lead “It’s about connecting and community building – as well as deciding what our neighbourhoods look like. We want to transform our community into a healthier, more enjoyable, and productive place for us to live.”
Incredible Edible Brandon was inspired by the success of Incredible Edible Todmorden, UK, a small town in the North of England, by a group of like-minded individuals intent on enriching communities with access to local food. The movement focuses on three “spinning plates”:
• The Community Plate – growing produce and working together
• The Learning Plate – providing training from field to classroom to kitchen
• The Business Plate – supporting local commerce
There are a number of ways to get involved including: sponsoring a garden bed, volunteering to maintain a planter, or picking the produce to take home and eat! Be sure to look for our Incredible Edible Brandon logo and the “Food to Share – it’s all free” signage for these special gardens. Remember not to disturb any of our wonderful community gardens. Unlike Incredible Edible Gardens, Community Gardens are assigned to individuals and are not open to the public to pick from.
To date, sponsors include: The Cooperators, Healthy Brandon, Brandon University, City of Brandon, Assiniboine Adult Collegiate, BDO, The Dock on Princess, CMHA’s Global Market, Zeke’s Jewellers, Lindenberg Seeds, New System Store, Evolution Bookkeeping, Meghan Hamill Lashes, The Green Spot, Western Manitoba Regional Library, Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.
The Kick-off to this year’s Incredible Edible Brandon project is set to take place May 25th, 2019 at “Eco Day in May” held at the Global Market. Planting of the planters will take place on May 23rd at 4pm (Global Market).
