WildSight Elk Valley is looking to bolster local food production with a container farm project on the horizon. The container farm will be in front of the community EcoGarden, with operations slated to start in the spring.
Dawn Deydey, container farm project manager, said, “Our region, in the Elk Valley, only has 90 frost-free growing days, so we’re very limited in the time we can grow food in our area.”
“We’re not going to ship in lettuce from California, and it’s going to be grown in our community. That makes an incredible difference in the freshness of the food, the transportation needed to get the food to us, and our ability to depend on the food source,” said Deydey.
They plan to start with growing leafy greens before broadening their variety. “We’re going to start with lettuce, kale, and some of those simple greens. We’re going to be able to expand from that as we progress.”
Once they start growing, Wildsight intends to donate fresh produce to those in need, as well as sell some of it to make sure their income is sustainable. “A portion is going to Food Banks, to school lunches and aged care – people who really need access to fresh, local food,” said Deydey.
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