MY FED FARM
The My FED Farm project is designed to increase food security for underserved populations by providing garden kits containing everything needed to grow food.
It started as a pandemic response program in 2019 when the impacts of COVID-19 on our society highlighted the systemic issues of food insecurity that so many people in our community face. With skyrocketing living costs, we have chosen to continue to empower individual households and community organizations to grow food and foster community connections.
OUR 2022 IMPACT
We are excited to share that this year we added over 5500 lbs of food growing capacity for vulnerable populations on Southern Vancouver Island! More than 700 planter bags and 3600 seed packets and plant starts went out to our community partners, Indigenous Nations, and individual households. Over the past three years, we have added over 22,000 lbs of potential food grown in the community, transforming 6,800 sq ft into garden space and directly benefiting over 2700 people.
Read our wrap up repot to learn more about this year's program, including stories, testimonials, and more!
My FED Farm has delivered 1137 garden kits to residents of Greater Victoria with the help of dedicated volunteers and community partners
2022
The third year of My FED Farm continued to serve both community organizations and individual households. Due to continued supply chain instability and skyrocketing cost of living, there was keen interest in the program this year. We were excited to continue partnerships with many of the organizations we have previously worked with in addition to making new connections.
Thanks to our new greenhouse, we grew some of our own starts this year to complement the plants distributed through the City of Victoria's Get Growing, Victoria! program. We were thrilled to have some of our garden recipients also double as volunteers, resulting in a full-circle, reciprocal program that enriched the experience and truly fostered community connection.
2021
In the second year of the program, My FED Farm adjusted its focus to incorporate more community organizations in our recipient list. While continuing to supply vegetable gardens to individual homes, we were able to create garden spaces at organizations including Our Place Society, Cridge Centre for the Family, Rainbow Kitchen, and local First Nations communities.
This focus on community gardens and organizations addressed the issues of isolation and disconnection that many of our garden recipients expressed. By offering people an opportunity to connect with one another through food, we hope to support the well-being and mental health of our community.
2020
In 2020, the My FED Farm program supplied free vegetable gardens to 514 homes across the Greater Victoria area, adding over 10,000 pounds of potential food grown right here in our city. In addition to this, the My FED Farm team created and curated educational videos and content to help support people growing their own food.
Thank you to Our supporters
Created in a time of uncertainty and turmoil, the My FED Farm program would not have been possible without the generous support of our volunteers and partners. We would like to express our deep gratitude for those that helped us have a meaningful impact on those at risk of food insecurity in our community.
SUPPORT US
In the past three years, we have added over 24,000 pounds of potential food grown in our community, directly benefiting 2784 people facing barriers to accessing healthy, fresh food and engaging 116 volunteers. We have achieved so much, but with rates of food insecurity rising, we need your help!
Your donation will cover the costs of garden kit materials. The garden kits contain everything needed to grow your own food: canvas SmartPot grow bags, edible plant starts, seeds, and educational resources.
Your donation supports:
$40 - one food insecure household with one garden planter, including soil and seeds
$120 - one food insecure household with a garden kit
$480 - four food insecure households with garden kits
$1200 - the creation of a community garden for those in need
Donate now to support food security in your community. No donation is too small. Thank you for supporting My FED Farm!
PROJECT PARTNERS
We are thrilled to have worked with so many great organizations through this project. My FED Farm would not be possible without support from the following:
TOPSOIL Innovative Agriculture converts under-utilized urban into productive food growing areas. They supply fresh premium produce direct to restaurants and the local community in Victoria. Acting as our headquarters for My FED Farm, we couldn't be happier about collaborating with them on this project!
For more information go to:
www.topsoileatlocal.com
We are thrilled to be partnering with the City of Victoria's 'Get Growing, Victoria' campaign!
Converting space at the Beacon Hill Park nursery, they will be growing over 75,000 edible plants to support those who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 in Victoria and donated over 3,300 plants to our initiative in 2020.
They have also provided funding to support the educational materials developed in partnership through the Growing Together Campaign.
We are so proud to work in a City with leaders like ours.
Be sure to follow them on social media @CityofVictoria and find out more here!
Growing Together is a collaborative initiative that aims to support residents across the region to grow their own food. A number of food-focused organizations and individuals are working together towards one shared, enthusiastic goal: to motivate and enable people across the CRD to plant, harvest and distribute as much fresh food as possible over the next six months. We can do this!
Follow them on social media @Growing.Together.Apart and find out more at www.growingfood-together.com!
The Good Food Network, who is hosting this campaign, is a network of organizations from across the Victoria capital region (Coast Salish territories) working to create a robust local food system.