The West End Neighbourhood Food Network has lots of food and gardening events lined up through to June 2024, in partnership with Village Vancouver. Community meals, gardening workshops, and West End Garden Club activities. Please see the list below. These events are at the West End Community Centre or Coal Harbour Community Center, as indicated. (Visit https://westendcc.ca/ to browse the extensive programs. Register online, in person, or by phone at 604-257-8333 ext. 1.
Register online here. (Search for the key words such as “neighbourhood food” or “gardening” and then look for the date or event you want.) Or click on the links beside each event below.
We are also managing gardening at the Robson and Broughton Community Garden. We also have a seed library at Joe Fortes Public Library.
Heads up! We have lots of food and gardening events lined up through to March 2023, in partnership with Village Vancouver. Community meals, gardening workshops, and West End Garden Club activities. Please see the list below. All these events are at the West End Community Centre (https://westendcc.ca/ to browse the extensive programs). Register online, in person, or by phone (604-257-8333 ext. 1).
Register online here. (Search for the key words such as “neighbourhood food” or “gardening” and then look for the date or event you want.)
Thu 9 Feb 6:30-8:30 pm Growing Superfoods. Cost: $15. Reduced fee for Seniors (50 and over) $5
Enhance your health by adding home-grown superfoods to your plate! In this joint Village Vancouver – West End Neighbourhood Food Network WE Urban Garden Club workshop with Rhiannon Johnson, you’ll learn how to grow your own superfoods such as kale, ginger, turmeric, sprouts, and blueberries. Some superfoods are best grown indoors, and others outdoors, which equally flourish in a garden or in containers. We’ll have a community seed library there – pick up some free seeds for your garden, swap or donate seeds. Reduced fee for Seniors (50 and over)..
Fri 10 Feb 2-4 pm Menu Planning, Meal Prep and Mason Jar Salads Cost: $21. Free for Seniors (50 and over), except for $8 materials fee. Openings: 12 but expandable.
In this joint Village Vancouver – West End Neighbourhood Food Network WE Urban Garden Club workshop with Rashmi GC, you’ll learn how to plan healthier options for meals throughout the week. Prepare a personalized Menu Plan for yourself. Get tips about Meal Prep. Make and take home a Mason Jar Salad! We’ll have a community seed library present – pick up some free seeds for your garden, swap or donate seeds. Reduced fee for Seniors (50 and over) – $8 materials cost only
Sun 19 Feb noon-1 pm 2023 Collaborative and Community Gardening Opportunities Free. Openings:12 but expandable.
Looking for a place to garden this year? Learn about our inclusive and equitable family friendly, cross cultural collaborative community gardens in Grandview Woodland, Kits, Strathcona, the West End (including our garden boxes at Robson Community Garden), and West Point Grey at this info session. Applications will be available for anyone interested in gardening with us. All levels of experience welcome. We’ll have a community seed library present – pick up some free seeds, swap or donate seeds. Free.
Sun 19 Feb 1-2:30 pm West End Urban Garden Club Free. Openings: 12 but expandable.
Join West End Neighbourhood Food Network’s Urban Garden Club and Village Vancouver at our monthly inclusive, family friendly gatherings. Each month we have a short presentation or discussion on a different food and/or gardening related topic. This month: Starting your 2023 garden/what are you growing this year?/good places to buy seeds.We’ll have a community seed library present – pick up some free seeds for your garden, swap or donate seeds. Optionally, please bring some snacks or food to share. Free.
Tue 28 Feb 6:30-8:30 pm Zero Waste in the Kitchen and DIY Beeswax WrapsCost: *$21 ($8 of this is for materials). Free for Seniors (50 and over), except for $8 materials fee. Openings: 20
In this joint Village Vancouver – West End Neighbourhood Food Network WE Urban Garden Club workshop with Rashmi GC, we’ll talk about how to reduce food waste, package-free grocery shopping, proper segregation of kitchen waste, recycling and composting. Workshop participants will make beeswax wraps to take home with them. We’ll have a community seed library present – pick up some free seeds for your garden, swap or donate seeds. Free for Seniors for seniors (50 and over; $8 materials fee only.).
Sat 11 Mar 1-3 pm Balcony, Container, and Small Space Gardening Cost: $15. Reduced fee for Seniors (50 and over) $5. AV needed. Openings:12 but expandable.
Want to grow food, but don’t have much room? In this joint Village Vancouver – West End Neighbourhood Food Network WE Urban Garden Club workshop, instructor Rhiannon Johnson will cover the techniques and challenges specific to gardening in small spaces, both indoors and outdoors. We’ll look at soil, fertilizing organically, watering, types of containers, different sun orientations and, of course, what to grow in your space. We’ll have a community seed library there – pick up some free seeds for your garden, swap or donate seeds. Reduced fee for Seniors (50 and over)..
