CoVic Garden Box Project
The Medical Arts Health Research Group is collaborating with other community partners to look for ways to provide better food security in Penticton while promoting mental health. One way that we hope to do this is by helping people grow more local fresh produce for ourselves and the food bank. To do this we are working with others to develop Co-Vic gardening boxes. Co-Vic garden boxes are small raised garden beds that are approximately 4 feet long by 4 feet wide by 8 inches tall. Participants can receive a raised garden bed to grow fresh produce for their household. We will assist them in setting up the garden bed and supply them with a second garden bed which will be grown for the Penticton Food Bank.
We are looking for support and donations towards our project. Some ways that you can help the community:
- Provide monetary funding to support a family receiving a garden box.
You can donate to our GoFundMe page. - Companies can donate lumber, screws, soil, fertilizer, gardening tools (tomato cages, gloves, shovels) and seeds/seedlings.
- Volunteer with us to assist in the assembly and distribution of the Co-Vic boxes.
If you are a household in Penticton that doesn’t currently have access to a garden, you have space for 2 raised beds, and you love fresh produce, please send an email to eva@medicalartsresearch.com explaining your situation and willingness to grow. We will be selecting 25 of the requests from these households to receive our free Co-Vic garden boxes.
Please include in your email:
- How many people are in your household
- Your need or willingness to grow fresh produce
- Why you would love to have a free raised bed
- Your contact information.
We have a limited number of garden boxes to give so please RSVP ASAP.
If you’re interested in collaborating with us please contact: eva@medicalartsresearch.com
Follow us on our Facebook page to keep up-to-date with this program.
Plein Air in the Garden
Late in July, we invited 8 local artists to come and paint in our Martin street garden (growing for the Food Bank). The artists brought their own supplies and began painting the scenery. Melissa Hartmann was our photographer for the event. The photos taken of the garden and the paintings will be used in a 2021 calendar which we hope to sell to raise funds for next years CoVic Garden Box Project which we hope to expand to reach more households.
Thank you to our artists who came to the event to support our project: Angie McIntosh, Bonny Billups, Gail Kalmar, Robyn Lake, Allen Berendin, Derrie Selles, Carolyn Sherman and Michael Sime.
