The city's first community orchard in a public park will celebrate its first harvest festival at Ben Nobleman Park Thursday, Aug. 26.
The festival, to be held on Eglinton Avenue, just south of Eglinton West subway station, will include free fruit and snacks, a raffle, prizes, children's activities, educational booths and music from 5 to 8 p.m.The orchard, which is made up of fruit trees, a renovated pollinator and a handmade 20-foot-long wood table, has been in the works for two years."This beautiful outdoor space with healthy, hand-grown foods is a great example of how the efforts of one small group can make changes that affect the entire community," Susan Poizner, Growing Green co-ordinator, said in a release.Growing Green is a voluntary group of gardeners who work to create projects that make the community more sustainable and teach residents about gardening while beautifying Ben Nobleman Park.Support for the orchard, including $1,000 in Fiskars garden tools and another $1,000 for plants, seeds and mulch, was provided through Fiskars' Project Orange Thumb, a grant program providing community garden groups with the tools and materials they need to reach their goals for neighbourhood beautification and horticulture education.Fiskars, a scissors brand based in Finland, is a global supplier of home, garden and outdoor products.The orchard has also received grants from Live Green Toronto, Walmart-Evergreen, Carrot Cache and the City of Toronto.