At the foot of the Bay Street Bridge in Vic West, just off the Galloping Goose Regional Trail, the non-profit FED Urban Farm is growing produce for the community. Originally operating as TOPSOIL, FED took over the farm this spring after working in partnership for five years.
FED has partnered with Dockside Green by Bosa Development to turn 20,000 square feet of undeveloped land into a working downtown farm. It’s a living example of how underutilized lots can be transformed into vibrant, productive agricultural land. FED grows flavourful, spray-free veggies in recycled containers that are lightweight, modular and inner-city friendly.
Members of FED’s community supported agriculture (CSA) program receive a box of fresh, in-season produce each week from May to October. Although enrolment in the program has closed for 2024, the on-site market is open Friday to Sunday through October.
FED’s parent organization is the Synergy Foundation. “A lot of what we do is invisible,” says managing director Brianna Stewart. “This gives a public face to all our other programs.
“FED is also about partnering with local chefs who are just as passionate about Victoria’s hyper-local food economy as we are,” says Stewart. Fresh produce is hand-harvested and packed directly into food-safe containers and delivered within hours of harvest. FED then collects and reuses the containers, eliminating landfill waste. Delivering twice a week cuts down on fridge storage space and allows chefs to serve the freshest produce possible.
As a registered charity, all proceeds from farm sales go towards FED’s other programs, which are designed to increase food security and make urban agriculture more accessible to everyone in Victoria, including:
- The Urban Learning Garden in the courtyard of the downtown Greater Victoria Public Library is designed to connect the public with their food system. Visitors learn about saving seeds, identifying native plants and their Indigenous uses as well as growing food in urban spaces. The garden is also home to the Victoria Seed Library and hosts educational workshops and events.
- Blanshard Streetscape in downtown Victoria integrates growing space and natural beauty into the urban core. This garden corridor serves as the hub of FED’s urban pollinator gardens.
- Rooftop gardens transform underutilized urban spaces into productive growing hubs to supply healthy veggies for vulnerable populations. The two main spaces are located at Our Place Society and the Songhees Wellness Centre.
- Street to Sky aims to help developers, landowners, stratas and urban food growers to explore the benefits and challenges of growing food in Victoria. Two free guides — one for urban farmers, one for landowners — detail the best practices for transforming underutilized areas such as rooftops and courtyards into food oases.
