Local artists to headline Spring Fling fundraiser for South Lanark Community Garden
With spring officially here, South Lanark Community Garden (SLCG) is gearing up for their annual fundraiser to help cover operating costs for the year.
SLCG is a not-for-profit corporation located on Highway 511 between Balderson and Lanark. For the past nine years, they’ve grown thousands of pounds of produce each spring, summer, and fall. In 2025, they harvested over 11,200 pounds of produce.
SLCG is run mostly by volunteers as well as a lead gardener and assistant gardeners. They also hire a few youth each summer through Canada Summer Jobs grants. Gardeners are able to take some of the produce, but majority is donated to local community food programs such as The Lanark Highlands Food Pantry, The Table Community Food Centre and The Hunger Stop.
On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Timber Run Golf Club and Event Lodge will host the SLCG’s Spring Fling fundraising concert.
Funds raised from the concert will go towards general operating costs like soil amendments, seeds, equipment, and topping up grants received for the summer youth positions.
“We are also very fortunate to have received a grant from the Perth and District Community Foundation to help with operating costs,” wrote SLCG board member Ramsey Hart in an email to Lanarkist.
“We’ve been successful at accessing a variety of grant funds including from Commonwell Mutual, Lanark County and the federal Local Food Infrastructure Fund for some of our main infrastructure investments like our greenhouse and equipment.”
The Spring Fling fundraiser will feature local artists Jillian Allinson and Kori. Allinson is a multi-instrumentalist songwriter, teacher, and the owner of The Poland Church event venue. Kori is a folk singer-songwriter from Northern Ontario, now based in the Lanark Highlands.
During the night, performers will be joined by one of the event organizers and musician Ali McCormick.
“[McCormick] promised me she will sing at least one song. Ali came up with the idea of the fundraising concerts and performed at the first two we had. She’s also been quite involved in working at the garden so is a big part of the event and garden overall,” Hart wrote.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Timber Run will be opening the bar and kitchen for the event. Advance tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door for $30.
Hart also shared what she’s most excited about for SLCG’s upcoming growing season: “From an infrastructure perspective I’m excited for us to get the solar system set up to provide lights and ventilation to the greenhouse but that’s just a means to the end of having people work together to grow more food.”
“Every year we are excited to see the volunteers and youth staff on site getting their hands in the earth and helping support the community with the freshest, healthiest produce available,” Hart added.
To learn more about SLCG, including volunteering opportunities, visit the SLCG website.