It’a a bit of a carrot caper.
Vegetables, including carrots, have been going missing from the downtown community garden located on Main Street between Cleveland and Second avenues.
Animals may have originally been suspected, but some telltale human signs have ruled that out.
“Someone went to the trouble of digging up all these onion bulbs and then replanting the greens,” recounted Kyla Burrill, the downtown community garden co-ordinator for Squamish CAN.
“The owner went to water them and then looked closer and there weren’t any bulbs.”
Carrots, onions, kale and tomatoes have been the most common items taken.
The thefts have taken place over the last few weeks, adding up to over 10 incidents, according to Burrill.
“It is really not cool,” she said.
Tending to a garden plot takes a lot of work and dedication, Burrill said.
All the plots must be watered by hand because the District hasn’t allowed hoses to be hooked up in the garden.
Some gardeners put in 10 hours per week just on their own plot.
The garden has roughly 90 plots. Not–for-profits like Squamish Helping Hands Society, Sea to Sky Community Services and the Squamish Food Bank also have plots.
Each gardener pays $40 per year and must do four community hours in the garden in addition to attending to her individual plot.
Tools are provided in the onsite shed.
The District has also recently given the community garden 21 plots in the space between the sidewalk and the ditch.
For the new plots, Squamish CAN has provided seeds and soil to do “companion planting,” which is the planting of veggies that work well together and support the other’s growth– for example squash, beans and corn.
Current community plot owners can enter into a lottery to access one of those new plots. At the end of the year, those chosen are asked to donate 10 to 20 per cent of the harvest to the Squamish Food Bank.
“We’ll have a community harvest day where we’ll be making a donation,” Burrill explained.
With the thefts, Burrill said what is important to note is that the vegetables belong to someone and it is stealing to take them.
When gardeners have more than they need they leave extras on a white “abundance” shelf at the front of the garden.
Items left on the shelf are free for the public to take.
Anyone interested in a plot of their own can go to squamishcan.net/squamish-can-grow-community-garden to put their name on a wait list.
Squamish CAN is also hosting its first farm-to-table fundraiser dinner at Squamish Valley Hop Company Farm on Squamish Valley Road on Saturday, Sept. 16 starting at 5 p.m.
Go to “Squamish CAN Farm to Table Fundraiser Dinner” on Facebook for more on the event or squamishcan.net for more information.
