Organic vegetable garden finds a home on campus

Posted: July 26, 2012 11:00 a.m.

The recent warm weather has given the garden, and the weeds, a growth spurt. Project coordinator Naomi Beingessner works to remove the unwelcome guests. Photo: U of R Photography

Every person has one very basic thing in common - the need to eat! Food is at the root of healthy, sustainable communities, and it can also be a shared experience that engages people and builds relationships.

This spring, Regina’s Edible Campus launched the Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG) Green Patch. It is a 5,400 square foot organic vegetable garden located south of the Dr. John Archer Library.

Supported by seed funding from the President’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability the garden’s volunteers are donating two-thirds of the produce harvested to Carmichael Outreach, a local charity which provides support to those in need.

“This really has turned into a community project,” said Naomi Beingessner, RPIRG Green Patch project coordinator. “RONA graciously donated all of the fencing materials and over 30 volunteers are planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting the garden,” she says. “The Green Patch has already donated lettuce, beets, radishes, turnips, and zucchini to Carmichael and the harvest season has only just begun.”

In addition to fresh vegetables the garden provides biodiversity and waste recycling, fresh air and exercise, and a beautiful place to wander and relax. The RPIRG will be offering practical workshops on seed saving, gardening skills, and preserving, as well as discussions that explore larger questions surrounding food security and food sovereignty.

The Green Patch is the third garden in the Regina’s Edible Campus project. Others inlcude the First Nations University Shared Garden, which can be found at the rear of the building, between Ring Road and the parking lot, and the second, Institut français' Le Potager, can be found between the Language Institute building and the North Residence.

For more information or to learn more about upcoming workshops contact:

Naomi Beingessner
RPIRG Green Patch project coordinator
Phone (306) 337-2420
Email garden@rpirg.org