Mitchell company gets new community garden off the ground

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The community at large will benefit this fall from locally grown produce in two locations in West Perth. 

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Sister companies Faddis Concrete of Mitchell and Design Concrete of Seaforth have five staff members volunteering to plant, maintain and harvest the vegetable gardens that were recently planted. One garden with nine planter beds can be found at the end of Georgina Street in Mitchell on flood plain property owned by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), while an even larger one, with double the planter beds, can be found at the end of Raglan Street in Dublin on property owned by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA).

West Perth Coun. Andrew Fournier, who works at Faddis, said he began the initiative a year ago at a different location in Mitchell, but was able to source another more suitable spot in both wards this year to plant a variety of vegetables that include char, kale, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, eggplant, basil, oregano and one sunflower that is struggling since its planted in shade. (Dublin, in fact, has two sunflowers). 

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Chair of the company’s garden committee, Fournier has recruited other Faddis employes, including Justin Raymer, Peter Bisback, Stewart East and Eric Barbosa, to help with the project. Community volunteer Rosemary MacDougald also helps maintain the Mitchell garden since she lives nearby. 

“Employee morale and cost of living and all the rest of that, as a new councillor I felt I should try and do something about that,” said Fournier, noting he regularly brought in fresh vegetables to colleagues at his workplace last summer. 

This year, he was able to find a new location after being in touch with the UTRCA and ABCA, and will hopefully grow more produce to benefit more people. In the future, the plots could be even larger if all goes well.

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The plantings were a little later than ideal this year, but the squirrels have found the garden plots and are pleased. Some fresh produce has already been taken and enjoyed, not only by Faddis employees but for the community’s use as well.

“This is a community effort, and we like to give back,” Raymer said. 

People are encouraged to visit the garden and enjoy its bounty once its ready for harvest, he added. 

The West Perth Public Library and the municipality are also partners in the initiative, Fournier noted. 

Faddis Concrete Products — longtime Mitchell residents will know the company as Durisol Materials, located at 51 Arthur St. — has been a community partner for decades, playing a vital role in the Mitchell and Seaforth communities and employing generations of local team members.  

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“This connection fuels our unwavering commitment to volunteerism and philanthropy, inspiring us to lead by example and give back to the communities we have deep roots in,” a Faddis statement read. 

“Fundamental to the company’s continued growth and resiliency is our unwavering commitment to core values like health and safety, inclusion and belonging, and sustainability, which not only strengthen our organization but also ensure we remain a trusted partner in the communities we serve and within the construction industry.” 

Faddis provided the materials to build the beds, including the soil, mulch, pre-grown plants and perimeter railroad ties, with Fournier’s three children also assisting at the time of planting and have a sense of pride in what has grown there, too.  

“These gardens not only foster a sense of camaraderie, but also provide fresh produce for both our employees and the wider community to enjoy, reinforcing our commitment to local well-being and sustainability,” Faddis said.

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