Sorrento Community Garden

A Community Garden for Sorrento Residents! “It is all about community!”

Our vision of a community garden has come to fruition! Sorrento Community Garden has successfully become a place where Sorrento residents can come and gather with a common purpose: growing healthy, nutritious food. Our community garden promotes physical and emotional health, connecting with nature, and teaching life skills.

The Sorrento Centre Community Garden, initiated in 2024 under The Centre’s theme NOURISH, is excited to welcome a wonderful addition to our team, Keltie Everett. Keltie is one of our farm volunteers and community gardeners, and has agreed to be the SCG Co-Ordinator. We are so very excited about her increased involvement and so very appreciative of her saying yes!

Sorrento Community Garden Mission Statement: A place for diverse people of all ages to grow healthy, nutritious food while promoting physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, fostering a relationship with all living entities and encouraging life skills.

The message behind the SCG: In the beginning…Samara Sonmor, the chair of the newly formed Food Action Society of BC, was first to join the project. She is a long-time advocate for community gardens and oversaw the Vernon gardens for ten years until Covid appeared. In a public seminar intended to gauge interest in a Sorrento Community Garden, Samara defined food security/insecurity and discussed new ways of looking at the problem. Of course, one of the solutions is to create a community garden. Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre’s Associate Director Kathie MacDuff explained that the vision for the project is to provide a place for people of all ages to gather with the common purpose of growing healthy and nutritious food while forming community. An advisory committee was formed and included Paul Dorin, Barbra Fairclough, Stacey Black, Samara Sonmor, Kathie MacDuff and the Centre’s Executive Director, Michael Shapcott.

This project depends on donations and partnerships. Our gratitude for the support of the following donors, sponsors, and businesses: Farm neighbour Tonya Fleming was envisioning a shade shelter at the farm, and upon learning of the Community Garden Project, she generously donated $10,000. A $1,000.00 United Way Community Local Love grant and a SASCU Credit Union – Sorrento Branch grant of $500.00 were received. Grow With Po in Salmon Arm generated all the Galvanized 4’ x 8’ Garden Beds, Zappone Aggregate Processors donated the Garden Bed Soil, and Local Individuals donated $432.00. The Sorrento Community Garden continues to look for other donors or partners because the dream does not stop here!

If you would like to make a DONATION to this project please contact Kathie MacDuff, the Centre’s Associate Director, via telephone at 250-675-2421, extension 107 or via email to kathie@sorrentocentre.ca.

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Proposed Budget: Expenses

  • Land preparation
  • Remove weeds and level area $2800
  • Ground cover Mow for the first year
  • Fencing Moveable until area needed determined/after first year
  • Parking Outside gate. Overflow down below.
  • Compost area Use farm’s until we can determine best practice i.e. Jora
  • Compost Tumbler
  • Flower/Berry beds Year Two (or sooner if a donor is found)
  • Raised beds
  • Galvanized (16 – 8’ x 4’) $6600 delivered and assembled – discounted 5%/ free assembly
  • Soil (high grade) $2928 (16 x $183 Big Yellow Bag)
  • Mulch Donated
  • Fertilizer TBD – possibly gardeners’ responsibility
  • Irrigation Hand water for now but will be $100/bed
  • Shelter/Shed
  • Wooden deck $3600
  • Structure $3043
  • Picnic tables Borrow Centre’s for now
  • Shed for communal tools Watching Market Place – not needed immediately
  • Signage
  • Site sign Year two
  • Waterproof notice board Year two
  • Equipment (communal)
  • Wheelbarrows Asking for donations
  • Old hoses for all tools
  • Rakes
  • Shovels
  • Other tools
  • Miscellaneous
  • Port-o-potties (2) On-site – Centre covering costs
  • Wash Station
  • First Aide Centre’s
  • Admin $2000
  • Total expense,
  • $21, 071

Proposed Budget – Income

  • $15/bed/season x 14 spoken for $210
  • Total income $11,642 net($9429.00)

Future Plans: Still to come

  • Spiral herb garden to attract many beneficial insects and bees due to the permaculture design.
  • A community shed to store tools and equipment.
  • Irrigation to the beds.
  • Explore ground cover options and compost practices,
  • Free community day programs and events
  • Participate in a Pollinator Corridor program
  • Establish a trail and sitting area in the forest: Songbird Forest Walk
  • Create an Herb Spiral and wildflower gardens
  • Fencing and shade sails
  • More programs and events
  • And of course, additional beds to accommodate the waitlist!

We welcome your ideas too!

Click here to learn more about the Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre Farm made up of three acres of fields, a cotton wood forest which surrounds an old cherry orchard, and the heritage Finnish tongue and groove cedar barn (the oldest structure in the Sorrento area).