The sustainable rooftop garden has been growing on Park Place Shopping Centre since 2009. (Photo: LNN)

By Sarah Jones

Rooftop garden at Park Place Shopping Centre helps local food banks

May 25, 2023 | 12:38 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – It might come as a surprise to many, but Lethbridge’s Park Place Shopping Centre has a sustainable rooftop garden that’s been growing since 2009.

Since its inception, the local mall has tasked maintenance and operations staff with the upkeep and harvesting of vegetables that are donated to local food banks each year.

In 14 years, Park Place Shopping Centre has donated upwards of 800 lbs of vegetables to the Lethbridge Food Bank and Interfaith Food Bank.

The garden consists of planters constructed of reclaimed wood and recycled pallets, and is fed with harvested rainwater and compost from food court tenants.

Park Place Shopping Centre focuses on sustainable and green initiatives. (Photo: LNN)

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With seeds donated by the Country Blooms Garden Centre this season, the mall will grow carrots, peppers, onions, potatoes and for the first time ever, corn.

On Thursday, May 18, 2023, staff got to work planting this year’s crops.

Jarod Neithercut, the marketing manager at Park Place Shopping Centre, indicated that the mall is heavily focused on sustainable and green initiatives, and this was a great way to incorporate those while simultaneously giving back.

“The goal was to do our part to grow fruits and vegetables during the summer months and have them donated to our local food banks,” said Neithercut.

According to Neithercut, approximately five harvests take place in a season, collecting an average 80 to 100 lbs of food each summer.

He continued, “There’s a lot of learning curves to this, in how to plant and what’s going to grow. So, we kind of mix it up year to year. We had a herb garden not too long ago as well to try that out, which was interesting.”

“Some things work better than others obviously, just given the elements being connected with a wide-open rooftop and the wind and direct sunlight,” explained Neithercut.

Other sponsors have helped to fund costs needed to maintain the garden, as well as a 24-hour live camera that allows people to watch the plants and food grow, and be harvested

Those looking for a sneak peek at the garden can head to the Park Place Shopping Centre website to watch the live stream.

Neithercut added, “We hope to keep growing, no pun intended, as much as possible. “

Read more at LethbridgeNewsNow.com

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