The Project
Increasingly, it has become important for urban centres to invest in sustainable, locally grown, secure food sources. Urban agriculture is one of the key responses to these concerns. Additionally, universities around the world have taken leading roles in civic engagement activities geared towards sustainable communities. As a result, staff, students, and faculty at the University of Regina are pleased to join this movement towards community engagement and sustainable development on our campus.
In 2009, the Institut francais organized a University-Community Circle on urban agriculture. One of the recommendations of the group was to develop agriculture on the university campus. A pilot project was launched in 2011 in an existing flowerbed. The successful harvest garnered enough vegetables to offer to the Carmichael Outreach Centre in Regina, helping to feed core residents of the city.
From this project, Regina’s Edible Campus (REC) was subsequently created. The partners include Wascana Centre Authority, the University of Regina, the Institut francais, First Nations University of Canada, and the Regina Public Interest Research Group. In 2012, with the generous support of the President’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability, the project expanded to include three gardens on campus.
Regina’s Edible Campus intends to achieve six strategic objectives in order to foster student and staff engagement, and to act as a model for sustainable development:
- Educate on horticulture, food security, and healthy eating habits.
- Engage students and staff in a community project with positive social impacts.
- Produce high quality vegetables at a low cost.
- Enhance the beauty of the campus landscaping.
- Value environmental sustainability, responsibility, and diversity.
- Support community partners and residents of Regina.
The Gardens
Regina’s Edible Campus currently contains three gardens. The first is the First Nations University Shared Garden, located at the rear of the building, between Ring Road and the parking lot. The second, Le Potager, is located between the Language Institute building and the North Residence. The third garden, the RPIRG Green Patch, is located South of the Archer Library.
1. First Nations University Shared Garden
The First Nations University of Canada has community gardens located at the rear of the beautiful FNUniv building. These raised garden beds were established in 2008 and are offered free to gardeners. We encourage youth groups and interested gardeners to join us. At the end of the summer, gardeners are encouraged to donate 20% of their yield to the university students.
2. Le Potager
The Institut francais will now annually plant Le Potager, a plot which is planted, cared for, and harvested by employees of the Institut. Last year, most of the vegetables harvested were offered to the Carmichael Outreach Centre. Visit the Le Potager page for more information.
3. The RPIRG Green Patch
The Regina Public Interest Research Group was excited to aid the launch of the third community garden on campus as part of Regina’s Edible Campus during the summer of 2012. A U of R student was hired to coordinate the planting, maintenance, and harvesting of the garden, as well as to coordinate the volunteers and distribution.
The Green Patch is in its second season in 2013.
If you are interested in volunteering with the garden, please visit our facebook page or fill out the sign-up form.
For more information about Regina’s Edible Campus, please contact:
General Information: Frederic Dupre – frederic.dupre@uregina.ca
FNUniv Shared Garden: Fidji Gendron – fgendron@firstnationsuniversity.ca
Le Potager: Frederic Dupre – frederic.dupre@uregina.ca
RPIRG Green Patch: Naomi Beingessner – info@rpirg.org
