Featured Member: Shifting Growth

The VTL offers organizational memberships to non-profits and small businesses to help make tools and tool use accessible and affordable for those actively working to improve our communities.  This month, we connected with VTL organizational member Shifting Growth to find out who they are, what they do, and how they use VTL tools in the work of their organization.

Shifting Growth is an urban agriculture organization that creates community gardens on vacant lots throughout the lower mainland. While Shifting Growth has gardens from Coquitlam to North Van, VTL members living in East Van are likely most familiar with The Drive Garden (Commercial Drive and 12^th Avenue) and the Hastings North Community Garden (East Hastings Street and North Penticton Street).

 Shifting Growth was established in 2011, when founders Troy Barrie and Chris Reid saw an opportunity in Vancouver to create high-demand growing space while providing a service for private landowners. Acting as property managers, Shifting Growth takes over property maintenance and creates temporary community spaces. Through this work, Shifting Growth provides a cost-effective solution for private landowners while transforming vacant spaces into temporary growing spaces, and engages local community members and organizations to create value from underutilized space.

 Shifting Growth uses specialized tools and garden tools from the VTL for its community garden builds. Their VTL membership has lowered their equipment budget, allowing Shifting Growth to contribute more funds toward creating more gardens and more impact within our communities.

The Drive Garden will be expanded by over 30 community garden beds on May 10, 2014. You’re invited to spread the work, move some dirt, and find out more about how you can get involved!