Fernwood NRG is ­teaming up with the City of Victoria’s Get ­Growing Victoria! to give out free vegetable starts on Saturday, June 6th

›› Mila Czemerys

Where can you get plant starts?

Fernwood NRG will be ­distributing free vegetable starts on Saturday, June 6th at the Fernwood Community Centre from 10am to 2pm.

If you are interested in picking up plants, email ­info@­fernwood­nrg.­ca to ­preregister or drop by between 1pm and 2pm when we open to the general public. Seedling varieties will be selected by ­participants on site, while supplies last. Orders will not be placed in advance. We will be following COVID-19 safety and distancing protocols so bring along what you need to be comfortable if there is a line-up.

  • If you are sick, please stay at home
  • Please respect proper social distancing measurements – 2m minimum
  • Please sanitize your hands at the beginning and end of the seedlings pick-up (hand sanitizer onsite)
  • Please bring your own tray or carrying mechanism to take home the plants
  • Please do not pick up or touch plants you are not taking home; take the first one you touch
  • Volunteers will be sanitizing surfaces often and wearing proper PPE
  • Thank you for only taking what you need so there can be plants for everyone!

Find our event of Facebook here.

What’s Get Growing Victoria!?

Get Growing Victoria! is a free food ­seedlings distribution program created by the City of Victoria in partnership with community and non-profit organizations to support communities ­disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is renewed interest in community resilience, food security, and learning how to grow food at home.

In April 2020, City Council directed staff to temporarily reprioritize operations in the existing municipal nursery in ­Beacon Hill Park for the growth and distribution of food starts to be shared over the 2020 growing season.

Over 75,000 edible plant starts are being grown by the City, to be ­distributed by over 30 community partners who directly serve members of marginalized communities.

Organizations, like ours, are acting as distribution sites for community members to pick up seedlings to be transplanted at home. Some community partners are ­growing the seedlings in their existing operations to distribute the fresh produce through their programs.

What is being grown?

This program will provide a selection of vegetable and herb starts for easy growing by the novice gardener, and suitable for a variety of locations, such as garden beds in yards or container gardening on patios. Local seeds were procured from Southern Vancouver Island farms and through the BC Eco Seed Co-op.