To the editor:
Re: "Thieves can't steal spirit of young gardeners," Aug. 26.
As a gardener at Strathcona's Cottonwood Community Gardens, I have discovered that participating in a cooperative garden is incredibly fulfilling. As a member of Cottonwood, I have a space to grow my own vegetables. I also help fellow gardeners to tend to the honeybees, fruit trees and flowers that we share.
Our garden attracts member from a wide range of cultural and financial backgrounds, many of whom I can now call friends.
Unfortunately, theft is a major problem for us gardeners. We have had everything from a few strawberries to entire plants stolen. This continual theft undermines the efforts that we put into our gardens. While we hope that the thieves are stealing for sustenance that they would otherwise not be able to afford, evidence seems to be to the contrary.
Almost all of the thieves we have caught in the act are well-dressed and look like they are stealing not just a few berries to eat, but enough to sell. In many cases, plants have been destroyed but the edible parts have been left behind.
I hope that the gardeners at the Kimount Club don't have to put up with theft any longer, so that they can enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Rebecca Cuttler,
Vancouver
