Published by City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture

City Farmer History
1986

Promotion of Urban Agriculture

City Farmer has had great success promoting urban agriculture over the last number of years and there is no doubt that we are leading the Canadian public into this new area of study. Our message is being carried regularly to the public via the media.

Recently Harrowsmith magazine reported on our school garden program, and also mentioned us in an editorial about "Political Gardeners". Environment Canada's Land Directorate wrote about us in their newsletter Land in an article titled "City Farmer: Urban Agriculture in Canada". At the beginning of March, 1987 we will be heard on CBC Radio's intellectual show Ideas in a three part series titled "Culture and Agriculture". CBC Radio's Food Show also did a five-minute broadcast on our school garden last summer. Our work is being included in an International Symposium in Toronto in February 1987 titled Greening the City. The session titled "Urban Agriculture - Beyond the Backyard" would not have been included if it weren't for our many years of making the case for city farming.

The list of media spots goes on and on and through this media coverage our small pilot projects become large important events by reaching thousands of readers, listeners, and viewers.

Lord Roberts School Program

For six months in 1986 City Farmer employed three fabulous garden teachers at Lord Roberts School to instruct 250 elementary school children about food gardening. Bev Weber began the garden in May and June, Cindy Warren took the project through the summer, and Joanne May completed the fall harvesting with the help of many enthusiastic children. The garden was part of the larger play-ground development lead by UBC Professor of Education, Gary Pennington.

Letters asking about the project have come to us from across the country and we plan to write instructional material that will help other schools get their own projects going. Already we have printed an Information Sheet on Lord Roberts. We have funding for an instructor in 1987 and will invite Vancouver teachers to attend workshops on their professional days.

Information Sheets

This series, which includes 18 titles, was designed to get basic information out to the public from the Demonstration Food Garden which last year completed its fifth year in operation. Catherine Shapiro and Chris Ferris are very knowledgeable food gardeners and they have shared their wisdom with future gardeners in these Info Sheets, ably researched and written by newspaperman Bruce Whyte. The series is open-ended and many new titles are planned for the years ahead.

Info Sheet Series: At Vancouver's Demonstration Food Garden

1. Unique Garden In City's Core

2. Planning Your Food Garden

3. Seeds Chosen From Around The World

4. Seeds Planted With Care

5. Tools That City Farmers Use

6. Preparing Your Raised Beds

7. Organic Fertilizers Feed The Soil

8. Urban Compost Is Black Gold

9. Bed Rotation Ensures Healthy Plants

10. Controlling Pests Without Poisons

11. Cloches Extend The Seasons

12. Greenhouse Shelters Spring Seedlings

13. Crops For Mild Canadian Winters

14. Harvest Time

15. And Berries For Dessert

16. Head Gardeners Share Recipes

17. Resources Discovered In Vancouver

18. At Lord Roberts Elementary: Classes Sprout in Food Garden

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