Some Ottawans turning to urban farming to make ends meet

As food prices continue to climb, more people are turning their love for gardening into a way to save money.

Cole Etherington was not always a green thumb. In fact,he said his first year of gardening washorrible: his crops didn't grow, the soil wasn't right and everything that could gowrong, did.

"It just absolutely sucked,"he said.

Yetthat failurepushed him to evaluate where he went wrongand how he could improve. The following year when the snow melted,Etheringtonbegan again at his homesouth of Ottawa.

He said the game-changer was when he started using his chickens'manure as fertilizer. Since then, his budding garden has producedfresh vegetables including squash, tomatoes, cucumbers and an array of herbs.

He wants people to know growing their own food can also help reduce their carbon footprint.

"Even just one tomato plant in a pot of flowers on your balconyis part of the fight against climate change," he said.

"My hope is to empower people to embrace gardening by givingthem food access, food security, but also showing that they can helpmake a difference."

Meanwhile, Shabana Buwalda, who lives in a townhouse in Ottawa, has converted her backyard into a mini farm withseveral garden beds.

Her family of four has spent nearly six years growing much of their own produce,including carrots, beans, kale and beets. They then preserve whatever they can to last through the winter season.

"I would encourage people to start really small, just to getcurious," she said. "And with each passing season, you'll start torealize how little we need to rely on grocery stores."

Making the most of tight spaces

Even those who live in apartments are finding innovative ways to keep the greens growing.

Deborah Smeltzer had to downsize and adapt her gardening hobbyafter she moved out of her house two years ago.

"I had a huge garden. Every space in my yard was somekind of garden, and so I built a lot of knowledge through doing that and then life changed," she said.

Since moving into a one-bedroom apartment, she has experimented with ways to grow food in a minimized space.

In thewarmer months she started growing produce on her balcony, but anongoing feud with pigeons forced her indoors.

She has now built a plywood shelf atop the heater by herwindows to make room for an ever-growing collection of avocado andlemon trees.

My hope is to empower people to embrace gardening by givingthem food access, food security, but also showing that they can helpmake a difference.- Cole Etherington, Ottawa urban farmer

As for Etherington, he also hopes to pass along more than a love of gardening a messageof inclusiveness.

When he first started a small business putting together starter kits for people who are interested in gardening, he was hesitant about telling the worldthat he is a trans farmer, fearing backlash from a community that hedidn't think he fit into.

But he has received messages of supportfrom others who also didn't think they'd see anyone like themselvesin agriculture.

"I thought it was important to be that person, and gettingmessages from people saying they appreciate it just means the worldto me," he said.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta-Canadian Press News Fellowship, which is not involved in the editorial process.