Sun 19 Mar noon-1 pm DIY Planter Box Giveaway Free. Openings: 10
Village Vancouver and West End Neighbourhood Food Network WE Urban Garden Club have free small (6-7 Ltr.), lightweight, easy to assemble DIY Planter Box Kits available for seniors, immunocompromised, low income, and other vulnerable members of the community, as well as for other community members. Each kit includes planter box parts, soil, seeds, and assembly instructions. To request a kit: register in the usual manner, AND THEN ALSO contact planterboxes@villagevancouver.ca. and indicate if you’re a member of a vulnerable population or not. (No details required.) Include Planter Box in the subject line. Supplies are limited.
Sun 19 Mar 1-2:30 pm West End Urban Garden Club Free. Openings: 12 but expandable.
Join West End Neighbourhood Food Network’s Urban Garden Club and Village Vancouver at our monthly inclusive, family friendly gatherings. Each month we have a short presentation or discussion on a different food and/or gardening related topic. This month: Mason Bees. We’ll also be giving away small amounts of plant fertilizer, and have a community seed library present – pick up some free seeds for your garden, swap or donate seeds. Optionally, please bring some snacks or food to share. Free.
Sun 26 Mar 1-3 pm Growing Japanese Spring Vegetables Cost: $20 ($7 of this is for materials). Free for Seniors (50 and over), except for $7 materials fee. Openings:12 but expandable.
Start the gardening season by growing these early spring Japanese vegetables. Easy to grow, nutritionally dense, yet not readily available, make the most of your garden by growing these wonderful veggies. In this joint Village Vancouver – Westside Neighbourhood Food Network WE Urban Garden Club hands-on workshop with Tonari Gumi Garden Club (Japanese Community Volunteer Association), we’ll focus on five early spring vegetables. We’ll offer additional seeds and plant starts, along with a sampling of these vegetables in delicious, yet simple Japanese dishes. We’ll also have a community seed library present – pick up some free seeds for your garden, swap or donate seeds. Free for Seniors (50 and over) – $7 materials cost only.
Thu 30 Mar 6:30-8:30 pm DIY Yoghurt and Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) at Home Cost: *$21; Free for Seniors (50 and over), except for $8 materials fee. Openings:12 but expandable.
In this joint Village Vancouver West End Neighbourhood Food Network WE Urban Garden Club workshop with Rashmi GC, you’ll learn to easily make fresh Yoghurt and Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) from scratch, without the use of any special devices. We’ll share tips and tricks for successfully making them at home, and you’ll make a jar of Yoghurt to take with you. Enjoy a Paneer making demonstration, and learn to make different flavoured Paneers! Learning this skill will help you to avoid buying packaged food from stores. We’ll have a community seed library present – pick up some free seeds for your garden, swap or donate seeds. Free for Seniors (50 and over) – $8 materials cost only.
COMPLETED
Thu 19 Jan 6:30-8:30 pm Grow Your Own Microgreens Cost: $19; Free for Seniors (50 and over) except for $5 materials fee. Openings: but expandable.
Microgreens are tasty and nutritious greens that can be eaten as a fresh snack or added to salads, smoothies, soups and more. In this joint Village Vancouver – West End Neighbourhood Food Network WE Urban Garden Club workshop with Dr. Yael Stav, you’ll learn how to grow your own trays of microgreens at home year-round. We’ll look at the difference between sprouts and microgreens, review the many possible seeds that can be used for starting microgreens, and look into troubleshooting common problems. You’ll prepare your own microgreen tray to take home! All supplies provided. We’ll have a community seed library present – pick up some free seeds, swap or donate seeds. Free for Seniors (50 and over) – $5 materials cost only
Instructors: West End Neighbourhood Food Network, Village Vancouver.
Instructors: West End Neighbourhood Food Network, Village Vancouver.
West End Neighbourhood Food Network and the West End Urban Garden Club would like to invite our friends – old, new and yet to be – to join us as we gather for holiday cheer in celebration of food and gardening.
This is an informal family friendly gathering and we’d love to see new gardeners and other community members there. Due to COVID protocols, we invite you to bring your own meal, and tableware, and (for those who’d like to) to come with your gardening stories, or tales of your favourite comfort dishes or traditional seasonal foods. Free.
Heads up! We have lots of food and gardening events lined up through to December 2021, in partnership with Village Vancouver. Community meals, gardening workshops, and West End Garden Club activities. Please see the list below. Registration required.
Meal and workshop — Join West End Neighbourhood Food Network’s Urban Garden Club and Village Vancouver at our monthly family friendly gatherings. Depending on what COVID protocols are in place at the time (if any), we’ll either invite you to bring a dish to share, or to bring your own meal and tableware (e.g. plate, eating utensils, etc.) Each month we present a short workshop on a different food and/or gardening related topic. This time the theme is Seed Saving. Free.
