The University of Regina’s garden has donated more than 100 kilograms of fresh food to community groups. The garden not only helps fight food insecurity but also teaches volunteers how to grow and harvest vegetables.

Members of the Regina Public Interest Research Group, a student-run centre focused on social and environmental justice, have been growing vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, and spinach in a garden behind the Dr. John Archer Library. Since spring, the group has harvested over 100 kilograms of produce and donated it to local groups like the Cathedral Community Fridge, Carmichael Outreach, and YWCA Regina.

Some of the garden’s food is also donated to a fridge run by the University of Regina Students’ Union for students to use. The garden not only helps feed people but also teaches them how to grow their own food to fight food insecurity. The fridge is used by many newcomers to Canada, so the group has started growing foods like amaranth and peppers to better meet their needs.

The garden offers students and the community access to fresh produce. The group is expanding the garden and offering gardening lessons to help students learn how to grow their own food in the future. Local organizations such as Carmichael Outreach use the vegetables to cook 150–250 meals a day for people experiencing homelessness, while YWCA Regina says their clients are excited to finally have access to fresh food.

Source: Ethan Williams, CBC