A volunteer-run garden east of Strathmore is expecting to provide more than 22,700 kilograms (50,000 pounds) of fresh produce to the Calgary Food Bank this fall, despite a damaging hailstorm. The garden, operated by retired TransAlta employees and other volunteers, has been supplying fresh vegetables to the food bank for 27 years. Organizers say the project is expected to reach about 385,600 kilograms (850,000 pounds) of produce donated over its lifetime following this year’s harvest. Calgary Food Bank CEO Melissa From says fresh vegetables are an important part of providing clients with a balanced diet. “For so many people, when they think of a food bank, they think of that proverbial box of macaroni and maybe a can of marinara sauce — and that’s not where we are today,” she said. “At the Calgary Food Bank, we are making sure folks get a really well-rounded diet that’s going to help them get back on their feet and get going in life.” The Calgary Food Bank is currently serving about 1,000 families a day. “This fresh produce will probably all be distributed by Thanksgiving,” she said. The harvest includes potatoes, carrots, beets, zucchini and other vegetables. Garden coordinator Fred Ritter says this year’s growing season presented some unusual challenges after a storm hit the property in mid-June. “We had a bit of a setback with a big storm, hail and wind and rain,” Ritter said. “Our production is down, but after that storm we came out and we did some reseeding of beets and carrots, and that has really helped, so we’ll get a good crop.” Ritter says volunteers have already been delivering produce from the garden to the food bank throughout the late summer. “We delivered about 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms) of produce to the food bank from this garden already,” he said. The group also operates another garden closer to Calgary on AltaLink property. Ritter says about 7,900 kilograms (17,500 pounds) of produce was harvested from that site last week. The garden east of Strathmore is located on land provided by Eagle Lake Turf Farms. Owner and president Eric Heuver says his company supplies the land, works the soil and irrigates the garden — but it’s volunteers who handle most of the growing and harvesting. “We believe giving back is important, and quite honestly, it’s just been fun to be a part of this,” he said. “The whole team here at Eagle Lake gets on board,” Heuver said. “We grow things and we sell things so people can grow things; it’s awesome.” Heuver says the garden has produced about 31,800 kilograms (70,000 pounds) per acre in some years. Jenna Harriman of Gregory Harriman and Associates, an accounting firm in Strathmore, brought 12 employees to help with this year’s harvest. “Our firm likes to contribute and give back to the community,” she said. “We thought that it was a great way to get out and to get the staff out of the office and to give back.” Some employees had also helped plant the garden earlier in the year. “A group of them came and helped seed, so it’s great for them all to come back and be able to harvest the fruits of their labor.”
