UPCOMING EVENTS
You’re Invited to our Open Garden
Twice a week, spring to fall, at a large garden overlooking the Blenkinsop Valley, a small miracle occurs. A very mixed group of 15 – 20 people gather together to work, talk, laugh, and learn to grow food for themselves and others in our community. Our official name is Feeding Ourselves and Others, but our real name, as the participants call us, is Serenity Farm.
For the last 6 years this unique project has impacted the lives of people in the Victoria area. The Feeding Ourselves and Others community garden project was created to provide a therapeutic environment for marginalized people struggling with addictions, mental illness and chronic offending. This project is a partnership between the John Howard Society of Victoria as the sponsor, Island Health, the Assertive Community Treatment teams (ACT), the Victoria Integrated Community Outreach team (VICOT), the Victoria Integrated Court, and the Seven Oaks Tertiary Care Facility.
In the garden, located on the grounds of the Seven Oaks Facility, participants and community volunteers work side-by-side to produce healthy organic vegetables and fruit which are provided free to the participants and community agencies, and sold to the community. Between April and October last year a total of 33 participants and 18 volunteers worked in the garden. Together they contributed over 2,400 hours producing over 4,000 pounds of vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers for sale and for themselves. These activities helped to generate over $8,000 for the project.
We are holding our annual Open Garden on Tuesday June 26 from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at the garden which is located on the grounds of the Seven Oaks Facility, 4575 Blenkinsop Road. We would like to invite you to come out to see the garden and meet the people who make it all happen. If you need additional information please contact us by email at serenityfarm2018@gmail.com or visit our website at www.feedingourselvesandothers.com
Dave Johnson and David Stott
For the last 6 years this unique project has impacted the lives of people in the Victoria area. The Feeding Ourselves and Others community garden project was created to provide a therapeutic environment for marginalized people struggling with addictions, mental illness and chronic offending. This project is a partnership between the John Howard Society of Victoria as the sponsor, Island Health, the Assertive Community Treatment teams (ACT), the Victoria Integrated Community Outreach team (VICOT), the Victoria Integrated Court, and the Seven Oaks Tertiary Care Facility.
In the garden, located on the grounds of the Seven Oaks Facility, participants and community volunteers work side-by-side to produce healthy organic vegetables and fruit which are provided free to the participants and community agencies, and sold to the community. Between April and October last year a total of 33 participants and 18 volunteers worked in the garden. Together they contributed over 2,400 hours producing over 4,000 pounds of vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers for sale and for themselves. These activities helped to generate over $8,000 for the project.
We are holding our annual Open Garden on Tuesday June 26 from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at the garden which is located on the grounds of the Seven Oaks Facility, 4575 Blenkinsop Road. We would like to invite you to come out to see the garden and meet the people who make it all happen. If you need additional information please contact us by email at serenityfarm2018@gmail.com or visit our website at www.feedingourselvesandothers.com
Dave Johnson and David Stott
PAST EVENTS
An Invitation to Visit Us at Serenity Farm
We would like to invite you to a very special event. On Thursday, June 1st, 2017 from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. our therapeutic community garden, officially called Feeding Ourselves and Others but known to our participants as Serenity Farm, will once again be opening its gate for you and others in our community to join us for our second annual Welcome to Spring in Our Garden event.
Located in the centre of a field overlooking the Blenkinsop Valley at Seven Oaks Care Facility, we believe our garden is a unique addition to our community. Since we started in 2012, the garden has engaged a diverse group of people. Garden participants with mental health or addiction concerns as well as persons doing court ordered community service come together with community garden volunteers to grow organic food for themselves and the community. Last year over 40 participants, 15 volunteer garden mentors and our 2 part-time staff grew together, learned together and shared together. On June 1st we invite you to come meet us, see for yourselves what we are doing, try some of our produce and get a taste of how we turn vegetables into hope and community caring. In addition to garden tours, we will have an art sale featuring garden art, a plant sale, an information display about the garden and a demonstration by one of our participants of a special way to plant seeds.
Time: Thursday, June 1st 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m starting with a welcome and introductions at 12:15.
Place: Seven Oaks Tertiary Care Facility 4575 Blenkinsop Road
Sponsored by: The John Howard Society of Victoria with the assistance of the Island Health Assertive Community Treatment Teams (ACT and VICOT), the Victoria Integrated Court initiative and Seven Oaks Tertiary Care Facility with funding and support from the United Way, Island Health and other community organizations, businesses and individuals.
If possible please confirm your plan to attend by emailing davidcstott@gmail.com.
