COMMUNITY HORTICULTURAL THERAPY PROJECTS

Community Projects in BC and Alberta

• Providence Farm
• Jubilee Gardens
• PEI Agriculture Sector
• Ahousaht First Nations
• Grande Prairie Regional College

Providence Farm 

My horticultural therapy career began at Providence Farm in 1989. Recently returned from Papua New Guinea with CUSO and wanting to establish roots in the Cowichan Valley, I answered an ad in the local paper for a greenhouse/nursery employee who would work with persons with mental health issues.

I quickly recognized the need for community integration and for the creation of a healthier mixed community, and so I began introducing and developing horticulture programs for persons with barriers to employment and education. Together with supervisor Jack Hutton, a dedicated Board of Directors, the Sister's of St. Ann, and Providence Farm's wonderful staff and volunteers, I developed and managed:

• Greenways, a supported employment program for persons with mental health issues.
• St. Ann's Garden Club for seniors.
• Individual horticulture and employment training for clients of Worker's Compensation Board.
• Individual rehabilitative programs for persons with traumatic brain injury through the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and the Brain Injury Program of the Ministry of Health.
• Individual training programs for Displaced Forestry Workers through Forest Renewal BC and for individuals interested in employment through the then Ministry of Skills, Training and Labour.

In addition to program management, I oversaw the operation of a market garden, field crops, greenhouse, nursery, orchard, landscape maintenance, small engine workshop, woodworking shop, St. Ann's Allotment Garden, store and value-added products both retail and wholesale. I saw it was paramount to balance the needs of the persons using the services of Providence Farm with the needs both of the farm and the wider community.

In Spring 2001 and after 13 years, I stepped down from being Programs Manager of Providence Farm, so I could concentrate on promoting and providing Canadian and International educational opportunities in Horticultural Therapy.

Jubilee Gardens 

The May 2009 issue of Canadian Teacher Magazine included a great article by Sandy Riecken and Carol Sim.

PEI Agriculture Sector Council (PASC)
In April I had the great opportunity to present at a Horticultural Therapy conference in Charlottetown PEI.  I was invited by Thomas MacLellan, Agriculture Employment Coordinator.  The PASC “represents agriculture organizations and related groups, providing collective leadership on agricultural human resource issues”.

The speakers at the HT conference also included Becky Feasby HTR, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Lana Chisholm, student of Nova Scotia Agriculture College (NSAC) and HT at a women’s prison in Nova Scotia and Dr. Norman Goodyear, associate professor at NSAC.  We also had a presentation from the National Care Farming Initiative www.ncfi.org.uk  a representative from Carlshead Farm in North Yorkshire.

The conference was well attended and sparked an interest in HT in PEI, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.  I was also interviewed on CBC Maritime Noon that also met with a very positive response!  We are hoping that there is enough interest in forming a Canadian Care Farming Association. 

Ahousaht First Nations,  Flores Island, BC
Situated 40 minutes by water taxi from Tofino on Vancouver Island, the Ahousaht First Nations have had plenty of gardens in the past producing lots of vegetables.  But like the last couple of generations of our western society, there have been a couple of generations that have not gardened for food.  After a couple of enthusiastic phone conversations with Sarah Hagar, a resident of Ahousaht and keen organic gardener,  I was contacted by Bob Isbister, a Community Economic Development consultant to support Ahousaht in planning and building a community garden.

So I went with Bob in May for our first planning session.  Grade 5 students and community members gathered as we were first inspired by a slide show of the Willowcreek Community Garden of Meadowlake Saskatchewan produced by Denise Sarauer then a video of the American Community Garden Association.

We decided that this garden of Ahousaht would be a place of learning, socializing and food production.  I visited again in June to find the garden ploughed, rototilled with 2 very large raised beds ready for planting.  I was able to bring with me 10 flats of vegetables donated by Dinter’s Nursery in Duncan by their “Grow a Row” program.

The Grade 5’s also pre-seeded beans and pumpkins that were now ready to plant.  Many community members  planted until late into the afternoon.  The next morning we were very fortunate to have the Ahousaht spiritual leader come and bless the garden!! 

Grande Prairie Regional College
Very excited to announce the partnership of Grande Prairie Regional College and Home Farm in the delivery of the Home Farm Live Online Horticultural Therapy Certificate beginning October 2009 at Fairview Campus, Alberta.  Please go to the HT Certificate page for more information.