When Sonya Govahi came to Canada in 2006, she found the produce tasteless - nothing like the fresh tomatoes, eggplant and herbs her family grew back home in Iran. Govahi figured the lack of flavour was because much of the produce found in Canadian grocery stores was not organic, so she planted a few things on her apartment balcony in Burnaby, but space was at a premium.
Meanwhile, Luci Baja, who lives in the D.C. Patterson heritage house on 18th Avenue, wanted to turn her yard into a community garden, but she wasn't much of a green thumb.
The two belonged to different community groups - EPIC residents' association and Burnaby Food First. They learned about each other through a mutual connection and became the first match in a new program called Sharing Backyards. Burnaby Food First, a local food security group, created the program to connect gardeners with residents who have surplus yard space.
"I like to garden because it makes me feel connected to the Earth," Govahi says, seated on Baja's porch swing.
"I don't have the knowledge, and it's a big space," Baja adds. "I just wanted to share it. The way of the future is community gardens, growing food ourselves, ... I just thought it was selfish, all this land we weren't using."
Burnaby Food First facilitates the Sharing Backyards matches, and the pairs come up with an agreement on how and when the space will be used and what will be done with the harvest.
So far, Govahi has planted kale, lettuce, swiss chard, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, beets, peas, beans, parsnips, squash, onion, garlic, chives and marigold. The two women have been working together, digging the earth side by side, and Baja is learning a lot from Govahi, who plans to share her harvest in exchange for using the land.
There are no rules with Sharing Backyards; each agreement is tailor-made for the pair involved.
"Sonya can come anytime she wants, but she lets me know," Baja says. "It's up to the homeowner to set those rules."
Govahi would like to see the program grow in Burnaby, so people meet their neighbours and grow their own food. Burnaby is very multicultural, she says, and there are a lot of people from different places.
"This will build a stronger community," she says.
To get involved in the program, go to burnabyfoodfirst.blogspot.ca and click on Sharing Backyards. Then register for the group's online forum, and post a description of what you're looking for or what you're offering. Or, email Leanne Zmud, project coordinator with Burnaby Food First, at burnabyfoodfirst@gmail.com.
