- Outdoor, Experiential & Ecological
- Student Experience
What it is?
Mr. James Willms designed the Regenerative Farm to promote sustainability and reciprocity through innovative techniques such as no-dig construction, carbon capture, composting, and a closed-loop system.
Hands-on learning is central to its design, with students actively involved in every aspect of the farm, from laying the cardboard foundation to ongoing tasks like farming, propagation, and harvesting.
Now in its fourth year, the Regenerative Farm has become an integral part of the Meadowridge Campus, embodying the Outdoor, Experiential, Ecological (OE3) Program and expanding its impact into the community.
The farm regularly donates fresh produce to the Maple Ridge Friends in Need Food Bank, helping those in need while deepening students' connection to the community through volunteerism and the land through meaningful engagement.
Regenerative Farm Timeline
December 2020
Mr. James Willms proposes the Regenerative Agriculture Project. The project aims to transform a quarter-acre section of land on the north side of campus—previously occupied by a covered riding ring—into an edible crop garden. It will enhance on-campus food production and offer service opportunities for students.
January 2021
The Regenerative Farm begins with a school-wide cardboard drive. Students bring in a cardboard box each to serve as the farm’s foundation in a no-dig approach.
February 2021
Thirty yards of wood chips are brought in to cover the cardboard and provide a foundation for raised growing rows. Wood is donated from Gallant Enterprises, a mill located in the UBC Research Forest. Students propagate seeds for the farm’s first crop in the greenhouse.
March 2021
Raised growing rows are constructed and filled with soil from Davison Farms in Maple Ridge.
April 2021
Students plant the first crops, including sunflower, mustard, and crimson clover cover crops, as well as kale, strawberries, and apple trees.
September 2021
The farm’s first yield generates 46 pounds of fresh produce donated to the local food bank. March 2022 A compost shed is constructed to support the farm’s closed-loop system.
September 2023
With the compost shed and a growing vermicomposting program, compost made from farm and campus materials supports a quarter of the farm’s growth.
July 2024
In its third year, the farm produces 800 pounds of fresh, no-spray produce, all donated to the local food bank.
Key Concepts
Regenerative land management
Regenerative land management is a set of principles and practices that reverse current trends of soil, water and air quality degradation by enhancing the soil ecosystem and restoring its biology.
No-dig gardening
No-dig gardening is growing plants without disturbing the soil through traditional tilling or digging. Instead, gardeners layer organic materials like compost, mulch, and manure on top of the ground, which breaks down naturally, enriching the soil and promoting healthy plant growth.
Carbon capture
Carbon capture gardening is a sustainable approach that sequesters carbon from the atmosphere into the soil. Using specific practices helps mitigate climate change while improving soil health.
Regenerative agriculture
Regenerative agriculture describes farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity. This results in both carbon drawdown and an improved water cycle.
Closed loop
Closed-loop gardening is a sustainable practice that minimizes waste and uses natural processes to create a self-sustaining system. In this approach, the outputs of one part of the garden are reused as inputs for another, creating a continuous cycle of resources.
Supporting Reciprocity
The Regenerative Farm was designed with service in mind.
While produce has always been donated to the local food bank, a recent program update now involves students directly volunteering there, allowing them to witness the real-world impact of their efforts.
Last year, every Middle School student contributed over 100 hours of service at the Friends In Need Food Bank, alongside the donation of nearly 800 pounds of produce.
Beyond service, students are gaining a deeper understanding of sustainability and their role in practicing it. Through lessons on the 'Honourable Harvest,' an Indigenous philosophy, students learn to take only what is needed, leave some for others, minimize harm, and always give thanks for what has been taken.
Sustainability in Action
2019/20
Sourced Compostable Packaging for the Cafeteria
SAGE Dining sourced compostable packaging for all items sold in the cafeteria. At the same time, the Zero Waste Task Force worked with the community to educate them about following proper recycling streams for all types of materials. We also paired up with Revolution Resource Recovery to compost our organics which allows us to use compostable packaging and liners.
Carbon Assessment
Aligned with our commitment to sustainable practices—a priority in our latest Strategic Plan—we conducted a carbon assessment to establish a baseline of our current footprint.
This assessment evaluated the environmental impact across all areas, from daily operations and educational initiatives to direct and indirect emissions. With our carbon emissions inventory calculate, we can now adjust day-to-day operations to achieve emissions reductions.
What is a carbon assessment?
A carbon assessment involves the identification of an organization’s activities that result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions sources and the measurement of the GHGs (CO2, CH4, N20, HFCs, PFCs, SF6,NF3) released into the atmosphere.
Each greenhouse gas has a different global warming potential, which is a measure of its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide (CO2).
A carbon assessment measures the collective impact of these greenhouse gases by quantifying the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) resulting from the activity being measured.
The Honourable Harvest
A practice both ancient and urgent, applies to every exchange between people and the Earth. It is not written down, but if it were, it would look something like this:
Kimmerer 183
Ask permission of the ones whose lives you seek. Listen & abide by the answer.
Never take the first plant you see. Never take the last.
Harvest in a way that minimizes damage.
Never take more than half.
Take only what you need and leave some for others.
Use everything that you take.
Share it with others. Be grateful.
Reciprocate the gifts.
Sustain the ones who sustain you, and the Earth will last forever.
From the book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Sustainability in Action
2020/21
Restoration of the North Forest Continues
Students in the North Forest Restoration Club identified areas of high-impact and created planting plans to bolster the high-impact areas. Students planted over 230 trees and plants, including Oregon Grape, Salal, Sitka Spruce, and Red Elderberry.
2020/21
Regenerative Farm is Established
The Regenerative Agriculture Project begins with a community cardboard drive and extensive hands-on involvement from students. After laying the groundwork in the winter and planting the first crops in the spring, the inaugural year yielded 46 pounds of fresh produce, all donated to the local food bank.