Copley Community Orchard is an organic urban orchard located in Vancouver, British Columbia. We acknowledge we are gathering and growing food on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We thank them for having cared for this land since time immemorial. It is a place to celebrate the benefits of growing fruit trees, berry bushes and other perennial plants, educating people on their cultivation, and creating a beautiful and productive space.

We recently built a food pantry where anyone can come and enjoy the harvest from the orchard. This year we wanted to expand it to include a seed library. The idea being that local gardeners would teach others how to collect seeds to grow food, as well as collect seeds for future seasons. Education is an important goal at Copley Community Orchard. At every work party we offer free workshops. We want to help develop people’s knowledge about plants and food literacy.

With the support of SFU Student Social Innovation’s grant that was made possible by the partnership of Embark Sustainability Society and RADIUS SFU, we were successful in dedicating a shelf in the pantry for boxes to store seeds for anyone to take and enjoy in their own garden, increasing peoples’ understanding of how to grow plants from seeds either through direct sowing or planting indoors, and how to collect and store seeds for future use.

We held two very successful seed workshops with approximately 20 community members attending each workshop. The first workshop included a discussion of peoples’ dream garden and what they would look like as a way to build community and inspire ideas. The second workshop began with a sharing of peoples’ favourite seeds and plants they already grow from seed. This included one kid’s first pumpkin patch, a woman who grows and eats fresh chickpeas, and someone else who grows multi-coloured jewel corn. After sharing knowledge about planting and saving seeds, we were able to give away seeds, pots, and soil to everyone.

We are very thankful to the SFU Student Social Innovation grant in helping us add a seed library at Copley Community Orchard. This library helps us with our mission “to connect people to the food, the land, and each other.”

Learn more about Embark Sustainability and RADIUS SFU’s Social Innovation Seed Fund.