Community Garden Animation

Posted on by

Who we are

The Toronto Community Food Animators is a partnership between Afri-Can FoodBasket and two other non-profit food security organizations in Toronto: FoodShare and The Stop Community Food Centre. Each organization has a Community Food Animator who brings new projects to life and supports existing projects. We have worked together in partnership since 2004, sharing resources, developing training and exchanging experiences. The generous funders who make this project possible are the City of Toronto, the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, the Metcalf Foundation, and the United Way.

What is Community Garden Animation?

AFB Community Garden Animation program aims to cultivate neighbourhood Food Security and improve access to affordable, culturally appropriate and healthy food in diverse communities across the City of Toronto by simply providing communities the skills and assistance to grow their own food.

What do Community Garden Animators do?

Community Garden Animators are catalysts! We support the start-up and development of Community Garden, Children’s Garden and Back-Yard Garden projects by working closely with local leaders, residents’ groups and community agencies. We provide information, help facilitate partnerships, assist in project planning and offer some resources and training to support communities and groups as they start garden projects.

Community Gardens increases peoples’ access to healthy, fresh foods to help them eat and feel healthier. Community Gardens can also help create healthier, stronger communities by providing opportunities for individuals to meet new people, learn more about local services and build skills that contribute to community health and wellness.

Community gardens are planted by groups of people who work together to grow and harvest food. The benefits of community gardening extend beyond food production – gardeners say that community gardens help to keep them in shape, bring their family and neighbours closer, beatify their communities, increase their neighbourhood food security and create a sense of well-being and community belonging.

Afri-Can FoodBasket Community Garden Animation Projects include the following:

  • Adanac Community Garden – Scarborough Southwest
  • Jamestown Community Garden – Etobicoke North
  • Teesdale Community Garden – Scarborough Southwest
  • Lawrence Heights Community Gardens – Allen-Lawrence
  • Stonegate Community Gardens – Etobicoke-Lakeshore
  • Oriole/Peanut Community Gardens – Don Valley East
  • 3680 Keele St. Community Gardens – North York
  • Garden of Friends Community Garden – North York Jane & Finch
  • Bellvue Community Garden – Weston/Mount Dennis
  • 2195 Jane St. Seniors Community Garden – North York
  • Bishop Tutu Community Garden – Toronto Lakeshore Central
  • Firgrove Community Garden – North York Jane &Finch