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Background: In 2021, we began working with researchers at Trent University to look into the effects of heavy metals on plants in our edible forest gardens. The long-term goal is to confirm whether it is safe to grow and eat food planted directly in the ground in Sudbury soils.
In 2021, we collected samples of soil and various types of produce from six of Sudbury's edible forest gardens (Delki Dozzi, Elm West, Hanmer, Walden, Chelmsford and Twin Forks). In 2022, we collected rain water at each location during the season, to give a snapshot of metals currently being deposited via air. This helps in interpretation, because metals in soil have been deposited over a much longer time period going back more than 100 years.
The 2023 phase of the project will likely not answer all of our questions, but will at least provide some preliminary results to guide further study.