Tu’wusht Garden Project – Vancouver Native Health Society

An initiative of the Vancouver Native Health Society, the Tu’wusht Garden project has been growing and preparing food at the UBC Farm since 2005. The mission of this garden project is “to provide the support and opportunity for Aboriginal people living in east Vancouver to improve their health and capacity by experiencing the “seed to table” aspect. We will create a safe space for Elders and youth to interact, to promote healing through gardening.” The garden project runs a weekly community kitchen with urban Aboriginal participants who grow, prepare, and eat food while sharing knowledge and skills with members of the UBC community and beyond. Ceremonies and celebrations throughout the year mark important seasonal shifts in traditional food ways, such as harvest feasts and the use of the cedar smokehouse for fish (part of the project’s work to bridge land and sea). This project has an intergenerational focus, bringing elders and youth together to learn and build important relationships. The project hosts a diverse array of groups and urban Aboriginal youth organizations at the farm throughout the year. For more information, please visit the Garden Project website or you can view their project videos below.