Sept 19, 2021 (Sunday) Thu 1 pm to 2:30 pm Location: *West End Community Centre Facility: Bidwell Room
Instructors: West End Neighbourhood Food Network, Village Vancouver
Meal and workshop — Join West End Neighbourhood Food Network and Village Vancouver as our monthly family friendly gatherings resume!. For now, we won’t be doing potlucks. Please bring your own food and tableware (e.g. plate, eating utensils, etc.) Each month we present a short workshop on a different food and/or gardening related topic. August – Saving Seeds.
Aug 26, 2021 Thu 6 pm to 7:30 pm Location: *West End Community Centre Facility: Off Site – KG Outdoor Basketball Courts
Instructors: West End Neighbourhood Food Network, Village Vancouver
Meal and workshop — Join West End Neighbourhood Food Network and Village Vancouver as our monthly family friendly gatherings resume!. For now, we won’t be doing potlucks. Please bring your own food and tableware (e.g. plate, eating utensils, etc.) Each month we present a short workshop on a different food and/or gardening related topic. June – Sugar Beets!
Sunday, June 20, 2021 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Location: West End Community Centre Facility: Off Site – KG Outdoor Basketball Courts
We just received a large plant donation and will also be giving away plants.
Here’s a general idea of what we have: Veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, onions, squash, pumpkins, onions, cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, etc.), tomatoes, herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, lavender, basil, etc.) and flowers/landscaping plants (many varieties). Mostly plants are in small (4-6 inch) pots, and some 4 packs and larger plants as well. 4 packs and pots with multiple plants in them count as one plant. There may be a couple/few things which are no longer available.
Village Vancouver is doing a plant giveaway in front of McBride Fieldhouse on Friday June 18 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Parking is on 4th and 5th. You can get up to 8 plants.
We had many plans for 2020 and 2021, but COVID-19 had other plans. We have maintained our outdoor gardening activities, and things are starting to ramp up again, with special protocols to be safe.
Some items are in the West End Community Centre program, showing activities organized by West End Neighbourhood Food Network, West End Urban Garden Club, and Village Vancouver.
Register online (www.vancouver.ca/westendrec) via keyword search, in person at WECC, or call WECC (604.257.8333).
Wed May 27, 6-7:30 pm – Early Summer Gardening (FULL, waiting list open)
Sun May 30, 9:30-10:15 am – Free Seeds for Gardening (FULL, waiting list open)
Sun May 30, 10:15-11 am – DIY Planter Box Giveaway (FULL, waiting list open)
Sun May 30, 11 am-12:30 pm – Community Meal, Gardening Workshop, and WE Urban Garden Club – Mini-workshop: “Growing Great Tomatoes“
Sun Jun 6, 10 am-noon – “Introduction to Vertical Gardening” (FULL, waiting list open)
Sun Jun 28, 11 am-12:30 pm – Community Meal, Gardening Workshop, and WE Urban Garden Club – Mini-workshop: “Sugar Beets!”
Limited space for all activities (10 persons max.) All activities are free for everyone, except for the Vertical Gardening workshop (which is free for seniors 50 and over. $13 for others).
More news – Our boxes at Robson Community Garden are doing great, with several gardeners participating. On the other hand, programming workshops, etc. over the last 6 months has been quite the challenge – organize, program, schedule, cancel or postpone and reschedule, postpone and reschedule again, etc. On May 27, we were actually able to run our 1st workshop at the community centre in over a year. On the basketball court behind the community centre. Sunday, May 30, we’re resuming the monthly meal (bring your own, not a potluck, also on the basketball court).
We had an extensive schedule of workshops planned in the 2020 winter and spring sessions, but COVID-19 had other plans. We had to put all our workshops at the West End Community Centre on pause in mid-March this year due when the community centre announced its closure for safety reasons.
But that did not stop us from being very active outdoors!
This year we launched nine raised garden beds at the Robson Community Garden (corner of Robson and Broughton Streets in the West End). They are being cultivated by an intergenerational and multi-cultural group of twelve gardeners from the WENFN Urban Garden Club, in cooperation with Village Vancouver.
We are hoping to resume our workshops, a combination of virtual on Zoom and in-person workshops, during the upcoming winter session as the community centre opens up gradually. We are watching for signs of hope for this.
We will also have new seeds available by mail after the New Year 2021. Stay tuned.
Another activity still ongoing is work to update our Urban Garden Calendar (second edition), aiming for completion soon.
We hope you have all been keeping safe and staying healthy during these trying times. Food growing is a healthy activity and we’ll do our best to keep these things going in 2021!
Great news! A full list of spring activities by West End Neighbourhood Food Network, West End Urban Garden Club, and Village Vancouver are now online in the West End Community Centre program. Download or view PDF online here.
Register online (www.vancouver.ca/westendrec), in person at WECC, or call WECC (604.257.8333).
West End Neighbourhood Food Network (WENFN) 