A local master gardener has one idea for how individuals Canadians can counter the impact of current and future tariffs on their lives.
A backyard garden, even a small one, can make a difference in your grocery bill, and it can take your mind off the news feed for a bit.
Marianne Lepa, a Collingwood resident and master gardener who has been growing food since childhood, says the main issue with food on a global level is the "shameful" distribution practices.
“We get the economy from where we put our money,” she said.
But there's a way to cut out those distribution costs: get the food that's growing in your neighbourhood.
“If you want to start a garden of your own it’s just a matter of digging up a bit of earth and putting some seeds into it and giving it some water,” she said.
Lepa has been gardening her whole life. She started at a young age, with her family’s vegetable garden.
Today, purchasing produce outside of local communities does not cross her mind.
Living in an apartment unit, she grows her own vegetables year-round through an allotment garden with Free Spirit Gardens. Lepa rents the space to grow a variety of produce and supplements what she doesn’t grow through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
Meat and eggs can also be sourced via CSAs.
“It’s a win-win for the farmer and the customer. The farmer has their up front costs and fees for any compost and materials to grow, and everyone who has paid in gets a good variety of food,” she said about CSA.
The further away produce is sourced, the longer it has been since harvested.
“Not only is it a huge carbon footprint, and damage to the environment, but those food items are not as good as the ones that can be grown much closer,” she said.
She pointed out that produce loses its nutritional value once it is picked. Plus, some items at grocery stores are sourced from other countries yet also grown locally.
“Kale is an extremely hardy crop. I leave it in my garden exposed all winter long and go to harvest when I need some. It’s a year-round super food,” she said.
Since becoming certified through the Simcoe County Master Gardeners in 2023, Lepa runs a course from the start of May to the end of October each year, teaching the fundamentals of planting, harvesting, preserving and how to maintain garden tools.
“It’s the gardener’s job to make sure that the soil is in good condition, the seeds get enough water, and reduce weed competition,” she explained.
To get started with a backyard garden, she suggested even 32 square feet is enough for multiple items that are easy to grow such as tomatoes, beans and zucchini. She distinguished between crops that grow in cooler temperatures like cabbage and brussel sprouts.
“You put them in the spring and then wait for the first frost and they’re ready to go,” she said.
Not everyone has a backyard or even the proper space to start their own garden. Often, the soil quality around rental units is not adequate for gardening.
There are some indoor options, however, that can be easy, such as sprouting and microgreens, which don't need light and the nutritional value is in the stem, said Lepa.
Many microgreens are affordable as well. A pack of alfalfa seeds for $11 produces a couple hundred grams of sprouts. Lepa uses a tablespoon at a time to sprout enough for herself for a couple of days.
“A number of places sell seeds specifically for microgreens and spouting, I use Mumm’s,” she said.
For those with a little more space to work with, such as a balcony, the master gardener would select beans and lettuce as staples.
“Beans are a source of protein and lettuce is full of vitamins and minerals, and both of them, when they go to seed you can collect it and plant it again the next year,” she explained.
Spending time outside, getting exercise, and the mood-boost from having her hands in the soil are all benefits Lepa loves about gardening.
“It feels good, watching something grow that you’re taking care of,” she said about her gardens.
She reminisced of her experiences learning how to garden as a child.
“Traditionally kids hate vegetables, but if they grow them themselves they are quite happy to eat their veggies,” she said with a chuckle.
Lepa enjoys having people in her workshops who didn’t experience gardening in their youth.
“I try to make that experience for them, growing food together,” she said.
The Simcoe County Master Gardeners host workshops and attend farmers markets. They also reserve a table for any inquiries at the Collingwood Garden Club’s plant sale.