We would like to invite you to a very special event. On Thursday, June 1st, 2017 from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. our therapeutic community garden, officially called Feeding Ourselves and Others but known to our participants as Serenity Farm, will once again be opening its gate for you and others in our community to join us for our second annual Welcome to Spring in Our Garden event.
Located in the centre of a field overlooking the Blenkinsop Valley at Seven Oaks Care Facility, we believe our garden is a unique addition to our community. Since we started in 2012, the garden has engaged a diverse group of people. Garden participants with mental health or addiction concerns as well as persons doing court ordered community service come together with community garden volunteers to grow organic food for themselves and the community. Last year over 40 participants, 15 volunteer garden mentors and our 2 part-time staff grew together, learned together and shared together. On June 1st we invite you to come meet us, see for yourselves what we are doing, try some of our produce and get a taste of how we turn vegetables into hope and community caring. In addition to garden tours, we will have an art sale featuring garden art, a plant sale, an information display about the garden and a demonstration by one of our participants of a special way to plant seeds.
Time: Thursday, June 1st 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m starting with a welcome and introductions at 12:15.
Place: Seven Oaks Tertiary Care Facility 4575 Blenkinsop Road
Sponsored by: The John Howard Society of Victoria with the assistance of the Island Health Assertive Community Treatment Teams (ACT and VICOT), the Victoria Integrated Court initiative and Seven Oaks Tertiary Care Facility with funding and support from the United Way, Island Health and other community organizations, businesses and individuals.
If possible please confirm your plan to attend by emailing davidcstott@gmail.com.
Music, song and a tasty lasagna dinner featuring produce from the garden will be served in the beautiful setting of Horticultural Centre of the Pacific. Highlighting the evening will be guest speaker Patrick Lane, award winning poet and author of There is a Season.
Patrick Lane is one of Canada's pre-eminent poets, winner of numerous awards, including the Governor General's Award for Poetry, the Canadian Authors Association Award, the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence and three National Magazine Awards. His distinguished career spans fifty years and twenty-five volumes of poetry as well as award-winning books of fiction and non-fiction. http://www.patricklane.ca/about/
Guests are welcome to tour the gorgeous gardens at HCP before heading to the Pavillion for a delicious dinner catered by the local sustainable chefs at Little Piggy Catering. Silent auction tables will be filled with unique treasures such as local art and experiences.
Tickets are available at Munro's Books for $50 each.
A Special Invitation to a Special Event
We would like to invite you to a very special event. On Thursday, May 26th from noon until 2pm our therapeutic community garden, Feeding Ourselves and Others at Serenity Farm, will open its gate to the public for our first ever Welcome to Spring in Our Garden event.
Located in a field overlooking the Blenkinsop Valley at Seven Oaks Care Facility, our garden offers itself as a unique addition to our community. Since we started in 2012 the garden has engaged a diverse group of people. Garden participants with mental health or addiction concerns as well as persons doing court ordered community service work together with community garden volunteers growing organic food for themselves and the community. Last year a total of over 40 participants, 15 community volunteers and 2 part time staff grew together, learned together and shared together. On May 26th we invite you to come meet us, see for yourselves what we are doing, try some of our produce and get a taste of how we turn vegetables into hope and community caring.
Time: May 26th 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m.
Place: Seven Oaks Tertiary Care Facility 4575 Blenkinsop Road
Located in a field overlooking the Blenkinsop Valley at Seven Oaks Care Facility, our garden offers itself as a unique addition to our community. Since we started in 2012 the garden has engaged a diverse group of people. Garden participants with mental health or addiction concerns as well as persons doing court ordered community service work together with community garden volunteers growing organic food for themselves and the community. Last year a total of over 40 participants, 15 community volunteers and 2 part time staff grew together, learned together and shared together. On May 26th we invite you to come meet us, see for yourselves what we are doing, try some of our produce and get a taste of how we turn vegetables into hope and community caring.
Time: May 26th 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m.
Place: Seven Oaks Tertiary Care Facility 4575 Blenkinsop Road
Sponsored by: The John Howard Society of Victoria with the assistance of the Island Health Assertive Community Treatment Teams (ACT and VICOT), the Victoria Integrated Court initiative and Seven Oaks Tertiary Care Facility with funding and support in 2016 from the United Way, the Victoria Foundation and other community organizations, businesses and individuals.
Please confirm your plan to attend by emailing davidcstott@gmail.com or RSVP on our Facebook Event Page.
Rainy day plan: we will carry on in the event of light rain, however we will reschedule for one week later if there is heavy rain or stormy weather.
Please confirm your plan to attend by emailing davidcstott@gmail.com or RSVP on our Facebook Event Page.
Rainy day plan: we will carry on in the event of light rain, however we will reschedule for one week later if there is heavy rain or stormy weather.