Burnaby City 2023 Environmental Awards
Burnaby And Region Allotment Gardens Association (BARAGA), in the category of Green Choices
Burnaby and Region Allotment Gardens Association, also known as BARAGA, is a not-for-profit association that has been managing and maintaining a community garden in the Big Bend region for 40 years. BARAGA has been serving Burnaby and residents from neighbouring municipalities since 1982 and provides 372 private garden plots, each measuring 1,000 square feet or 93 square metres, divided on a 14.2-acre site leased from the City.
In addition, BARAGA provides horticultural advice and shared experiences for its members and spreads awareness of the natural processes of food growing. The City partnered with BARAGA to establish a publicly accessible community garden and to encourage its residents to grow and process food within the City. The continuous commitment from BARAGA and its members to creating an environmentally sustainable community garden has been instrumental in the success of this project. What started as a small garden initiative has grown to include community-wide interest in growing local food and increased social interaction.