Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society

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Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society

Growing food. Growing communities. Growing community through growing food in Vancouver, BC
(17)

08/12/2024

Come out to this week’s market for the peak of harvest season! Cucumbers, Peppers, Eggplants, Flowers, Tomatillos & Moreeeee 🎉 You won’t want to miss it!!!

Wednesdays @ 3-7pm at Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway in Vancouver, May 29th - Oct 9th)

Thursdays @ 3-7pm at Suwa’lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue Coquitlam, May 29th - Aug 29th)

Remember to grab some Tall Shadow bread and baked goods and farm fresh eggs!

Looking forward to seeing you all there 🥦

07/31/2024

Our annual 🌱 Native Plant Sale🌱 is happening at Suwa'lkh this week! One Day Only! Support native ecosystems and our programs buy purchasing native plants for your garden. Find us at 1432 Brunette Ave, Coquitlam, near the main school entrance from 3-7. You'll also find an assortment of delicious schoolyard-grown veggies.🥕

07/29/2024

We are reaching the peak of the harvest season!! So come on by and make sure you don’t miss out on potatoes, cucumbers, basil, kale, flowers, and much more in the weeks to come : )

Wednesdays @ 3-7pm at Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway in Vancouver, May 29th - Oct 9th)

Thursdays @ 3-7pm at Suwa’lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue Coquitlam, May 29th - Aug 29th)

Remember to pick up some local eggs and delicious bread, and cookies before they are all gone at the Vancouver market

See you all there

07/27/2024

Seed to Salad was a real experience at Camp Fresh Roots! We made seed balls, tended the farm, harvested so many veggies, and cooked amazing tacos and pesto and salad and...

Thanks to our friends for the fabulous field trip!

07/25/2024

to spring field trips! Fresh Roots has been honoured to work with Indigenous knowledge keeper Carrie Clark for many years, and our Suwa'lkh field trip classes benefited from her wisdom this spring. Thanks to Carrie, and also to the TD Friends of the Environment Fund for their support to give our field trip participants this amazing experience.

Curious about how your class can join? We'll be announcing fall field trips soon!

07/23/2024

Did you know that currently, only 0.03% of the City of Vancouver’s Operating Budget supports our vital food systems? Let’s come together to change that!

On Wednesday, July 24th, The Vancouver Food Policy Council, food program staff, and local residents invite you to join the call to City Council for increased funding for community food programs, Indigenous Food Sovereignty, and food recovery services by supporting the motion “Closing the Gap: Investing in the City of Vancouver’s Food System to Increase Food Access and Support a Resilient, Equitable, and Sustainable Food System for All.”

Find the full motion here: https://buff.ly/3WiEJnc

Before July 24th:
➡️ Send your comments of support to the Mayor and City Council: https://buff.ly/3WnrNNg

‼️ See this template for ideas on what to say: https://buff.ly/4cIfPEJ

➡️ Email your City Councillors to voice your support: https://buff.ly/4cIfPod

On July 24th:
➡️ Show your support in person at City Hall (453 W 12th Avenue)

➡️ Watch it unfold via live broadcast: https://buff.ly/3WivnIt

➡️ Share the news and raise awareness

Your engagement and advocacy has an impact! Help pass this motion and establish sustainable funding pathways for those dedicated to food justice in our community.

07/22/2024

Everything is in full bloom this week, which means it is going to be quite the haul!! Come out to our markets for cucumbers, zucchinis, new potatoes, and so so much more, you won’t want to miss it 🥒

Wednesdays @ 3-7pm at Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway in Vancouver, May 29th - Oct 9th)

Thursdays @ 3-7pm at Suwa’lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue Coquitlam, May 29th - Aug 29th)

Remember to pick up some local eggs and delicious bread at the Vancouver market 🍞

See you all there 🎉

07/20/2024

Wondering what we get up at during Camp Fresh Roots EcoWonders? Check it out! We made bug hotels, Frankenplants, and smoothies, and explored farm, forest, and pond ecosystems.

There are just a couple of spots left for campers in Coquitlam the weeks of Aug 12 & 19 (ages 5-11) and in Vancouver the weeks of July 29 (ages 9-12) and Aug 26-28 (ages 5-11). Visit freshroots.ca/camp to snap them up!

07/15/2024

Market Reminder! Come out to the market this week for some firsts of the season; basil, zucchini, parsley and so much more!

