The YWCA Vancouver Rooftop Food Garden is this year's recipient of the Christmas party raffle proceeds in the amount of $750. It is an urban treasure that provides healthy, nutritious food to women and children at the YWCA Crabtree Corner, a family resource centre in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The garden is managed in a sustainable manner and is an example of what can be done to solve nutritional poverty and food security issues.

This innovative project began in 2006 when YWCA, community and corporate volunteers experimented with growing produce on the fifth floor rooftop of the downtown fitness facility. The existing ornamental garden was gradually transformed into a fruitful community garden. Garden production relies completely on volunteers who plant, care for, harvest and deliver the food.

A wide variety of seasonal produce from arugula to zucchini is grown. Earlier this year, berries were planted and plans are underway to plant fruit trees and perennials this winter. In its first year, the garden yielded over 150 kilos of produce. More than 450 kilos was harvested in each of 2007 and 2008, the entirety of which was donated. The goal is to produce one tonne of food per year in the next three to five years.

Produce is delivered to Crabtree Corner's community kitchen by bike cart. Food waste is then be returned to compost and fertilize the soil, thereby completing the cycle. These are just a few examples of how the YWCA is reducing its ecological footprint. For more information on the YWCA Vancouver Rooftop Food Garden, contact Ted Cathcart at 604-895-5792 or tcathcart@ywcavan.org.

Next year, the YWCA Vancouver will give us a tour of the garden. In the meantime, if you would like to offer your experience in vegetable and fruit production as a resource person or workshop leader, call Fleur Palliardi at 604-895-5762 or fpalliardi@ywcavan.org.