Our community farms grow healthy fresh produce!
More than just farms, these beautiful, productive spaces are also gathering places and host a multitude of community events, workshops, and social gatherings each season.
Come and visit us!
Our Fresh Sheet
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Find out what’s for sale at Loutet Farm, upcoming events, and our favourite recipes.
Visit Loutet Farm
Find us at E 14th St & Rufus Ave.
Come for a stroll, book a tour, volunteer group, or an educational visit (schools, clubs, camps, etc).
Volunteer
We’re recruiting for our Market Crew – help at our Farm Gate Sales.
Book your corporate or team volunteer group today!
Shop at the Markets
Get your fresh vegitables Saturdays and Wednesdays though out the growing season at Loutet Farm.
Loutet Farm
Loutet Farm (a half acre of growing space) is the first urban farm on public parkland in Canada.
Founded as a unique partnership between the North Shore Neighbourhood House, the City of North Vancouver and the University of British Columbia, Loutet Farm is an exciting project designed for our community to learn about food systems, become involved in local food production and to have greater access to locally grown produce.
Employing underutilized public parkland provided by the City of North Vancouver, Loutet Farm operates as an economically viable urban farm within a residential area. Funds generated through the sale of the produce are directed back into the operations of the farm while creating valuable green-collar jobs for north shore residents. In addition, the farm is where we host tours, workshops, field trips and volunteer sessions for both adults and children.
Sutherland Schoolyard Market Garden
The Sutherland Schoolyard Market Garden reimagines the use of school property.
A “sister farm” to Loutet Farm, the Sutherland Schoolyard Market Garden expands our model of an economically viable urban farm and is an outdoor, hands-on learning classroom where school communities come together to learn about food systems, environmental sustainability, connection to land and community, and health.
The Loutet Farm Story
The Early Years
In 2009, UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture’s Greenskin’s Lab approached the City of North Vancouver with the vision for developing a model urban farm on park land that was financially sustainable (revenue neutral). Mayor and Council were excited about the potential for the project and directed staff to work with Greenskin’s Lab to find a viable location and consult with the community.
It took about two years to find the site, work with the neighbourhood to identify concerns and opportunities, and develop a plan. With the support of an Advisory Committee of local businesses, neighbours, and community organizations, the Loutet Farm project began to take shape. As the first farm of it’s kind in Canada, the City of North Vancouver and Greenskin’s Lab had to work together to figure out “how” to farm in a residential neighbourhood – working through zoning and by-law issues as they arose.
The North Shore Neighbourhood House’s Edible Garden Project was identified as a excellent organization to manage the Loutet Farm project, and took responsibility for fundraising for the project in late 2010.
Breaking Ground
During a February snowfall in 2011, we broke ground on Loutet Farm! The first season we spent a lot of time “building the farm”. Concert Properties was the main sponsor of the project, and generously built and filled our tool shed, brought in thirteen dump-trucks of soil, built our first hoop house, and contributed hundreds of volunteer hours. Great Canadian Landscaping helped us build the fence, Rainbird and ActiveTurf Irrigation installed our irrigation system, and Neptune Terminals, Wesgroup, and Mountain Equipment Co-op supported equipment and infrastructure. We also recieved the Vancity Envirofund, which supported equipment, infrastructure, and wages for our staff.