Grow@ the Homestead: Garden Programming
May to October 2026
Annual Spring Gathering & Seedling Giveaway
Saturday, May 23, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Spring into the growing season with The Brown Homestead! We’re kicking off the Grow@ the Homestead 2026 with a site-wide, family-friendly gathering of games, gardens, and grub!
Pick up Homestead-grown heirloom vegetable and herb seedlings for your garden (maximum of 5 per postal code)
Help plant our flax garden with Ali McDonald
Grab a bite to eat from Char in the Kitchen (11 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
Take a tour of the John Brown House and our historic property
Explore current exhibitions and displays
Enjoy lawn games and spend time on our pastoral ground
All are welcome! No registration necessary.
Seedlings available while supplies last.
Grow@ The Homestead is a community-based garden program encouraging sustainable gardening practices, hands-on education, an appreciation for Niagara’s rural past and present, and outdoor recreation. All harvests from our on-site garden is donated is to local food bank.
Join our free events, workshops, guest speakers to dig in to your community and enhance your learning of where our food comes from, and why local matters. All are welcome!
Dig in and learn with us in 2026!
All Grow@ garden programming is free to the public thanks to the generosity of United Way Healthy People, Strong Communities
Our volunteer Garden Keepers grow over 500 heirloom seedlings each year. What we don’t giveaway is then grown in our gardens for the community.
Sign-up for the Grow@ Email List!
Submit a form to be the first to know when registration opens! Spots for Grow @ the Homestead fill up quick! Don’t miss out, add your name to our waitlist.
Accessibility
Please note that the John Brown House is undergoing continued restoration work and is currently not wheelchair accessible. The outdoor washroom facilities and second storey of the house are accessible by stairs only.
We apologize for this inconvenience, and we continue to work to create an engaging experience for all visitors to our site.
Parking
The Brown Homestead is located on a sharp curve at Pelham Road, please use caution when finding our site. We have two gravel parking lots connected by a ditch. The lot attached to the John Brown House is more accessible, though the gravel may still be uneven in areas. Please park with consideration of your neighbour, and leave space for other visitors.
100% of all produce harvested from the Grow@ program is donated to neighbouring food banks.
Seedling Video Series
In 2023 we started to plant from seed and grow our own seedlings for our garden, as well as for the community. This video series will take you through the steps of planting, growing and caring for seedlings, and how to finally plant them in the garden.
Thank you to our generous donors!
The Brown Homestead sincerely thanks JVK for the in-kind donation of pots to support our 3rd annual Seedling Giveaway Initiative!
The Brown Homestead gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the United Way Niagara through Healthy People, Strong Communities with a 3 year commitment towards our GROW @ program.