Wednesdays @ 3-7pm at Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway in Vancouver, May 29th - Oct 9th)

Thursdays @ 3-7pm at Suwa’lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue Coquitlam, May 29th - Aug 29th)

Also don’t miss out on farm-fresh eggs, and baked goods at the Vancouver market : )

Can’t wait to see you all there

07/13/2024

And that's a wrap on Art on the Farm! We were blown away by the creativity and kindness of our campers this week. Special shout out to Amy from for teaching us how to weave with plants from the farm!

There's still a few spots left for this summer - freshroots.ca/camp

07/08/2024

Come by to our markets this week and grab some refreshing ingredients to spice up your salads for the extra warm week ahead! We will have arugula, romain, radishes, salad turnips, kale and so much more 🥳 Our markets are:

Wednesdays @ 3-7pm at Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway in Vancouver, May 29th - Oct 9th)

Thursdays @ 3-7pm at Suwa’lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue Coquitlam, May 29th - Aug 29th)

Also don’t miss out on farm-fresh eggs, and baked goods at the Vancouver market : )

See you all there 🥕

07/05/2024

🥬 Our first week of Camp Fresh Roots is in the books!🥬 Our MiniCampers made yummy snacks, planted tomatoes and flowers, made bug hotels, and so much more.

Space is still available in several full-week camps. Learn more and register at freshroots.ca/camp!

07/01/2024

🥦🥕 Market reminder 🥦🥕 We hope you are all having a great long-weekend, and are getting excited for Week 6 of Fresh Roots markets! Come out for an assortment of hyper-local, youth-grown veg 🎉

Wednesdays @ 3-7pm at Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway in Vancouver, May 29th - Oct 9th)

Thursdays @ 3-6pm at Suwa’lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue Coquitlam, May 29th - Aug 29th)

See you all there!

06/24/2024

Come out to our markets this week for Carrots, Peas, Arugula, Garlic Scapes, Frisee and so much more! Markets will be:

Wednesdays @ 3-7pm at Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway in Vancouver, May 29th - Oct 9th)

Thursdays @ 3-6pm at Suwa’lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue Coquitlam, May 29th - Aug 29th)

Also, don’t miss out on Tall Shadow’s bread and baked goods, as well as ChickInn eggs : )

See you all there

06/24/2024

Big News for School Food in Canada! We were pleased to have Sherry Stevenson, Fresh Roots' Executive Director, attend the announcement of Canada's National Food Policy with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland at LunchLab last week. This policy and commitment of $1 billion towards the National School Food Program in Budget 2024 will help ensure that children from coast to coast to coast will have access to healthy food at school.

Thanks to all those who are helping Canadian kids access food at schools!
sajjan.7

mansfieldschutzbankCSAS

Vancouver School Board

06/22/2024

The campers are coming! Our summer day camp starts July 2, and we still have room for a few more campers the weeks of July 2, July 15, July 22, July 29, and Aug 26 in Vancouver and the week of Aug 19 in Coquitlam.

Sliding scale registration starts at $200 for a full week. Visit freshroots.ca/camp to learn more and register!

06/21/2024

We're celebrating Indigenous People's Day by making bannock and braiding sweetgrass with the students at Suwa’lkh School. The sweetgrass we grow and harvest at Suwa'lkh is shared with Indigenous elders and youth. hay čxʷ q̓ə 🙌 to all who have shared their teachings with us so that we can grow, harvest, and share this medicine.

Fresh Roots has the privilege and honour to work on this land that is not ours. This is the ancestral and unceded homelands of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), stó:lō (Sto:lo), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), and sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Coast Salish peoples. As settlers, as farmers, and as educators, we acknowledge the harm that farming and schooling has done to Indigenous Peoples and the land across this region. We work towards ongoing reconciliation as listeners, food sharers, and land stewards.

06/21/2024

Camp Fresh Roots is almost here! Next week we welcome our amazing camp staff, and our first campers join us at David Thompson July 2! Space is still available in July and some August camps. Will your camper join us? Visit freshroots.ca/camp to learn more and register.

06/21/2024

Happy summer from our schoolyard farms! Check out the amazing food and flowers we're growing and the fab farmers growing it!

