History of Carrefour Solidaire CFC’s Urban Agriculture Programs

Since 2012, we have piloted several projects that have taken us far

  • Fruixi-Youth: We facilitated activities that promoted the discovery of the cycle from seed to plate, while setting up gardens in the neighborhood’s CPEs and daycare services in 2012 and 2013
  • Creation of a vegetable-growing alley (2012)
  • Garlic planting on the South Shore of Montreal (2012 to 2018)
  • Collective garden at the Montreal Botanical Garden with a collective kitchen group in 2013 and 2014
  • Fruixi-Garden: Urban agriculture eco-advisory service, urban agriculture awareness in markets (2014)
  • Accompanying the potted garden at Tours Frontenac, mainly with seniors (2013-2015)
  • Rooftop garden of a neighborhood café-bistro, apiary on the roof of an arts venue
  • Installation of 6 new growing bins, a mushroom bed and a perennial and melliferous plant bed in the St-Eusèbe garden at the corner of Rouen and Fullum streets. In total, we added 400 square feet of growing space to the garden! (2015)
  • Récoltes Solidaires Garden on the roof of the Ruelle de l’avenir (2016-2018)

In 2018…

3 collective and educational gardens that brought together 128 gardeners and apprentice gardeners:

  • St. Eusèbe Garden at the corner of Rouen and Fullum streets, dedicated to neighborhood residents
  • Shared garden around the greenhouse Emily de Witt
  • Récoltes Solidaires Garden on the roof of the Ruelle de l’avenir
  • 14 free workshops open to the general public
    64 gardening sessions with 7 regular groups –
    4 groups of 2 CPEs, 8 families from the neighborhood, 14 participants in the Solidarity Harvest project.
  • 2 collective kitchens to process and share our crops.
  • 4 tours of inspiring urban agriculture locations.

In 2019…

  • Shared garden around the greenhouse Emily-de-Witt and in the schoolyard of Jean-Batiste-Meilleur
    • 20 garden bins installed in the schoolyard, adding 250 sq. ft. of growing space
    • 8 bins and containers added around the greenhouse
  • Végétalia Garden 
    • Temporary garden installed in extreme conditions: no access to water and electricity, full sun and significant wind corridor
    • 100 Smart pots of 100 gallons each
    • 1350 sq. ft. of cultivable area
    • Interesting and successful challenge!

In 2020…

  • Shared garden around the Emily de Witt greenhouse and in the schoolyard of Jean-Batiste-Meilleur
    • 20 garden boxes in the schoolyard (250 ft2)
    • 8 bins and containers around the greenhouse
  • New! The Promenade des Saveurs on rue Dufresne (at the corner of rue De Rouen)
    • 120 Smart pot of 100 gallons
    • 1620 sq. ft. of cultivable area
    • Landscaped pedestrian street