4/9/2016

UrbanfarmwinsoverGarneauneighboursafterrockystartEdmontonCBCNews

UrbanfarmwinsoverGarneauneighboursafterrockystart
CBCNewsPosted:Aug21,20147:04PMMTLastUpdated:Aug21,20148:47PMMT
ItwasntacallBrianPeelwasexpectingwhilehewasoutoftheprovinceafewmonthsago.
Afellowthatwascheckingonmyhousephonedmeandtoldmetheyreabouttodigupthelotsandcreateafarmnextdoor,Peelrecalledwitha
laugh.
LactucaurbanfarmmovestoNorthlandssite
Urbanfarmersellsbackyardbountyatnearbymarket
Iwasalarmed,actually,whenIheardaboutthis.IhadnoinformationandIwasjusttotallycaughtoffguardbyit.
ThenewswasevenmoresurprisingbecausePeellivesatat111thStreetand83rdAvenue,rightintheheartofEdmontonsGarneauneighbourhood.
OnlyasmallwalkwayseparatesPeelshomeandthenewquarteracreoperationcalledReclaimUrbanFarm.Despitehisproximity,noonefromthe
cityorthefarmcontactedhim.
Themiscommunicationcouldhavelaunchedabitterandlonglastingneighbourhooddispute.
Butthankstothewillingnessofbothpartiestolistenandmendfences,thestoryhasahappyending.

Urbanfarmsfairlynew
RyanMasonandCathrynSprague,theoperatorsofReclaimFarm,thoughttheyhaddonetheirhomework.
UrbanfarmsarestillarelativelynewconceptinEdmontonbutboththecityandpropertyownerSt.JohnsInstituteweresupportiveofwhatMason
andSpraguewereplanning.
ONMOBILE:ListentotheCBC'sMatthewKupferhere

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However,somepeopleintheneighbourhoodhadconcerns.TheGarneauCommunityLeagueworriedwhethertheprojectwaslegal.Andnoone
understoodwhatthefarmwasgoingtolooklike.
AsforPeel,hehadplentyofquestionsforhisnewneighbours.
Weretheygoingtospraythecrops?Wherewasthewatergoingtocomefrom?Wasthisgoingtoinvolvechemicals,spraying?Wasthisgoingto
comeontomyproperty,thiskindofthing,hesaid.SothesewerelegitimatequestionsIhadtoask.
MasonadmitsheandSpraguewerentasthoroughastheyshouldhavebeen.Whiletheycanvassedthecommunity,theydidntgettoeveryone.
Andwedidn'tgettotalktothedirectneighbourwhichisprobablythemostimportantonetodealwith,hesaid.

Mendingfences
Whenthatconversationfinallyhappened,PeelwasabletogetanswersfromMasonandSprague.PlannersfromthecityofEdmontonalsocontacted
him.
NowPeeliscompletelyonside.HegivesReclaimaccesstohiswaterandshedtheyhelphimwithcostsandsharesomeoftheproducefromthe
farm.
Peelispleasedthatthelotisnolongerbeingusedforparking.HeisalsoabigfanofwhatReclaimistryingtoachieveandimpressedbyhowthe
projectunfolded.
Justobservinghowthesevacantlots,whichwerebasicallyderelict,havebeentransformedintoaveryproductiveurbanfarm,andjustwatchingthe
industrywithwhichRyanandCathryn[and]someoftheotherpeoplethatarehelpingthemhaveattackedtheproperty,hesaid.
ReclaimisnowsellingbagsofmixedgreensatfarmersmarketsandsupplyingproducetoFringevenueslikeCafeBicycletteandVivo.
Lessonshavebeenlearnedfromthisexperience.HaniQuan,principalplannerofthecitysfoodandurbanagriculturedivision,saysthisisagreat
exampleofhowimportantitistobetransparentaboutbrandnewprojects.
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UrbanfarmwinsoverGarneauneighboursafterrockystartEdmontonCBCNews

VictoriaJoneswiththeGarneauCommunityLeaguesaysthecityneedstoupdateitszoningtocatchupwithwhatcitizenswant.
AsforMason,heisnowabletoofferthisadvice.
Getintothecommunityleagues,getintoanynonprofitsintheareathatarereallycommunityfocused,hesaid.
Goandmeettheneighboursandchatwiththemandseewhattheirconcernsare.Trytoprovideexamplesofwhat'sgoingtohappenbecauseit's
abstractbeforeithappens.
WithfilesfromtheCBC'sMatthewKupfer
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