Moosomin community garden plots available for upcoming growing season
March 9, 2026, 9:38 am
Nicole Taylor, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Residents interested in growing their own produce this summer will once again have the opportunity to rent space at the Moosomin community garden located north of the South Cemetery between the Public Works shop and the cemetery.
“The raised garden boxes there are giving people easier access. If they have mobility issues or they can’t bend over to plant a garden on the ground, it makes it easier,” said Moosomin Mayor Murray Gray. “It’s also nice because it secures the produce from the deer, because they’re fenced in as well. It went pretty well last year. They weren’t set up until close to planting time, so we’re hoping to have them all rented further in advance this year.
“We had all but one plot rented for the actual on-the-ground garden, and I think only about half of the garden boxes were rented last year. The rest we planted for the community, and that produce went back to the food bank.
“The garden boxes are very nice. They’re handy. I planted one myself and I liked it, because I know which things you plant in the garden that the deer like. I hid those inside there so they didn’t eat them, and it worked good.
They’re located just north of the South Cemetery, between our Public Works shop and the South Cemetery. They’re at the community garden, and the labyrinth is right beside them.”
Affordable way to get food
“The cost of buying groceries is huge right now, so having those garden boxes for seniors who are on a fixed income is important,” said Gray. “They can go out there, rent a garden box and grow some produce. It’s better for you too—no pesticides and no preservatives—so I think it’s very beneficial to the community.”
A 10 by 15 plot is $30, a 10 by 30 plot is $60, and the raised garden bed is $25. There are 12 raised beds available to rent.
“I don’t think people are really in garden mode yet, but I think there will be more interest as we get closer to spring. That’s why talking about it now in March is good, because it gives people time to plan. Usually May long weekend is when people start planting. We want to get the word out, so hopefully they’re all full.”
Social side of gardening
“There’s also a social aspect to gardening that I didn’t realize existed,” said Gray. “Everybody kind of competes to see who can grow the biggest cucumber or the biggest squash, so that part’s nice too. It began as just an idea and a few little plots, and people realized it’s a nice way to connect yourself to the ground.
There’s a grounding aspect to it.
“I also think the cost of food is atrocious right now, especially for people on a fixed income. Growing your own produce helps with that, and it’s good for the environment too because you’re not having food grown somewhere else and trucked here.
“If you have a small yard and don’t want half of it for a garden, you can just go out there. The water is already there and everything is set up. As the population grows, there will be more people who can’t plant a garden at home, especially with more apartments going up. We want to have an option for them. Basically the cost of the plots is just recovering the cost of the water.”
Future improvements
“At some point it would be nice to put a fence around the whole garden. And maybe add a garden shed. Those would probably be the next steps,” said Gray,
“Gardening is actually way more rewarding than I realized. You watch it grow, then it goes to your table and you eat it. It tastes better because you had a hand in growing it. I wasn’t a gardener before I started with my plot out there. Now I have four plots and a raised garden bed because it kind of becomes an addiction.”
Reserving a plot
“Anybody interested in renting a plot or a raised garden bed can contact the town office. The staff there have all the information. It’s first come, first served, so if you want a plot I would reserve it sooner rather than later.
Usually we’re about 90 per cent full each year. If we ever filled them all up and there was a lot of demand, we could expand the garden in the future.”
