Welcome to
the Farm at Royal Roads
“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy,
and after all our most pleasing responsibility.
To cherish what remains of it and
to foster its renewal is our only hope.”
~ Wendell Berry
The Farm at RRU is supported by TD Bank Group.
Chief’s traditional welcome
Listen to a traditional welcome from Elected Chief Ron Sam of Lekwungen Nation on behalf of the Chiefs of the Lekwungen (Songhees) Nation and Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) Nation.
Vision
Our vision is one of food-forward leadership within a post-secondary context. We are designing small-scale food production systems for increased food security. Rooted in the principles and practices of regenerative agriculture, we celebrate growing food that grows well-being, ecological health and a shared harvest.
Mission
Establishing a Royal Roads University (RRU) Sustainable Food Vision with the implementation of a small-scale mixed farm creates an opportunity for a multi-functional, pro-environmental landscape. It signals renewal, reconciliation, and a shared ecological citizenry in response to the climate emergency that in turn, secures our collective food future.
By establishing the farm at Royal Roads, we will:
- Produce abundant organic vegetables, fruit, nuts, herbs and other edible and medicinal plants for use on campus and to share with the community
- Work intimately with the landscape to uphold existing Indigenous food systems and the heritage protocols of a national historic site to grow food that reflects RRU’s global community
- Adapt to a changing climate through choice of plants, green-scaping for stormwater management, storing rainfall for irrigation, and more. Remove and sequester carbon in the soil through gardening
- Form part of the supply of food on-campus to our partners in food services
- Enhance teaching and research opportunities by creating a Living Learning Lab
About the farm
Ways to Engage
Nourishing Histories
About the Project
Partners
Living Lab
The Farm at Royal Roads Concept Plan
The Making of a Food Garden
“By reimagining what was once the Dunsmuirs’ kitchen garden to become a community food-production hub, we are creating an edible landscape. We are converting an underused 5.26 acreage into a garden that will produce an abundance of organic vegetables, fruit, honey and herbs for use on campus and throughout our community.”
Royal Roads President and Vice-Chancellor Philip Steenkamp.