Sustainable Merrickville-Wolford

WE ARE CITIZENS OF MERRICKVILLE-WOLFORD AND AREA WORKING TOGETHER TO CONTRIBUTE TO A SUSTAINABLE, SOCIALLY JUST, LOW-CARBON FUTURE.

What better way to welcome spring than with the launch of the new Merrickville Seed Library. Beginning on March 20, you will be able to visit our local library to pick up donated seeds for your garden. This community resource began as a partnership between Sustainable Merrickville-Wolford and the Merrickville Public Library. The launch was made possible through a very generous donation from the Lions Club that enabled us to buy storage bins and a generous amount of seeds to get the project underway. Additional donations of seeds are still being accepted and can be dropped off at the library or at Healthily Ever After. If you are interested in purchasing seeds, check out our Plant a Garden page for a list of recommended companies that you may want to try, along with other helpful information for getting started.

While planning your garden, consider joining the grow-a-row movement and sharing your harvest with your neighbours or the local food bank. Last year our community contributed hundreds of pounds of food to the Merrickville Emergency Food Cupboard at Rideau Community Health Services, and we look forward to another great success this year. Information on how to make a donation or access the cupboard is on our projects page.

It’s also a good time to research some local producers. There is a list of farms, some of which offer CSAs, on our Buy Local page. To learn more about local growers and sustainable agricultural practices, among other things, be sure to check out our new podcast series set to launch later this year. More details to come!

We want to hear from you! As we are anticipating another bountiful harvest this year, we want to get your ideas on how to best store our fresh produce over the winter. In particular, we are looking for gardeners or farmers that would like to share their experiences with root cellars and cold storage. We are also wondering whether there is any interest in the development of a communal root cellar? If you have a question or a story to share, contact us at info@sustainableMW.org.

While our in-person meetings have been temporarily put on hold, we are continuing to share ideas through monthly meetings via Zoom. To learn more about us or to join in on the discussion, you can subscribe to our email list, contact us at info@sustainableMW.org or check out our Facebook page for the latest information.

What's Happening in Our Region

• The David Suzuki Foundation has created a network to support and amplify the work of grassroots community groups like ours. To find out more check out the Future Ground Network website.
• As reported in the North Grenville Times, in response to recent changes, SMW circulated a petition to ask the Merrickville-Wolford council to expand municipal recycling and waste management options. The petition is now with Council and has been added to their agenda for consideration. Thanks to everyone that participated. We are looking forward to the response.
• Think manufactuers should take more responsibility for their packaging, Loblaws has teemed up with The Loop to launch an online option with reusable packaging according to this CBC article.
• For all the latest news, check out The Energy Mix - a great source of articles on climate change, energy, and carbon-free futures in Canada and throughout the world.

Read More About Us