06/20/2024

Dig deeper into learning next year with a Multi-Visit Field Trip program! Your class will see how the farm changes through the whole school year, and will build lasting relationships with their food, the land, and each other. Applications open now through Sept. 11. Learn more and apply! https://buff.ly/45yDV27

06/19/2024

Wow! We're making a splash across the pond! We're one of the innovative Canadian urban agriculture orgs featured in a new article from the for how we're unlocking urban spaces for food production, like this patch of unused space at Van Tech that's now growing fava beans. Check out the article at https://buff.ly/3XqwA2v

06/19/2024

It’s already week four of our Markets! Come out this week for, Carrots, Beets, Turnips & More! Our market are:

Wednesdays @ 3-7pm at Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway in Vancouver, May 29th - Oct 9th)

Thursdays @ 3-6pm at Suwa’lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue Coquitlam, May 29th - Aug 29th)

Again this week at the Vancouver Market, we will have Tall Shadow baked goods, and ChickInn Eggs : )

Learn more about our Markets at https://buff.ly/3Xz1xRU

See you all there!

06/11/2024

Welcome to week three of Fresh Roots Markets! We have yet another week of hyper-local, fresh, and flavourful veg coming your way! Come down to the market for rapini, radishes, turnips, collards, and more! Our market are:

Wednesdays @ 3-7pm at Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway in Vancouver, May 29th - Oct 9th)

Thursdays @ 3-6pm at Suwa’lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue Coquitlam, May 29th - Aug 29th)

Again this week! We have loafs, baguettes, and cookies from Tall Shadow bakery as well as Eggs from ChickInn Farms!

Learn more about our Markets at https://buff.ly/45nXZnt

See you all there 🥳

06/06/2024

We're looking for our next Communications and Operations Manager!

After many years, our beloved Communications Coordinator Vivian is joining the team at EYA. If you've ever laughed at a Facebook post or learned about what's happening from our newsletter, that was all thanks to Vivian! We wish her all the best in her new role!

She's leaving some metaphorically large shoes to fill - maybe by you! We're looking for someone who loves the details in life, who understands the big picture, and has a natural tendency towards community, systems, and organizing. Someone who is curious, methodical, versatile, enjoy problem-solving, and team interaction. And of course, someone who wants to help Fresh Roots grow food, youth, and community!

Learn more and apply by June 17 at buff.ly/3yLqH5v.

06/05/2024

Join us at Van Tech TODAY and every Wednesday from 3:00-7:00 for the freshest, hyperlocal veggies and flowers you can find. 2600 E Broadway; look for the big white tent by the tennis courts on the east side of the school!

06/04/2024

It’s officially the second week of the market season 🎉 ! Come out to our schoolyard farms, enjoy some hyper-local, youth-growth veg, and take a wander around to explore the site that grew your delicious produce! Markets are:

🥬 Wednesdays @ 3-7pm at Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway in Vancouver, May 29th - Oct 9th) 🥬

🥬 Thursdays @ 3-6pm at Suwa’lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue Coquitlam, May 29th - Aug 29th) 🥬

ALSO! Starting this week at the Vancouver market you also be able purchase Tall Shadow Baked goods, and ChickInn Eggs!

Learn more here; https://buff.ly/3Vrl8lJ

We look forward to seeing you there : )

06/03/2024

🌱 Looking for a fantastic day camp experience this summer? 🌱 Camp Fresh Roots has space available in many July and select August camps in Vancouver and Coquitlam for campers ages 4-12!

Each week, campers grow, cook, create, and explore on our schoolyard farms.

Register by June 15 and use code JUNE20204 at check out for $20 off your sliding scale registration.

Learn more and register at buff.ly/4dYHIt8!

Camp Fresh Roots Play. Learn. Grow. Summer 2024. Day Camps for kids 4-12 July and August 2024 Fresh Roots Farms at David Thompson Secondary (South Vancouver) Suwa’lkh School (Coquitlam) Camp Fresh Roots is the best place to grow this summer! Every day will be full of play, learning, good food, gre...

05/31/2024

We are honoured to have Sherry Stevenson, Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society Executive Director, appear today before the Committee of Finance at the House of Commons to urge the members to support the Budget Implementation Act for Canada’s National School Food program.

Thank you MP Don Davies for the opportunity and shoutout to the Coalition for Healthy School Food, Public Health Association of BC: PHABC, Brent Mansfield, Debbie Field, and Growing Chefs for your efforts in this important work!

