Ottawa Valley
Food Security Project

Uniting families in West Ottawa to cultivate locally grown vegetables, share healthy food through Food Sharing Stands, and work together toward food sovereignty.

This not-for-profit organization, founded by Dr. Kehoe MacLeod in 2023, leads the Community Backyard Garden Project and the Ottawa Valley Food Sharing Stand Initiative. In its second year, this community-led project brought together 160 families in West Ottawa to learn to grow vegetable gardens in their backyards. They were supplied with seeds donated by project partners McKenzie Seeds and Dollarama, seedlings started by members of the project’s organizing committee and Dunrobin Nursery, compost donated by Dekka Home Hardware, and straw mulch paid for with funds donated by the Stittsville District Lions Club.

The project offers in-person and virtual educational sessions throughout the growing season. In partnership with the Ottawa Public Library, Food Sharing Stands are hosted at the Constance Bay Pharmacy and four library branches for families and community members to share a portion of their harvest with those in need. Project leaders hope to continue expanding next year by enrolling more families into the project and opening new Food Sharing Stands in across the Ottawa Valley.

We are done accepting families into the 2024 cohort of the Community Backyard Garden Project. Participating families received all the information you need to grow a thriving vegetable garden in the Ottawa Valley. Families also received free seeds, seedlings, educational sessions, and access to support and mentorship through our Facebook group. Families signed up for two donations days at the Food Sharing Stand of their choice.