Calling for City support for urban agriculture!

[Rhonda Teitel-Payne]

Hello TUGgers,

Do you want your community to be able to garden, grow food, work in local food, have nutritious food to eat, and more? 

 

Let’s transform the city of Toronto and demand permanent staff support for urban agriculture initiatives.

 

Toronto Urban Growers is asking Toronto residents to email their City Councillors and the Mayor and ask for permanent staff support for urban agriculture policy in the City of Toronto.

 

In 2012, Toronto City Council adopted the GrowTO Urban Agriculture Action Plan and while there have been successes, there have also been setbacks and reversals when it comes to urban agriculture.  People who want to grow food are encountering barriers from long wait lists to confusing policies that don’t explicitly support urban agriculture or actively prohibit it. In addition, enabling language for food and urban agriculture is still missing from many key City policies, such as the Official Plan, TransformTO and the Toronto Green Standard.

 

A changing climate along with increased costs of living threaten Toronto’s resilience, livability and community health. Urban agriculture supports many of the city’s goals, including reducing food insecurity, increasing access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food, reducing urban temperatures, managing stormwater, creating economic opportunities, increasing biodiversity, connecting residents to nature and culture and more! Toronto has made many local and international commitments and we need permanent staff to ensure the City follows through. 

 

To help bring this vision of Toronto to life, we have created an email template that can be easily sent to the Mayor and your Councillor. You are also encouraged to write your own customized message about why urban agriculture is important to you. How does growing food in Toronto make your life and your neighbourhood better? What challenges did you encounter in your urban agriculture projects? How would permanent staff reduce barriers to urban agriculture and ensure that the city follows through on its commitments? 

 

https://win.newmode.net/torontourbangrowers/callingformunicipalsupportforurbanagricultureintoronto

 

Want to get involved? This campaign is only a starting point! We realize there are many diverse needs and priorities of communities across Toronto. As we work to draft a motion that can go to City Council, we want to hear from you! Share your ideas in this survey or contact us at in...@torontourbangrowers.org 

 

Thank you for your support!

 

We look forward to greening and growing Toronto together! 

 

Sincerely,

 

Rhonda, Joe and James

Rhonda Teitel-Payne (she/her)

Co-coordinator

Toronto Urban Growers

www.torontourbangrowers.org

Toronto Urban Agriculture Week 

Sept 14-22, 2024

http://www.uaweekto.wordpress.com/

@TOurbangrowers #iGrowTO