About Us
Backyard Bounty is Guelph’s urban farming business. Since 2008, we have partnered with members of the community to convert more than 35 parcels of land into productive gardens growing vegetables naturally. Our aim is to increase awareness about urban food production and provide nutritious food to the community while improving the biodiversity and reducing pollution in Guelph. When you support Backyard Bounty through investing in a CSA share, buying our produce, donating your yard, volunteering, or telling your friends about us you are supporting a local, sustainable food system for Guelph and a working model for other cities to adopt.
It is our hope to foster community, utilize urban space in an ecological manner and increase local sustainable food production and education. The organically grown produce is sold to local consumers through CSA shares, at farmer’s markets and is available in many restaurants in Guelph.
The vegetables that we grow vary over the growing season.
- Spring: arugula, lettuce, beet greens, radishes, turnips, kohlrabi, kale, broccoli, green onions, corn salad, spinach, snap peas, edible flowers, herbs.
- Summer: zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, radish, beets, carrots, Swiss chard, basil, eggplant, herbs, cut flowers, snap beans, peppers.
- Fall: cabbage, kale, broccoli, squash, pumpkin, beans, fennel, beets, leeks, onions, arugula, lettuce, radishes, herbs.
A New Kind of Business
Backyard bounty believes in a balance of environmental, social and economical values. Though financial excess is not our focus, we recognize the importance of economic sustainability in continuing to meet our social and environmental goals.
Backyard Bounty is a division of Orland Conservation Inc.
Inspiration for converting lawns to gardens
Robert Orland, the founder of Backyard Bounty, was inspired to create the project in response to the under-utilization of lawns and a desire to improve the environment in Guelph. He recognized that lawns are detrimental as they are very resource dependant and lack significant ecological contribution. These marginal spaces are essentially monocultures acting as a desert for biodiversity within an urban environment while requiring consistent mowing which wastes fuel, produces greenhouse gasses, and creates noise pollution.
Historically, having a lawn indicated that the land owner was wealthy enough to not need to grow their own food, as the peasants grew it for them. More and more people wanted to be distinguished and constructed yards to show their status. Isn’t it time that we move away from this old practice and use our lawns for something valuable?
