A market garden with a 30 share CSA on hospital grounds, a community garden for residents who are low income, and a raised bed garden for patients in wheelchairs. And yet, the most revolutionary part of the Farmers on 57th initiative at George Pearson Center may actually be a blender! When the project started in 2009 near Cambie and 57th, the idea of a farm and garden on land managed by Vancouver Coastal Health was innovative enough. During its first year, Farmers on 57th concentrated on making gardening accessible to the residents of George Pearson Center, whose conditions range from spinal cord injuries to ALS to MS.

The raised bed planters allow residents to garden alongside the beds at a comfortable height. Each set of two planters costs approximately $70 and measures 4 feet by 3 feet. In addition, specialized tools were developed to allow residents to be able to reach into the beds or point to where they wanted plants transplanted or weeds taken out. Because the planters are raised but fairly shallow, an automatic irrigation system was installed to prevent the beds from drying out. This was an investment, critical to the success of the garden, says Jen Rashleigh founder of the project. Once the beds were installed, volunteers from patient families, the neighbourhood, and the Master Gardener program in Vancouver, family members and Farmers on 57th staff launched the Garden Club. Beets, carrots, peas, kale and lettuce were planted. Staff would even come on their day off to volunteer at garden. “The Garden Club really helped to cut down boundaries between staff, patients & families, relates Rashleigh. “People come on their day off and relate to patients as fellow gardeners. The garden also gave families something to do and a non-medical place to meet with their loved ones”. With all the beautiful bounty ready to harvest, Farmers on 57th came up against their next challenge: how to get the fresh, organically grown produce incorporated into the residents’ diets? With such a large percentage of residents who have difficulties swallowing, the farmers were unable to prepare fresh salads. There weren’t even cutting boards or knives on hand if they wanted to. After some brainstorming, the idea of blending the produce was developed. Now, every Tuesday from June to September, up to 30 residents take advantage of fresh smoothies filled with both fruit and greens from the garden. Instead of using the standard thickener, the dietetic students introduced yoghurt to up the nutritional content of the smoothies. In addition to the Garden Club program, Farmers on 57th also maintain a 1-acre market garden that supplies a monthly community kitchen for George Pearson residents and their caregivers. Through a partnership with the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities, residents who can eat without blending the food prepare and eat produce from the market garden. Menus are planned around what’s in season and the farmers pay their “rent” for using the lands by supplying this kitchen. For more information on Farmers on 57th, visit their website at http://farmerson57th.wikispaces.com/ where you will find pictures, videos, as well as designs for the wheelchair accessible, tabletop gardens.