Secure Tool Storage Infrastructure for Therapeutic Community Urban Farm

Our mission is simple: nature bathing with a productive purpose. We convert vacant urban lots into therapeutic growing spaces where neighbours share in abundance while transforming empty land into thriving sources of food and flowers.

In northeast Calgary, our first lot sits at the heart of five diverse communities. Once a long-vacant parcel, it is now home to our Farm Club, a pilot urban farm where members grow food, build community, and experience the restorative benefits of nature.

The design vision is immersive. The Hoop House Clubhouse shelters plants and people, serving as the farm’s nucleus. The Production Gardens grow food and flowers intensively in raised, no-dig beds. The Compost Patch transforms yard waste into “brown gold” for healthy soil. The Messy Meadow and Shrubby Shelterbelt showcase native plants, pollinator habitat, and berry shrubs along a walking path. For reflection and rest, residents can retreat to Hammock Islands, places designed to breathe, connect, and heal.

Since launching in June 2025, more than 80 members have joined, with strong interest from the community and local partners such as Vivo for Healthier Generations, a seniors care centre, youth groups, and Notre Dame High School where 110 teachers and dozens of students have already volunteered. These institutions see the farm’s potential for mental health, education, and social connection.

Yet a fundamental barrier limits our impact. At present, every tool and material must be transported by vehicle for each activity, which is unsustainable for consistent programming and reliable partnerships. We are requesting $9,000 for two secure tool storage containers and gravel foundations. With this infrastructure in place, members will gain self-serve access during extended hours which fosters spontaneous engagement. Therapeutic and educational programs will run reliably, and partners will be able to count on resources being ready. This will allow us to grow capacity from 80 current members to more than 500 active participants, producing over 7,500 pounds of food annually.

Our farm club serves 65,000 residents across five North Calgary communities, including Country Hills, Country Hills Village, Coventry Hills, Harvest Hills, and Panorama Hills. Through accessible gardening, therapeutic horticulture, and shared harvests, we advance mental health, food security, environmental literacy, and social connection.

Gardening is well established as a practice that reduces stress, alleviates depression, and builds resilience. For individuals managing mental health challenges, the farm offers a stigma-free environment. Seniors at the nearby care centre benefit from therapeutic gardening and intergenerational connection. Apartment dwellers, our largest demographic, gain restorative contact with nature that is often absent in dense housing.

Low-income households are able to supplement groceries with fresh produce. Newcomer families grow home-country crops alongside Canadian vegetables, maintaining food traditions while learning new ones. With free membership and the capacity to produce more than 7,500 pounds of food annually, the farm nourishes both bodies and cultural identity.

Youth gain environmental literacy through hands-on education. Notre Dame High School students and teachers have already joined workdays, and sustained school partnerships will embed food literacy, soil ecology, and sustainability into student learning.

Community connection is strengthened as neighbours interact across cultural and generational boundaries. Shared spaces such as the Messy Meadow and Hammock Islands foster informal exchanges, new relationships, and visible pride in the neighbourhood. Members also share skills and harvests with their families, multiplying the impact beyond the farm itself.

With secure tool storage, we can scale from 80 members to more than 500, enabling continuous programming and long-term partnerships. This strengthens neighbourhood resilience and turns a once-empty lot into a symbol of collective pride and wellbeing.