Canada: Happy New Year! Vancouver City Council Renews Support for City Farmer’s Work
City Farmer’s Vancouver Garden – an Urban Agriculture and Compost Demonstration Centre.
Excerpts from a Report to Council at Vancouver City Hall
November 16, 2021
“Since 1978, City Farmer has been providing education and engagement about urban agriculture, backyard composting, and related sustainability topics such as water conservation. Adjacent to the Arbutus Greenway, the demonstration garden started in 1981 and attracts thousands of visitors annually from within the City, Metro Vancouver, and around the world. City Farmer staff and volunteers provide on-site tours and educational programming to promote and encourage urban agriculture and backyard composting, host composting workshops, manage a Regional Compost Hotline, and facilitate the sale of backyard and worm composters on behalf of the City and Metro Vancouver.
“Through the programs City Farmer provides at the Maple Street Site, residents and visitors are able to learn about urban agriculture and ways to reduce their waste footprint by composting at home. Backyard composters and worm composters are sold at the Maple Street Site and residents are able to turn their food scraps into nutrient rich soil amendment which can then be used to grow food in their own garden. The site may also present a future opportunity to incorporate some form of demonstration hub for zero waste, in alignment with various City strategic goals and plans.
“Vancouver is home to numerous urban agriculture initiatives including community gardens, urban farms, urban orchards, and Indigenous food and medicine spaces operating under a range of tenure arrangements. Many are located on City or Park land, but over half are on private property. While the total number of community garden plots has increased since the City began tracking them in 2010, growth has slowed in more recent years and urban agriculture sites on private property have proven to be less secure as they are subject to removal for development. Meanwhile, community demand for urban agriculture space remains at an all-time high. All community gardens report maintaining long waitlists for access to limited plots,
“This report presents strategic opportunities to retain the inventory of City-secured urban agriculture spaces, promote waste reduction, as well as act on recent food friendly neighbourhoods and COVID recovery Council motions.”
