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Vert ta Ville

Program offering seedlings to people across the city enters its second year
May 2, 2011
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Laurence Fauteux listens to Claude Hill speaking on behalf of the Fondation québécoise en environnement. | Courtesy of Laurence Fauteux
Laurence Fauteux listens to Claude Hill speaking on behalf of the Fondation québécoise en environnement. | Courtesy of Laurence Fauteux

The team at Concordia’s greenhouse just announced the second year of Vert ta Ville — a project that puts food in the gardens and hands of needy Montrealers in the form of seedlings distributed across the city.

Last year, volunteers raised 8,000 seedlings for community groups and community gardens through a network of partner organizations led by Action Communiterre (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce), Bouffe-Action (Rosemont), SOCENV (Côte-des-Neiges) and Alternatives (Plateau-Mont-Royal). Nearly 300 gardeners received the seedlings and, with the support of experts in the partner groups, were able to raise the plants to feed themselves and their families. One thousand of the seedlings were sold to raise funds for the project and spread the resources beyond partner groups.

“Collective gardening in Montreal is one of the most effective ways I know to change mentalities and make people aware of different issues like food security, food sovereignty and environmental and political and social issues related to the current food system,” says Laurence Fauteux, who developed the project in 2009 and has run it since its inception. “Plus, it’s a great way to meet the people living next to you and to feel like a part of your community. I’m really proud to be part of a project that supports the development of collective gardening in Montreal.”
 

This year, even more plants have been raised in the greenhouse and will be distributed this June. The project, designed to promote healthy gardening practices and skills-building, is run by Fauteux with the support of Sustainable Concordia, student groups and the Concordia Council on Student Life. The project is funded by the Fondation québécoise en environnement via the Fonds Éco École Metro and the Association québécoise pour la promotion de l’éducation relative à l’environnement. The launch, attended by members of several partner groups, featured live music from No Family.

Related links:
•   Concordia greenhouse
•   Association québécoise pour la promotion de l'éducation relative à l’environnement
 



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