North Hamilton Community Health Centre

CHALLENGE

NHCHC currently co-ordinates three community gardens and two children’s teaching gardens in the north end of Hamilton. The success and continued high demand for these programs has led to establishing a Community Greenhouse, which allows NHCHC to extend the growing season for their gardeners, improving access to fresh, organic produce well into the fall months, as well as create a space to start the seedlings that we provide to our gardeners at no cost. Additionally, the Community Greenhouse would enhance other existing programs – such as the Seniors’ and Multicultural Kitchens, Mental Wellness Toolkit, Children’s Grub Club, Healthy Moms Healthy Babies, etc., by providing opportunities for horticultural therapy activities and education about organic growing and eating.

NHCHC approached Niagara College for a partnership in establishing the greenhouse and assisting with the growth of fruits and vegetables to kick-start the various programs that they offer.

SOLUTION

Students from the Greenhouse Crops 2 course had the ability to be a part of the greenhouse process from its initial inception. After it was successfully built, the students assisted with the growing of a variety of different fruits and vegetables, using an innovative Tower Garden Growing System which was purchased with the VEBTA funding. The students working on this project were given the opportunity to visit the greenhouse on a bi-weekly basis to track the progress of the growing and implement any changes.