The Windsor/ Essex County Community Garden Collective is a free association of Community Garden members from across Windsor and Essex County. It exists to provide support to members and general public regarding starting gardens, maintaining community gardens and sharing community garden resources and information. Every garden has its own unique mission and personality that reflects the neighbourhood it is born in.
Our History
The Windsor & Essex County Community Garden Collective is a network of Community Garden and Urban Agriculture projects in Windsor and Essex County. Most of the community gardens were developed at grass roots level. Two of the gardens were developed by agencies in partnership with the community and received United Way funding to start. Many of our gardens were a direct result of the City of Windsor’s ‘Seed & Feed’ one time program that gave out start up monies for the community gardens to get established. The majority of the community gardens rely on donations of time and labour from the community to continue. These public spaces are managed by teams of dedicated and highly committed members of each community garden. Thousands of pounds of food are shared with the community informally and through food rescue programs. Each community garden can be congratulated for the hard work they put in all year round to maintain, plan, harvest, and share their bounty with children, parents, individuals, community groups and neighbourhoods. The Windsor and Essex County Community Garden Collective is not run by any local organization- but cooperates with many. It is grateful for all those businesses and agencies that partner with the gardens to make this happen. We could not do it without your support. The WECCGC is also grateful for the Ontario Trillium Foundation for supporting the role of a Network Coordinator to assist in the growth of the movement. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Strategic Priorities – 2014
Windsor Essex County Community Garden Collective
(Adopted, November 2013)
Maintaining Existing Gardens:
WECCGC will work together to ensure all gardens remain productive, welcoming green spaces. This will occur through both regular maintenance and anticipatory planning for future tasks. We exist to support one another in our community garden projects, to share knowledge and experience, and to work together to establish a vibrant community garden network across Windsor and Essex County.
New Gardens:
WECCGC will endeavor to develop new gardens as volunteer capacity and financial resources allow. The WECCGC will seek out external funding as necessary to develop these garden spaces. Other types of gardens may be considered beyond the current garden model.
Education & Mentorship:
WECCGC will continue to provide educational events and information to its members and the wider community through skill sharing among local gardeners. Workshops, garden events and other educational activities will be held to ensure that all gardeners have the skills and knowledge to grow good gardens and make good use of the food they produce. This will involve supporting new gardeners, working with schools, and continuing to develop workshops and educational materials. When possible, external funding and partnerships will be used to improve and formalize educational offerings.
Advocacy & Networking:
WECCGC will work to support and enable existing and emerging organizations involved with food production, food security, access to local food in Windsor and Essex County. The Collective seeks to engage the public regarding community gardens, there purpose and value within neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban.