05/30/2024

PEAS join us for our first Suwa’lkh market of the season TODAY! Every Thursday from 3pm to 6pm at 1432 Brunette Ave in Coquitlam

Address

5050 Wales Street
Vancouver, BC
V5R3M6

Website

http://freshroots.ca/

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Videos

Here’s how our 2024 #GreatBigCrunch went! Stick around for a surprise twist… Take action and learn more with the Coalition for Healthy School Food: https://buff.ly/4c9SGv9

Thank you to Kitchen Table Restaurants for making Fresh Roots your charitable partner last month, raising nearly $2K to support kids and youth on schoolyard farms 🌱 In April, $1 from each featured dish at their restaurants was donated to support our programs. Kudos to the everyone who ordered these delicious dishes! A huge shoutout to the incredible staff who work hard every day behind-the-scenes at each of their restaurants to make each dish: Ask For Luigi Carlino Di Beppe Pourhouse Bacaro Farina a Legna Pizza Farina

Fresh Roots% 2023 Great Big Crunch

We took the #GreatBigCrunch with Coalition for Healthy School Food to celebrate #HealthySchoolFood! � From coast-to-coast-to-coast, Canadians getting together today to take a #GreatBigCrunch for a healthy school food program. If you want to celebrate #HealthySchoolFood, come crunch with us! bit.ly/Virtual_GBC2023

Working with Fresh Roots_Charlie 2023

Thinking about applying to be a Camp Facilitator this year? Check out Charlie’s story about working at Fresh Roots! Spread the word - we have TWO OPENINGS LEFT! Final interviews start after March 20th: https://freshroots.bamboohr.com/careers/58

2023 Camp Registrations Open Now!

Camp Fresh Roots registrations are now open! Sign up for one of our summer day camps in July and August, where kids ages 5-11 will grow, play, and learn on our schoolyard farms at David Thompson Secondary (South Vancouver) or Suwa’lkh School (Coquitlam). Check out our website for more info & to register: https://freshroots.ca/education/camp/

2023 Summer hiring SM

New year, new job postings! Grow with us this summer by applying to one of our 2023 positions: 🍅 SOYL Program Facilitator 🍅 Good Food Market Lead 🍅 Good Food Field Lead 🍅 Farm Day Camp Staff 🍅 Day Camp Food Specialist 🍅 Assistant Day Camp Director Check out our website for more info: https://freshroots.ca/about/job-opportunities/

Image from iOS (4)

#FlashbackFriday to Maria seeding at Suwa’lkh in July! As we enter a weekend of thankfulness, we are grateful for the seeds that were planted by supporters over the summer to allow SOYL youth and campers to learn and grow on our schoolyard farms, including our site at Suwa’lkh School, which includes the Suwa’lkh Medicine Garden, an orchard and The Healing Forest. Thank you Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Canada Summer Jobs, School District 43 - Coquitlam, and Bonita Zarrillo MP, Port Moody-Coquitlam, Anmore & Belcarra for creating opportunities for youth to engage in our summer schoolyard farms educational programs for kids and youth! Give back to the community this Thanksgiving weekend by donating to our Make It Sow fundraiser campaign by Monday, October 10th: https://freshroots.ca/make-it-sow-2022-fundraising-campaign/

Make It Sow Video

FINAL WEEK to support our MAKE IT SOW Fundraising Campaign! Join Alexa and the Camp Fresh Roots team as we raise $25,000 more to get reach our $75,000 goal to GROW, NURTURE, and DEEPEN our kids & youth programs by the first week of school on SEPTEMBER 6TH. Help us spread the word! You will get a FREE digital copy of our famous Fresh Roots Cookbook when you donate $25 or more! DONATE HERE: https://freshroots.ca/make-it-sow-fundraising-campaign-is-back/

FR Wednesday ICC Market

Which Fresh Roots market are you visiting this week? 🌱 Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre Pop Up Market (3075 Slocan St): Wednesdays @ 3 - 7 PM 🌱 Suwa'lkh School (1432 Brunette Ave in Coquitlam): Thursdays @ 2 - 6 PM 🌱 Delta Farm Roots (6570 1A Ave in Tsawwassen): Thursdays @ 3 - 7 PM 🌱 Riley Park Vancouver Farmers Markets (30th Ave & Ontario St): Saturdays @ 10 AM - 2 PM Markets start NOW! Come support kids & youth farm-based learning with every purchase!

Suwa'lkh Cedar

Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day & Summer Solstice! Check the latest blog from our Suwa’lkh Lead, Jaimie, about the importance and process of making cedar bundles as one of the four sacred medicines with the Leadership students at Suwa’lkh School: https://freshroots.ca/making-cedar-bundles-at-suwalkh/ You can purchase cedar bundles by donation to raise funds to re-indigenize the Healing Forest with native plants in the place of invasive plants. For more information, email Jaimie at [email protected]

