OTTAWA — Cole Etherington didn’t always have a green thumb. In fact, he said that his first year gardening It was terrible: His crops didn’t grow, the soil wasn’t right, and everything that could go wrong did.
“It absolutely sucked,” Etherington said.
But that failure only prompted him to evaluate where he went wrong and how he could improve. When the snow melted the following year, Etherington resumed at his home 45 minutes south of Ottawa.
The game-changer, he said, was when he started using the manure from his chickens as a fertilizer. Since then, their budding garden has produced fresh vegetables including squash, tomatoes, cucumbers and a surprising array of herbs.
Etherington has always been interested in ways to reduce his carbon footprint and increase plant diversity through farming.
“Even just a tomato plant in a flower pot on your balcony is part of the fight against climate change,” he said.
Neighbors provide ‘amazing’ support for Calgary’s urban farming business
Air Canada says no, then gives customer credit after booking error
As food prices continue to climb, more people are turning their love of gardening into a way to save money.
Shabana Buvalda, who lives in a townhouse in Ottawa, is one of them.
Her city backyard isn’t the biggest plot of land to start growing food, but her family now has several gardens,
Now, going into its sixth season, the family of four has preserved a full winter’s supply of herbs and tomatoes. They grow most of their own produce, including carrots, beans, kale and sugar beets, and preserve what they can.
“I would encourage people to start really small, just to be curious,” she said. “And with each passing season, you’ll start to realize how little we need to depend on grocery stores.”
Sun Youth is finding creative ways to introduce Montreal’s kids to urban gardening
A rare green comet not seen in 50,000 years is approaching. Here’s how Canadians can watch it
Deborah Smeltzer had to downsize and adapt her gardening hobby after she moved out of her home two years ago.
“Years ago, I had a huge garden. Everywhere in my yard was some kind of garden, and so I built up a lot of knowledge by doing that — and then life changed,” she said.
Since moving to a one-bedroom apartment, Smeltzer has been experimenting with ways to grow food in a minimal amount of space. In the warmer months he started growing produce on his balcony, but an ongoing feud with pigeons forced him to stay indoors.
She’s now built a plywood shelf above the heater by her windowsill to make room for her growing collection of avocado and citrus trees.
For Etherington, urban farming has led to a growing sense of community.
He has now started a small business for anyone interested in gardening, with an emphasis on making gardening beds small enough to fit comfortably inside an apartment.
Okotok chicken owner praises Calgary’s urban chicken regulations: ‘It’s cute and not smelly’
Meet Spike: Guinness’ Nap-Loving, Dorito-Munching the Oldest Dog on Earth
When he first started out he was hesitant to tell the world that he was a trans farmer, fearing backlash from a community he didn’t feel he fit into. But he has received messages of support from others who didn’t even think they’d see someone like him in agriculture.
Etherington said, “I thought it was important to be that person, and to get messages from people saying they appreciate it means the world to me.”
Each of their kits comes with bedding made from reclaimed hardwood and lined with upcycled chicken feed. They also have plants ready to be grown, a set of instructions and compost from the “happiest chickens in the world.”
“It doesn’t get much more local than growing your home grown food,” he said.
“My hope is to empower people to embrace horticulture by giving them food access, food security, but also showing that they can help make a difference.”
© 2023 The Canadian Press