Community gardens flourishing in Sudbury

The number of community gardens in Sudbury is growing. The Minnow Lake Lions Club plans to share the food from their garden with seniors, the food bank and anyone that is apartment bound.

It's part of a growing community effort to help people living with food insecurity.

Keith Argent a member of the Minnow Lake Lions Club, said people with mobility issues can still garden with the elevated garden beds not requiring as much stooping or bending over.

When the club decided to take on a community garden, it teamed up with the Sudbury Community Garden Network.

"Community gardens are really exploding -- we have almost 50 community gardens now that are on private property, on public property at parks, at apartment complexes, at businesses, at schools," said Rachelle Niemela, chair of the Sudbury Community Garden Network.

"Everybody wants to get in on the gardening and there are more community gardens that are being planned to be built next year."

The Minnow Lake club said plants are flourishing thanks to a secret ingredient.

"It's quite the stuff! It comes from the island, it's supposed to be super good for plants," said Argent.

The Sudbury Community Garden Network said Vale donates fertilizer to any community garden that wants it.

"Meeker's Mix is a combination of fish residue from the Meeker's Hatchery on Manitoulin Island and sawdust," said Niemela.

"So it's all organic and no pesticides, no artificial anything and it's magic for the plants."