Phase one of the Cranbrook Urban Farm is now underway at Pop Price Park, with the Community Connections Society of Southeast BC undertaking some construction work ahead of their public information session set for mid-November.
The Cranbrook Urban Farm is part of the Society's good food program, which is using a hydroponic growing system to grow and help provide the community with fresh leafy greens all year round.
The Connections Society is hosting a Community Information Session on Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 1 to 2 p.m. at Pop Price Park (Slater Road & Briar Avenue) for the public to learn about the farm project and meet the team who will operate and manage the Cranbrook Urban Farm.
The Connections Society is collaborating with Kootenay Employment Services, Wildsight, B.C Ministry of Agriculture and Food, College of the Rockies and Interior Health to bring the project to fruition. It has entered into a License of Occupation with the City for a three-year term for the greenhouse, through a Temporary Use Permit which can be renewed once for another three-year term.
Connections Society project coordinator Sophie Larsen announced the project last year at an Ed Talk at the Cranbrook History Centre. She said the space would be used to grow mostly leafy greens and herbs, and she estimated there would be enough space to cultivate over 600 heads of lettuce at one time.
She expressed desire to sell some of the produce, but also give some away for free to organizations to distribute it to people in need. Larsen works closely with Cranbrook Foodbank Society, Salvation Army, Street Angels, and the local schools.
Hydroponics differs from traditional farming in that plants are grown using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil, in floating cubes lined with a material called rockwool.
One of the advantages to this method of farming is that it allows urban areas to cultivate dense crops with less space and using fewer resources. Produce is grown year-round in-doors, eliminating the need for seasonal and climate-specific growing, and the loss associated with weather-related events.
Learn more about the project at www.cranbrookurbanfarm.com.