BCFA EL Clip

Only 4 weeks until Camp Fresh Roots is underway, and we're looking for some EcoHeroes! Our August 15-19 EcoHeroes program is perfect for kids ages 9-12 who want to learn more about the living world all around us, and take action to make the farm a healthier home for our wild neighbours! Did someone say mason bee or bat houses? Limited space is still available in many of our other camps, too, and wait lists are turning over quickly. Learn more and register today: freshroots.ca/camp Video credit: BC Farmers Markets Link to full video: https://youtu.be/StEN-ZHDIgM

FRBS% Tickets on Sale FB

Tickets on sale! Get your Early Bird tickets NOW for Fresh Roots: Before Sunset, this year’s in-person annual fundraiser: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/fresh-roots-before-sunset-annual-fundraiser-tickets-340134169457 On Thursday, July 7th we'll celebrate together with elegant small plates and a grazing table composed of locally produced ingredients and the best of the season's local harvest, local wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages and some sweet treats to finish off the evening. Come eat, drink, connect, listen to live music, try out some farm-based education activities and take in the beauty of a schoolyard farm in all its summer splendour. All funds generated from the event provide critical funds for our farm-based learning for kids and youth across Metro Vancouver! #FreshRootsBeforeSunset2022 #FRBS2022

3. Big Crunch% Ministers Whiteside and Popham

We were thrilled to see Minister Jennifer Whiteside and Minister Lana Popham join the Coalition for Healthy School Food's #GreatBigCrunch on March 10, in celebration of healthy food at school! Thank you for your commitment to #NourishKidsNow in BC!

Edible Vancouver & Wine Country - Spring 2022 - Fresh Roots

Happy first day of Spring/Vernal Equinox & Nowruz Pirouz! #HappyPersianNewYear We are so grateful to be featured in this year’s spring issue of Edible Vancouver & Wine Country magazine alongside stellar local food organizations and businesses, including: What the Flour Mr Bannock Susgrainable Skipper Otto Carlino New Wave Distilling #YarrowFoodHub ([email protected]) Thank you Jennifer Cole & the team at Edible for the opportunity! Show your support & pick up a copy at a market or restaurant near you TODAY: https://ediblevancouver.ediblecommunities.com/about-us/find-latest-issue Cover photo: Sophia Hsin [Video description: The latest Edible magazine is being flipped through to browse through an article about Fresh Roots]

FR Big Crunch 2022

Yesterday, the Fresh Roots team took a #GreatBigCrunch to make noise for healthy school food. Let’s make noise together in support for a #HealthySchoolFood program across Canada! Coalition for Healthy School Food

Do you smell what we smell? Some much needed fresh & steamy microbial love for our Vancouver School Board - SD39 schoolyard farms as we ramp up for the new growing season ahead 🚚

LunchLAB Aw Shucks Auction

The Growing Chefs & Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society AW, SHUCKS! Online Auction is LIVE, in support of LunchLAB! Check it out here: https://trellis.org/aw-shucks-a-valentines-lunchlab-fundraiser/auction For only 48-HOURS, bid your heart away this Valentine’s weekend for the chance to win prizes from Organic Ocean Seafood, Davis Bay Tea Company, Persephone Brewing Company, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, House of Knives, Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, and Bridge Brewing Company. The auction closes on Sunday, February 13th at 11:00 AM. Prizes can be picked on Sunday between noon to 4:00 PM at the Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre (with the exception of Item #1).

#SOYLyouth% See you at market!

The #SOYLyouth are cheering you on today on #MarketMonday! Through the SOYL program, youth have been learning and leading on the Fresh Roots farms all summer. This includes selling Good Food at farmers’ markets each week to develop financial literacy, customer service, and public engagement skills. Come by this week to engage with this summer’s youth one last time as they complete their program! ☀️ Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre Pop Up Market: Wednesdays @ 4 - 7 PM ☀️ Riley Park Vancouver Farmers Markets: Saturdays @ 10:30 - 2 PM ☀️ Suwa'lkh Learning Centre: Thursdays @ 3 - 7 PM ☀️ Delta Farm Roots Mini School: Thursdays @ 2 - 6 PM

Shortcuts

Our Story

Fresh Roots’ envisions urban agriculture that fosters safe, inclusive communities where everyone has access to healthy, locally grown foods!

We achieve this by developing and managing community market gardens for a diverse range of partners on their own institutional land while providing education/engagement programming services.

Our community market gardens and programs create: • Multicultural, intergenerational community spaces • Good food for our partners and communities • Green collar jobs and a replicable, innovative model • Understanding of the connection between environment, culture and our food.

Our market gardens have become community focal points, bringing a variety of multicultural, intergenerational communities together for learning, celebration, or simply experiencing the joy and wonder of growing food.