Veggieproject

Heather is working towards starting a youth run farm in Vancouver. She's working with Megan Caven (certified high school teacher) and Emily Lehnen (physicist, cabinet maker etc).

The Veggie Project will bring a diverse group of youth together to grow food for their communities. Young people from the GVRD will cultivate and manage a large garden, participate in farmers’ markets and workshop initiatives, and the production of preserves and other value-added products. The program addresses issues of youth apathy and food security by linking project based education and sustainable urban agriculture. The process of planning and cultivating a farm or garden from seed to harvest produces results that let youth literally see the fruits of their labour.

In the beginning, this will be a summer program. A stipend will be provided to the youth participants for their summer’s work in the garden and in the community. As the program develops, we will expand to include year-long internships and staff positions for youth. Emphasis will be placed on developing communication, planning, teaching and leadership skills. The Veggie Project aims to bridge social differences between young people by fostering a culture of work, dialogue and democracy amongst the participants.

Discussion mostly touched on some of the practical obstacles around securing land in the city. What about roof-top gardens? What about the 'burbs?