The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems stewards the UBC Farm, the last working farm in Vancouver. Comprising 24 hectares of cultivated fields, teaching gardens, orchard plantings and hedgerows, the Farm is a unique place for learning, research and community education. Concern about the safety and sustainability of our food supply and growing popularity of both local and organic foods make the Farm a valuable resource for UBC and the community.
Here are some of the many ongoing projects at the Farm:
Market Garden
The farm’s Market Garden provides the core facility for students to “learn by doing,” producing a range of foods as part of a carefully managed, diverse agro-ecosystem. Much of the food grown in the market garden is sold at the Saturday student-run Farm Markets, held from May to October. Featuring fresh produce, free-range eggs, honey, and other delights, the markets help to attract the 18,000 people who visit the Farm each year. These markets provide students and volunteers with the opportunity to learn the business aspects of running a farm. Revenue from the markets goes towards the cost of operating the Farm, providing paid work experience for up to 12 students every summer.
Landed Learning, Farmwonders and School Workshops
The Landed Learning Project, Farmwonders Summer Camps and School Workshop Series have brought over 3,000 children to the Centre to plant and harvest their own fruits and vegetables, while gaining respect for nature and the environment. These programs have received support in recent years from TD Friends of the
Environment Foundation and Vancouver Foundation.
Rooted Volunteer
The Rooted Volunteer program introduces student and non-student volunteers to all aspects of sustainable agriculture and organic farming – from cultivating and seeding, to harvesting and marketing. Volunteers are an essential part of the success of the Farm Markets: in 2006, 350 people contributed over 4,800 volunteer hours.
Urban Aboriginal Community Kitchen Garden
The Urban Aboriginal Community Kitchen Garden Project brings 300 Aboriginal people from the Downtown Eastside to the farm to grow, harvest and prepare their own vegetables, fruit and medicines. The project’s participants improve their physical and mental health by gaining access to fresh healthy food, and by exploring their heritage and cultural traditions. This project was supported, in part, by VanCity in 2005 and by the Vancouver Foundation in 2006.
Your gift will support these unique teaching, research and learning opportunities for UBC students, children and the public to “get their hands dirty” in projects that promote sustainable agriculture and local food systems. Thank you for helping the Farm to grow!
Please visit our website for more information on projects, volunteer opportunities and events: www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm.
