DESI DIARY

BRAMPTON’S BACKYARD GARDEN PROGRAM 

Brampton’s Backyard Garden Program helps support food security by providing participants with free soil, seeds and helpful tips to grow their own backyard garden. Image credit: CDC on Unsplash.

Brampton’s Backyard Garden Program, launched in April 2020 as the first of its kind in Canada in response to COVID-19, returns for its fifth year. This eco-friendly initiative helps support food security in Brampton by providing participants with free soil, seeds and helpful tips to grow their own backyard garden.

Residents are encouraged to donate their homegrown crops to local food banks and community organizations listed on the City’s website. Last year, the program saw nearly 4,000 lbs of produce donated to residents in need from April to October 2023. Since 2020, the program has raised nearly 30,000 lbs in produce donations.

Participants are asked to send a monthly update with pictures of their garden, which will be featured on the program’s web page. Photos of this year’s backyard gardens, gardening tips, tutorials, and resources will also be available on the web page. Residents can use the hashtag #BramptonBackyardGarden to share their backyard gardens on social media.

Residents can register online to receive a free garden sampler seed kit and five bags of soil at www.brampton.ca/backyardgarden.

Applications will close once the program reaches 3,000 participants. The program is open to new participants only.   

Delivery of seeds and soil will begin at the end of March.