Cultivate foods that deepen your relationships to land, culture, and community
embark sustainability’s
Learning Gardens
Embark Sustainability operates Learning Gardens across SFU Burnaby and Surrey campuses that explore food sovereignty and food justice through cohorts, workshops, community events, and more. Take charge of your food future and discover what these community-centred learning, social and event spaces have to offer!
LEARNING GARDEN COHORTS
Learn in Community
Getting into gardening? You’re not alone. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or you’re just getting started, joining one of our semesterly Learning Garden Cohorts is an opportunity to develop hands-on gardening and food literacy skills in community with other SFU students.
Each week you’ll gather under the guidance of our Gardens Manager, Pablo Vimos, who will support you to embrace the fun of food growing while exploring organic gardening techniques and reflecting on food justice. Cultivate your own plot, learn to recognize the inequities embedded in colonial food systems, and leave ready to advocate for just, community-centred food systems on and off campus.
PLOT RENTALS
Grow Your Way
If you’re looking to grow with us across semesters, we offer low-barrier plot rentals on an annual basis for individuals and groups, providing access to space, soil, tools, and support. It’s a great way to create campus downtime away from screens and cement, reflect and reconnect with nature, or build community with your union or club.
Produce from unassigned plots is distributed back to students through Embark Sustainability’s Community Kitchens, Food Rescue program and other food security initiatives on SFU campuses.
BUILDING OUR FOOD FUTURE
What is Food Sovereignty?
Let's explore together!
Everyone deserves reliable access to fresh, nutritious, culturally relevant foods, and food security measures like redistribution are important tools for increasing that access. Food sovereignty aims to end inequalities that make food security necessary, supporting equitable food production, distribution, and access. It centres the right of farmers and food growers to define their own agricultural and food systems, and overlaps in goals with Indigenous sovereignty, labour rights, migrant rights, and many other forms of justice.
While food sovereignty is a powerful force for broadscale change, it also lives in the small ways we support ourselves and our communities, from resource sharing to food growing. Gardening is one way you can take up space within your own food system, creating access to foods of your choosing in a way that can deepen your connections to food justice and ready you to advocate for community-centred food systems.
Let's explore together!
Everyone deserves reliable access to fresh, nutritious, culturally relevant foods, and food security measures like redistribution are important tools for increasing that access. Food sovereignty aims to end inequalities that make food security necessary, supporting equitable food production, distribution, and access. It centres the right of farmers and food growers to define their own agricultural and food systems, and overlaps in goals with Indigenous sovereignty, labour rights, migrant rights, and many other forms of justice.
While food sovereignty is a powerful force for broadscale change, it also lives in the small ways we support ourselves and our communities, from resource sharing to food growing. Gardening is one way you can take up space within your own food system, creating access to foods of your choosing in a way that can deepen your connections to food justice and ready you to advocate for community-centred food systems.
Learning Gardens
Explore Our Garden Locations
BURNABY LEARNING GARDEN
The Burnaby Learning Garden is located on the south side of TASC1 (find a map here). This garden is a community-centred learning, social and event space, where our members will learn how to grow, eat, and share campus-grown food all while making SFU Burnaby more sustainable. Each season, garden beds are rented to students and student groups who cultivate their own plots.
Burnaby Learning Garden is supported in part by:
Simon Fraser University, SFU Dining Services, SFU Parking Services
SUB LEARNING GARDEN
The Student Union Building [SUB] Learning Garden was established in April 2021 in conjunction with the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS). The SUB Learning Garden consists of 18 metal raised beds, a storage box, and a compost bin. The garden is located on the south side of the Student Union Building on the 3000 level roof deck. The garden is open to student groups such as clubs, departmental student unions, and graduate caucuses.
SURREY LEARNING GARDEN
The Surrey Learning Garden is a collection of vertical garden beds located at the southwest corner of Podium 3, between sections 340-C and 341-T. This garden is meant to spark dialogue around food justice, food systems, and food security in our rapidly changing community.
Surrey Learning Garden is supported in part by:
Simon Fraser University, SFU Surrey Campus, SFU Surrey Facilities Services
CENTRAL CITY LEARNING GARDEN
The Central City Learning Garden is located on the P3 parking level of Central City behind the SFU Surrey campus in Surrey City Centre. This community-centred learning, social, and event space is operated by Embark Sustainability Society in conjunction with SFU Surrey and Central City. Learning opportunities for Embark members, SFU students, faculty, and the general public will be provided at the garden throughout the upcoming year via classes, events, and workshops.
Central City Learning Garden is supported in part by:
Simon Fraser University, SFU Surrey Campus, Blackwood Partners, SFU Surrey-TD Community Engagement Centre
Embark Sustainability’s Learning Garden resource Library
Everything you need to get started
Burnaby Learning Garden Code of Conduct
Central City Learning Garden Code of Conduct
SUB Learning Garden Code of Conduct
Learning Gardens FAQ’s
Is this an organic garden?
Do I need any equipment?
Since the gardening takes place in raised beds, the need for equipment is minimal. Embark Sustainability provides a few common tools to be used responsibly, and we recommend gardeners have the following tools:
- Gardening gloves
- Hand trowel
- A pair of scissors
Can I plant flowers and/or berry bushes?
No. Planting non-fruit-bearing shrubs in garden plots is prohibited. Bay rosemary, lavender and sage overtake the plot as they mature.
Fruit-bearing shrubs such as blackberries, raspberries, goji berry and blueberries are not permitted. However, we permit strawberries, edible flowers, and flowering non-invasive herbs that favor pollinators.
Can I plant perennial herbs?
No. Planting perennial herbs in garden plots is prohibited. Herbs such as hyssop, calendula, lemon balm, mint, catnip, and tarragon are invasive and will overtake the garden plot.
Am I able to have more than one garden plot?
When can I register for a garden plot?
Anytime! All initial signups/renewals are added to the registration waitlist, and contacted by Embark Sustainability’s Gardens Manager for further onboarding. Our garden plot rental agreement is for 1 year at a time, February 1st to January 31st the following year and must be renewed annually.
How much does it cost to rent a garden plot?
Can I pay with cash?
Garden plot termination
Embark Sustainability can terminate a renters’ garden plot rental agreement due to the following:
- Failing to start cultivating the garden plot by April 1st of the current rent cycle (e.g. April 1st, 2024 for the rent cycle February 1st, 2024 to January 31st, 2025).
- Allowing garden plots to stand uncultivated (bare or overgrown) for more than two (2) consecutive weeks during any point in the growing season. It is expected that plots are frequently harvested and replanted.
- Allowing garden plots to become overgrown with spent crops or weeds at any point during the growing season.
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