The annual rare Spring Plant Sale fundraiser will return on May 14.
On sale will be thousands of spring seedlings including vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers, and native pollinator species, all grown in the greenhouses at Springbank Farm.
The event will take place at the rare Charitable Research Reserve ECO Centre and Slit Barn at 768 Blair Road from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“This is our fourth time holding the event. It did not run in 2020 due to the pandemic. Last year, it ran by doing reorders and curbside pick up,” said Taryn Jarvis, Gill Ratcliffe and Facilities Coordinator at rare Charitable Research Reserve.
“But this year, finally, we are back in person and in the barn. And we have more plants than we’ve ever had. We have close to over 4,000 seedlings for sale.”
This year, the event will introduce a new Eco-Market.
“It’s going to be a fabulous event with a lot of really cool local and emerging artists that will be present that day,” Jarvis said.
“We usually have hundreds of people come out, so we are really excited.”
There will be a variety of tables set up by local artisans, eco-friendly small businesses, and social and environmental community groups, a great opportunity, Jarvis says, to meet people who share a passion for growing things.
“During the pandemic, so many people took up gardening. This event will also introduce them to seed companies that are local to the region,” Jarvis said.
The event takes place rain or shine. All proceeds raised support the Food Bank Garden at Springbank Farm, ensuring the growth of healthy, fresh, organic produce for those in need.
There will also be thousands of pots of herb, vegetable and flowering plants, a selection from A to Z including parsley, cucumber, raspberries, basil, jalapeño, tomato, squash, and St. John’s Wort.
The rare Charitable Research Reserve is a community-based urban land trust and environmental institute that protects over 1,200 acres of highly sensitive in Waterloo Region and Wellington County.
The organization seeks to make the world a more sustainable place through conservation, research, and education.
The Food Bank Garden at rare has been operating since 2012.
“This will be the 10th anniversary of our Food Bank Garden at rare,” Jarvis said.
"What better way to celebrate than with this fabulous event that helps feed the hungry in our community.”
For more information about the 2022 rare Spring Plant Sale and Eco-Market, visit here.
