Food Banks across Toronto have this week distributed 2,000 lettuce growing kits to households across the city.
The kits come courtesy of Scotts Canada, a lawn care company and subsidiary of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. Scotts donated the boxes directly to
Daily Bread, the largest distributor to food banks and other hunger relief agencies in the GTA (Daily Bread has more than 170 member agencies).
"Scotts Canada had been partnering up with the Mississauga Food Bank for a number of years and they got in touch us with a few months ago and wanted to know if this was something we'd be interested in," says Gail Nyberg, executive director of the Daily Bread Food Bank. "And we said, 'yes absolutely,' it's got a number of benefits."
The lettuce kits, Nyberg explains, not only allow people to grow their own food and put more fresh produce on the table, but they also provide a great opportunity for teaching children about the fruits and vegetables they eat.
"Kids who grow up in urban settings often think that fruits and vegetables come from No Frills, from the supermarket," says Nyberg. "So I think these kits are a really good way to help kids understand where vegetables actually come from, that they grow."
The kits allow households without access to a garden or backyard to grow their own produce. All they need is a balcony or a windowsill.
"It’s a fun project to do," says Nyberg. "You can begin to see lettuce within a week. It’s the gift that keeps on giving."
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Gail Nyberg, Executive Director, Daily Bread Food Bank