October 2023 is “PLANTIFUL,” as proclaimed by Mayor Paterson on behalf of Kingston city council. 

350 Kingston, a local organization which advocates for environmental sustainability in Kingston on various fronts, brought the initiative before council last month, citing the city’s declaration of climate emergency, their desire to actively support environmentally friendly initiatives, and the bountiful October harvest for local farmers as reasons for this designation.

Mary Jane Philp, member of 350 Kingston, explains the reason behind the event. 

“We asked the city to declare that "October is PLANTIFUL" and during that month, we would offer gathered together events that are already happening that relate to this but also create some of our own, which includes three webinars that we're doing.”

For the month of October, 350 Kingston and their partners will be sharing resources and hosting awareness-building events to encourage Kingstonians to eat sustainably and explore plant-based options. Events will include information booths at various local farmer’s markets, three webinars, including lectures and a cook-a-long activity, and a potluck.

Philp states, “this [initiative] was kind of an obvious choice, because it is the harvest and it's something that we all can do every day. We all do it every day. We eat. So this is a thing that we can all do to make a difference.”

You can visit the 350 Kingston website for details regarding “October is PLANTIFUL” events and resources.

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