Wickaninnish Community School Garden Program

Did you know the Wickaninnish Elementary School has a Vegetable Garden and a Food Forest?

Over the past few years we have helped to revitalize the long existing school garden space and create a consistent program for the students. They learn about soil preparation, composting, planting seeds, watering and maintaining the garden.

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Each class has an opportunity to spend time with our School Garden Coordinator, Dan Price-Francis, to learn about where their food comes from.  A school garden club meets every week at lunch hour, giving children a chance to get their hands dirty, learn, and participate in the upkeep of a garden. The food grown provides fresh produce for the school lunch program and allows children to enjoy the fruits of their little labour.

We'd like to acknowledge and thank those who have made the continuous growth of our school garden possible! With the help of our community, we have begun to plant a very productive and beautiful Food Forest. This autumn we have planted fruit trees, berry bushes, edible flowers and herbs. We still have a lot of work to do.

THANK YOU for your support!

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MAJOR FUNDERS

Clayoquot Biosphere Trust

Farm to School BC

Tofino Saltwater Classic

Tofino Food & Wine Festival

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COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS

Gardens on the Go

Gibson Bros Contractors Ltd.

Green Soul Organics

Nancy Powis

OCN Garden Centre

Pacific Surf School

Pyramid Stables

Reg's Root Landscaping

Sarah Platenius

Slack Tide Inn

Stick in the Mud Landscaping

Storm Light Outfitters

Tofino Co-op

Tofino Urban Farm Co.

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Community Garden Program

2019 will mark the 8th year of community members growing together at our eight plots in the Tofino Botanical Gardens.

There are 8 gardening plots available in our Community Garden. Please keep in mind that spots are limited so we ask gardeners to ensure they have the time and commitment to look after their garden during the entire planting season. Please get in touch to request a plot! 

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Food Preservation Program

Food Preservation includes drying, freezing, boiling water bath canning, and pressure canning, allowing food to have a longer shelf life while retaining some nutrients. Learning to preserve your own food is a great way to save money and eat locally grown and harvested foods all year round.

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Since 2017 we have been partnering with local organizations to bring PreserveSafe train-the-trainer programs and food preservation workshops to west coast communities.

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Last November, a number of west coast residents, including TCFI staff, took part in the most recent train-the-trainer PreserveSafe Certification Program. This is the second cohort of students that have been sponsored to take this course and are now certified to safely teach food preservation in their communities. 

This training and future workshops are made possible by the generous donations from the District of Tofino Emergency Preparedness team, Eat West Coast (Clayoquot Biosphere Trust), and the Tofino Saltwater Classic.

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See our events calendar for upcoming Food Preservation workshops in Tofino, Ucluelet, and surrounding communities.

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Tofino Local Food Booth

The Tofino Local Food Booth at the Saturday Public Market was born out of necessity for demand. The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District's "What’s On Your Fork"Agricultural Support Workers approached TCFI looking to help bring fresh produce, plants, preserves and food growing knowledge to our local community.

The main purpose of the local food booth is to provide a market for local growers to sell their produce and provide knowledge and inspiration for community members wanting to grow their own food. We sell fresh eggs, produce, preserves, and feature new farmers that are just starting up. This year, we will also be selling plastic-free alternatives to food shopping/packaging, including our Tofino Local Food tote bags and beeswax wrap. 

The Tofino Local Food Booth at the Tofino Public Market is a project supported by the Tofino Public Market Society and  the Tofino Community Food Initiative and is delivered in partnership with Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild.

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Come find us every Saturday May 18th - October 12th, 2019. All proceeds from our TCFI products go towards supporting our various community programs!

Grow Local Workshops

Every year, we host a series of gardening workshops that provide our west coast community with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle the challenges of growing in our temperate rainforest environment.

Instructed by local and Vancouver Island based expert gardeners, our Grow Local Workshops cover everything from making a wildlife proof compost bin, to keeping pests and insects out of your garden beds, and how to winterize your garden.

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Discover our upcoming workshops on our homepage and visit our YouTube channel for video recordings of past sessions.

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Edible Garden Tours

Our annual Edible Garden Tours are designed to showcase the incredible potential for local food growing on the west coast and inspire individuals to start or improve their own backyard gardeners.

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In partnership with the Ucluelet Local Food Society, two days of tours are hosted each year, one in Tofino and one in Ucluelet. 

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Join us this summer for a special invitation to visit the best home gardeners on the west coast!

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2019 Dates:

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Ucluelet - July 21st

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Tofino - August 4th

Backyard Sharing Program

Do you have the space for a garden but lack the time, energy or physical ability to maintain it? Do you yearn to garden or grow your own food but simply do not have any space available to you?

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We connect able-bodied, motivated gardeners with residents that are willing to share their backyards (or frontyards or patios) to grow food, flowers, or other plants.

Each backyard sharing agreement is unique - some land owners are simply happy to have someone enjoying the space, some like to share in any food harvest or some have specific ideas of what they would like planted.
Where we come in is to match you and a community member that have aligned interests and put you in touch.

If you are interested in participating, please email us with details of what you are looking for in a Backyard-Sharing arrangement and what you are able to offer in the exchange.