At Riverbend Gardens we’re proud to be part of such a vibrant and energetic community in Edmonton. We partner with many organizations and groups in order to share the land we love, the food we grow and the vision we support for a healthy and sustainable community in the future.

Native Healing Centre

For over a decade now we have allocated land in our old growth forest to the Native Healing Centre. They use the land for programs that extend their mission of journeying along side the urban Aboriginal population reconnecting people to culture and ceremony.

Find out more about the Native Healing Centre and their programs here: www.edmontonnativehealingcentre.com

Operation Fruit Rescue

We’ve partnered with Operation Fruit Rescue for the past few seasons. They come to the farm to glean at the end of the harvest. We’re excited about and committed to this partnership because we are passionate about reducing food waste and creating sustainable food systems in Edmonton.

Find out more about Operation Fruit Rescue’s mandate here: www.operationfruitrescue.org

City Farm / Sustainable Food Edmonton

We have had the opportunity to host a City Farm site on our land for 9 years. We donated this land to be used for their programming that offers children and youth an opportunity to experience agriculture, incorporating adventure, leadership development and rich experiential educational activities. Unfortunately City Farm is not in operation right now and is currently looking for funding. You can learn more about this program and the campaign underway to bring it back to Edmonton’s youth here: www.sustainablefoodedmonton.org/programs/city-farm/

Lady Flower Gardens

Lady Flower Gardens, is a place of experiential learning about growing food and growing community.

Lady Flower Gardens (LFG) is a gathering place. Since its beginnings it has created a space for groups typically pushed to the edges of Edmonton’s society to come and garden.

LFG’s primary purpose is to allow all who come to the land to find food, friendship and freedom. The garden operates on a service model: community members work together to grow crops. Each individual is invited to tend a communal plot of land through planting, weeding and harvesting. Most of the harvest goes to food organizations within Edmonton, but people also take a portion of the produce home for their own use. Using this model LFG is becoming a place of renewal, both for individuals and for relationships between individuals of differing classes, ethnicities and walks of life.

LFG currently works with nine organizations serving Edmonton, including The Mustard Seed, Hope Mission, Inner City Recreation and Wellness (a collaboration between the Bissel Center and Boyle Street Community Centre), Wecan Food Basket, The Winnifred Stewart Society, Autism Edmonton, Ambrose Place and the Edmonton Food Bank.

LFG and RBG share land and resources and was started in 2011 by Doug Visser & Kelly Mills.

– Lady Flower Gardens 2015 Report