N.B. community garden gives back amidst rising grocery costs

It’s still early in the growing season, but the Petitcodiac Community Garden in New Brunswick has big plans this year.

“As part of the Petitcodiac Area Garden Club, we also grow a 30x100ft square that we donate to the local food bank, Support People of Today – SPOT – and we also donate to the two seniors complexes downtown,” said Karen Hall-Middleton, chair of Petitcodiac Area Garden Club.

The group of volunteers also donates food baskets to the local churches.

“We grow staple foods, so foods that everybody is familiar with, so the things that we like to donate to SPOT are like peas, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, beats, pretty much your staple foods,” said Middleton.

In the last four years, the Community Garden has donated more than 500 pounds annually with a goal of exceeding that number every season.

“When we get that, it’s a bonus for a lot of our clients because we don’t always get that especially come the fall and in the winter they’re into canned and frozen vegetables, so seeing something fresh is exactly what they’re in need of,” said SPOT manager Vicky Crossman.

This week, Statistics Canada (https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240625/dq240625a-eng.htm) confirmed grocery prices have increased by 22.5 per cent compared to May 2020.

The data shows on a month-over-month basis, grocery prices increased 1.1 per cent in May, which is the largest increase since January 2023.

“We’re seeing the increase of prices really having a toll on a lot of people,” said Crossman.

Next year, SPOT will be celebrating 40 years in the community.

On average, the food bank sees 30-to-35 households a month, usually singles and couples according to Crossman.

“Number-wise probably we’re going to say an average of 10 per month more and then other months we might see five,” she said.

While always well-supported by the community, she says she’s also seen a slight decline in people donating to the food bank.

“It’s not because they don’t want to, it’s just because they just don’t have the means anymore because your dollar just doesn’t get stretched any further and the prices of everything has gone up, so what they would donate on a monthly basis may not come monthly, maybe every second month from now on,” said Crossman.

Luckily, SPOT is also home to a second-hand store, which helps support the food bank and the need financially on top of donations.

Statistics Canada says the reason behind May’s increase is due to higher month-over-month costs for fresh vegetables, meat, fresh fruit and non-alcohol beverages.

Fresh vegetables saw the biggest increase at 3.5 per cent, which is something the Petitcodiac Community Garden hopes to help with.

“The price of food increases and food insecurity is always an issue so this is a great opportunity for people to come to the community garden, to have their own plot or their own raised bed, and they can grow their own food here,” said Hall-Middleton. “I just bought some turnip seeds this morning. I think they were $2.39 or something and the amount of turnips I’ll get out of those wok far exceed the costs of the seeds.”

The Petitcodiac Community Garden meets every Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Community members can also rent their own plot or raised bed for $10 from the Municipal Office, which they get back at the end of the season when they return their gate key.

“The main reason why we do this in the community is really inspired by Gerry Gogan,” said Hall-Middleton. “Gerry Gogan was the previous mayor here, he since passed away, but he really was the whole inspiration for the whole park, the walking trails, the community garden, everything so everything inspires from him.”

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