A new greenhouse that was awarded to a Chilliwack charity will help them in growing their community garden project, says the society’s executive director.
Chilliwack Bowls of Hope Society was the recipient of a 12-foot-by-15-foot greenhouse for their Community Roots Garden after winning a contest put on by Goodwin’s Greenhouses of Abbotsford.
“This is going to be great for all of the gardeners to be able to protect their vulnerable seedlings in the cold temperatures, for us to be able to grow some really nice heat-loving plants like peppers and tomatoes and cucumbers, and it’s going to serve as a nursery for the plants that need a little extra help,” said Michelle Dennill, executive director with Bowls of Hope.
The society provides food security programs to children and families in Chilliwack and the surrounding areas.
They were the winners of the 2023 Great Greenhouse Giveaway back in December, and the greenhouse was constructed on March 7.
Dennill said it’s an “amazing” gift and added that plants can now be grown in optimal conditions and a controlled environment.
It will mainly be a place for them to start seedlings that will later be moved out to the plots when they’re ready.
“This will act as a great opportunity for gardeners to learn the beginning and the end of the season,” said Stewart Fuoco operations manager for the Community Roots Garden, and a University of the Fraser Valley student. “It’s an educational opportunity for us to teach gardeners and use this space to grow plants correctly and in the best way possible.”
In May 2022, Chilliwack Bowls of Hope opened the Community Roots Garden in partnership with the UFV Agricultural Student Association and the City of Chilliwack.
READ MORE: Chilliwack Bowls of Hope opens community garden with communal and private plots
The garden, located on Wolfe Road in Chilliwack, is made up of both private plots and a communal garden. Those who rent the private plots keep most of the produce for themselves and then donate whatever extra they have to Bowls of Hope’s ‘Feed the Children’ lunch program. Food for the program, which provides meals to more than 900 children in the Chilliwack School District, also comes from the communal garden which is grown by volunteers.
The new greenhouse will impact both the gardeners and the Feed the Children program.
“It’s going to give people a social opportunity to learn and be part of the team that provides the plants for the garden,” Fuoco said.
Some of the first plants, which will be in the greenhouse in about two weeks, include onions and broccoli.
The Great Greenhouse Giveaway started three years ago when Goodwin’s Greenhouses owner Wayne Goodwin noticed there was a need for school/community greenhouses, but often that need wasn’t being met – whether it was due to funding, space or other reasons.
“This is a great way to solve all of that, and for us to give back,” Goodwin said.
The value of greenhouse, which included installation, was about $5,000, he added.
Cultus Lake Community School won the contest in its inaugural year, and Tomekichi Homma Elementary School in Richmond was the 2022 winner.
Applications for the 2024 Great Greenhouse Giveaway will open in July. The winner will be announced in December, and the greenhouse would be installed in late winter/early spring of the following year. It is open to organizations, communities, and schools within the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland from Vancouver to Hope.
