In cooperation with the Edible Garden Project, the City hosts an urban farm on City land as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability. This urban agriculture project creates a publicly accessible and inclusive space for the whole community. The City monitors the project as a model for using public land in a non-traditional park or recreational manner.
Urban Agriculture Defined
Urban agriculture is the act of growing food in the urban environment. In addition to vegetables grown in a garden, this also includes fruit/nut tree production and bee keeping.
An urban farm is a portion of urban land where food is intensively grown for sale. typically cultivated by trained farmers. Food grown is sold locally, including at farmers markets.
The Urban Farm at Loutet Park
The site at Rufus Avenue and East 14th Street was under-utilized, with a flat landscape, fully accessible to the public, which lies in full sun for the entire day.
The Loutet Urban Farm is administered by the North Shore Neighbourhood House, a not-for-profit society through the Edible Garden Project. The goal is to create a socially, economically and environmentally self-sustaining not-for-profit enterprise.
Envisioned as a way to help people get back in touch with food, the farm enables people to buy locally-grown food that the community at large can enjoy - versus a community garden where plots are designated to individuals. Any income is reinvested into the project to pay salaries, purchase seeds, tools, etc. The farm employs one full time farmer. The commercial aspect of this site is only a means to an end, with the end being the creation of an ecologically, financially and socially self-sustaining space within a park. The farm regularly hosts markets during the growing season.
Contact Info
Engineering Department
Tel: 604-983-7333
Email: eng@cnv.org