The Giving Garden

🌱 Important & Difficult Update from The Giving Garden 🌱

For nearly a decade, The Giving Garden has quietly and consistently grown fresh food for people in our community who need it most. This work has always been 100% volunteer-run and funded entirely through our annual seedling sale and community donations.

This year, that changes.

For the first time in almost 10 years, The Giving Garden will not be operating.
We will also not be holding our annual seedling sale fundraiser.

We know many of you have already been reaching out, asking when the sale will begin. The truth is—there will be no sale this year.

This is not due to a lack of commitment, volunteers, or community support.
It is the direct result of a situation that has escalated beyond our control.

As some of you may be aware, a contractor hired to complete accessibility renovations at Monarch House Studios was terminated after serious concerns regarding conduct and incomplete work—despite being paid significant funds. What followed has not been resolution, but escalation.

A restraining order was issued. Since then, there has been an ongoing campaign of public attacks and harassment directed toward us. The situation has been disruptive, time-consuming, and emotionally and financially draining to the point that we can no longer safely or effectively operate the garden this season.

Our story was featured on CTV News on March 20, 2026 (link pinned), and since then, the fallout has continued.

What many people don’t see is the reality behind a project like this:

Running a nonprofit garden of this size requires an enormous amount of time, coordination, and volunteer effort.
It involves organizing people, schedules, planting cycles, maintenance, harvesting, and distribution—often across hundreds of hours.
Given the current situation, that level of coordination is simply not possible.

The reality is this:

Without our seedling sale and fundraising efforts, we have no operating funds.
Without the ability to operate this year, we may not recover.

The Giving Garden has always existed because of community—because people believed in growing food for others, no questions asked. It is devastating to say that something built on generosity and care may come to an end due to circumstances like this.

We are deeply sorry to those who rely on the produce we provide, and to those who look forward to supporting us each spring. This is not a choice we made lightly—it is one we were forced into.

If you’ve supported us in the past, please know your impact has mattered. You helped feed people. You helped build something meaningful.

Right now, we simply don’t know what comes next.

Thank you for standing with us. 💚

— The Giving Garden

We are proud to support BARC's Rescue through our Grinch Mini Sessions for PETS!

Grinch photo mini sessions

- PETS ONLY- $50 5-10 mins, 3 images included (portions of pet portraits go to support BARCS Rescue)
-Family up to 5 people (no pets) $75 10-15 mins, 3 images included
-People and pets up to a total of 7 bodies (pets and/or people) $100 15-20 mins 5 images included

BARCS fundraiser all proceeds go to support BarcS!
-Pets only $50 5-10 mins 3 images included
-People and pets up to 7 bodies $100 15-20 mins 5 images included

We will also have our own BARCS Rescue alumni Loki as MAX!

• Single person or pet — $50
5–10 minutes · 3 edited images included
(Portions of pet portrait sales support BARC's Rescue )

• Family (up to 5 people, no pets) — $75
10–15 minutes · 3 edited images included

• People + pets (up to 7 total bodies) — $100
15–20 minutes · 5 edited images included

⸻

✨ BARCS Rescue Fundraiser — Pet Sessions Only 🐾

All proceeds from these sessions go directly to BARCS Rescue!

• Pets only — $50
5–10 minutes · 3 edited images included

• People + pets (up to 7 total bodies) — $100
15–20 minutes · 5 edited images included

⸻

⭐ Special Guest Appearance:

Meet Loki, our BARCS Rescue alumni — starring as MAX!

The Giving Garden will be at Monarch House Studios in Abbeydale N.E. (107 Abingdon Cres NE) for a free harvest event on Monday September 22 at 1 PM- 3PM (or while supplies last!). If you have an abundance of something in your garden and wish to contribute, please bring it to Monarch House Studios by Noon on Monday. We will have Tomatoes, Swiss chard, Kale, zucchini and potentially some beets and carrots too! Supplies are limited and are on a first come first serve basis.