Our History

The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm collaborates with academic and community partners to offer educational programs for learners of all ages.

The UBC Farm began in 2000 as a student-led initiative, providing experiential learning for university students. During the last six years, the farm has grown considerably and now offers a wide range of programs for research, teaching, and community purposes. Since 2002, we have offered opportunities for elementary school students to learn and explore the farm in a number of ways.

Our first elementary school workshops were the "soil to salad bar" series, which offered two-hour interactive workshops for primary school groups. These initial workshops still form the core or our existing school tours and workshops help primarily during May and October each year. Approximately 500 students attend these workshops each season, learning about food, health, and environmental stewardship through hands-on activities in the garden.

In 2003, the Faculty of Education started the "Landed Learning" program that provided a more in-depth experience for elementary school students at the farm. Participating classes started their own gardens on site using designated raised beds in the "Land, Food and Community" teaching garden. Students returned to tend the gardens through the summer, learning under the mentorship of their "farm friends," typically retired farmers who volunteer to share their experience. This intergenerational learning program is tightly integrated into the elementary curriculum and currently works with about 100 students per year.

In 2006, we officially launched a new program that opens up the farm at the height of the growing season. "FarmWonders" is a summer day camp for children age 6-11 to be held at UBC Farm. The day camp provides science-based, hands-on education for children, exploring the connections between land, food, and community. Children cultivate their own gardens on the site, harvest, prepare, and eat fresh food from the garden, and participate in sports and crafts that encourage environmental stewardship.