The Cranbrook Community Garden is located in Eric MacKinnon Park on 18th Ave N between 8th and 6th streets. The public produce garden was born in 2012 and is cared for by the Cranbrook Food Action Committee.

The garden is always unlocked (although there’s a fence to keep the deer out) and welcomes everyone in the community to come and take part in the life of a local food garden. From seeding to weeding to harvesting, all tasks are considered equal in this communally-managed space.

Unlike the typical community garden, the Cranbrook Community Garden is open to the entire community, not just those who have garden plots.

A sign in the garden lays out the rules:

• Please keep the gate closed.
• Leave the garden in better shape than you found it.
• Come back often and bring a friend.

The Food Action Committee is always in need of extra garden items such as seeds, seedlings or perennial transplants, extra garden tools, and mulching materials. They request that community members, when they are taking a load of leaves to the dump, consider bringing taking them to the garden instead.

The Cranbrook Community Garden has just about everything you could ask for. A berry section has raspberries, strawberries, goji berries and currants. There are raised boxes of herbs, There are potatoes, carrots, squash, and pumpkins . There are also corn, cabbage, green and purple beans, and multiple varieties of lettuce.

To assist non-seasoned gardeners, each section and produce item boasts a sign that lets you know if it’s ready for harvesting.

For more information about the Cranbrook Food Action Committee, send an email to: cranbrookfood@gmail.com