Julia Frankling –
Week launched in September with Green Thumbs unveiling its 10,000 square-foot community farm atop the Daniel Spectrum building at 585 Dundas Street East. Thanks to a newly installed safety fence, the space is now open to the public.
Green Thumbs, a food and nature literacy organization known for working with school garden programs, is expanding its reach to the entire Regent Park neighbourhood. This new branch will host training sessions, workshops and community activities, all rooted in growing food, teaching sustainability and fostering community resilience.
Green Thumbs educates school children and downtown residents about growing produce, native and naturalized plant species, tree planting, composting and Indigenous land-connection wisdom. It promotes both physical and mental health, and environmental responsibility.
With food insecurity rising, the group sees urban farming as essential. “The more high-rises go in, the more food bank usage goes up; the more urban agriculture could be celebrated and supported,” says Sunday Harrison , Green Thumbs’ founder and executive director.
As the Regent Park revitalization project enters its next phase, more ground-level garden plots will be eliminated. Renting rooftop garden plots in nearby buildings costs around $40 per season, discouraging many residents and reducing access to affordable produce.
“The link to the kitchen is what we aim to improve in all of our schools. Some parents tell us the food being served [in schools] is unhealthy,” Harrison says. “We need a better garden-to-kitchen pipeline.”
The federal government has pledged $1 billion over five years to launch a national school food program, which could integrate organizations like Green Thumbs. “There are 584 schools in the TDSB, and only around four partners like ourselves reaching about 20 schools in total,” Harrison explains. “Other schools might have parent or teacher champions, but you want longevity with a non-profit that can raise funds.”
Foreseeing expansion to every school ward, “I think we’re creating a model to be replicated, as opposed to us scaling up to over 500 schools.”
Green Thumbs’ rooftop farm is already full of life, with large numbers of pollinators and fruitful harvests. Plans for future amenities include a greenhouse, corn maze, outdoor event space and meditation zones. But it hasn’t been without challenges.
Program manager Rebecca Davis notes, “There’s been a lot of pest plants like creeping Charlie, powdery mildew, as well as animal pests like geese, invasive worms, and rats. These are problems that every farm and garden has. Every method we use to fight them is organic.”
As rooftop gardener Mel March puts it, “Food is not the only important aspect of community gardening, it’s building relationships not only with one’s neighbour but also with the land and nature, as urban environments are disconnected. People are looking for that connection, and it has a major impact on mental health and wellness.”
Green Thumbs operates with a small year-round crew and is currently seeking volunteers and donations. To get involved, visit www.greenthumbsto.org.
