University students in Regina cultivating change through green patch garden

WATCH: Fresh produce from the University of Regina’s Green Patch Garden will be donated to local food banks. Brittany Poitras has the story.

Volunteers at the University of Regina’s (U of R) green patch got to see the fruit of their labours end up in the hands of those less fortunate – as the patch’s 13th harvest got underway Wednesday.

The green space, operated by the Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG), donates their fruits and vegetables weekly to the tables of students, staff and community members through Carmicheal Outreach, YWCA and the U of R’s community fridge.

The student-led garden, located behind the Dr. John Archer Library has had over 200 volunteers this year to water, weed and relax in the 5,400 sq ft plot.

Amongst those donating their time is Josie Wirl, who serves as the garden coordinator for RPIRG.

“Gardening has always been a big part of my life. I remember from when I was a little child, it’s always just kind of been a part of me.” Wirl told CTV News.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

She went on to say her mother taught her how to grow plants at a very young age, and now she has become passionate about teaching and helping others through gardening.

“Being a part of the green patch has really opened my eyes to how important it is to fight food insecurity. I realized how crucial it is to help those in need,” Wirl added.

The garden’s first seeds planted were in 2012, and students with green thumbs have been tackling topics like food insecurity and education surrounding horticulture ever since.

One of the garden’s programs is to provide community members with seeds to grow in their own space, with 9,000 packets given out to more than 1,000 student-residents this year.

Tayef Ahmed, the executive director of RPIRG, says that there are numerous ways the garden’s harvest helps create accessibility and plant education in Regina.

“We don’t grow much here. So having an opportunity to grow a vegetable here and provide that to the community means so much … to us.” Ahmed said.

He went on to say that living in an urban space with limited access to fresh vegetables “is not that easy,” while access to horticulture resources is even more difficult.

“The closest place we have is the University of Saskatchewan, but it’s still far away. It’s inaccessible to lots of people,” he said.

According to garden assistant Brooke Litzenberger, RPIRG’s plan for the garden to help cultivate change and break down barriers has been successful in her own experience.

“I really like just being able to work outside and being able to watch things grow from nothing. We learn lots of different things about the plants that we’re growing, different ways that you can use them.” she explained.

Litzenberger says the act of gardening provides support for the community in more ways than one.

“It allows people to kind of get the chance to be outside and enjoy the space if they’re around or just know that kind of support is there for them if they are needing extra food or any kind of resources,” she added.

For Elder Lorna Standingready, who attended the harvest, the day comes with a responsibility to “only take what you need.”

“These are gifts from the Creator, and we must treat them with care,” Standingready noted.

Harvest at the RPIRG green patch will continue until end of season – setting the stage for a busy planting season next spring.