South Lanark Community Garden prepares for annual plant sale to support local food banks
Volunteers at the South Lanark Community Garden are digging in to prepare for one of their busiest times of the year, as their annual plant sale fundraiser draws near this weekend.
In a time of rising costs and food insecurity across the province, a group of dedicated gardeners from the Lanark County region have been hard at work providing those in need with an important source of the freshest and healthiest produce possible.
For the fourth year running, plant lovers in Lanark County and beyond are invited to visit the community garden at 2208 Highway 511 on Saturday, May 10 and Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m to browse a wide selection of vegetable seedlings, herbs and perennials.
“The collective work of the garden empowers community members to learn and and take part in producing some of their own food while benefiting from the garden’s infrastructure, sharing the workload and accessing the skills and knowledge of others,” said Ramsey Hart, board member with the South Lanark Community Garden.
The annual event is a major fundraiser for the non-profit organization, which works to improve local access to fresh, healthy, and sustainably grown food. In addition to sharing produce among volunteers, the garden donates thousands of pounds of food to local food programs each year. This year’s sale will showcase a range of heirloom vegetable varieties, all nurtured by the garden’s volunteer team.
“Local food banks and other food programs are having a harder and harder time affording fresh produce for the community so donations from the garden can help offset some of the rising costs,” explained Hart. “While we recognize it’s not a solution to food insecurity, the garden is an important community-centred alternative that improves the community’s access to nourishing food and builds community among those who participate.”
For more information, visit the South Lanark Community Garden’s website at southlanarkcommunitygarden.org.