The Farm at RRU: A bridge between people and plants

The Farm at Royal Roads University, supported by the TD Bank Group, has become a vital part of RRU’s Colwood campus, serving as a living lab dedicated to sustainable agriculture, food education and sovereignty, and community connection. The 5.26-acre biodiverse greenspace which includes a Giving Garden, Market Garden, Indigenous Medicine Garden, and Polyculture Orchard, provides meaningful opportunities for our community to connect with nature and learn from the land.

Over the past two years, the Farm at RRU has been welcoming the Westshore Outdoor Heartwood Learning Community for monthly hands-on learning opportunities for young children to engage with nature using all of their senses. Students range in age from kindergarten to grade five and visit the farm regularly throughout the seasons to learn about plants, pollinators, insects and soil. 

“It gives the learners a chance to see where their food comes from and gives them the opportunity to taste produce they might not have tried out before! The garden beds act as a bridge between people and plants,” says Westshore Outdoor Heartwood Learning Community teacher Adrianne B. 

The Farm’s Food Systems Manager, Solara Goldwynn, agrees.

 "I've had instances where adults have come to work on the farm, and they’ve never put their hands in the soil before. These spaces are transformative places, for people to connect to the land and tap into themselves.”

The opportunity for land-based learning and connection with nature is a key focus for the Westshore Outdoor Heartwood Learning Community students, who get to observe the garden change and adapt with each passing season.

“It's been amazing to witness the Farm at RRU grow and change through the years!” says Adrianne B.

Fast Facts: The Farm at RRU 2024/25

The Farm at Royal Roads University is a 5.26-acre biodiverse greenspace that features a variety of growing areas including: 

• Giving Garden
• Market Garden
• Indigenous Medicine Garden
• Polyculture Orchard

“Produce-ing” great yields

Combined, the three garden areas account for 27,000 square feet of no-dig produce beds where more than 90 different plant species are grown and harvested. Last year, the gardens yielded 3,175 kilograms (7,000 pounds) of produce which was donated to community members and partners, including the Songhees Wellness Centre, the Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group’s Good Food Box Program, and Habitat Café - RRU’s on-campus food provider.

A growing greenspace

Between June 2024 and May 2025 there were several new additions added to expand the Farm at Royal Roads including:

• 100 pollinator plants added to the Farm at RRU
• 30 Trees added to the Indigenous Medicine Garden
• 100 Different species planted at the Farm at RRU

Plants aplenty

There is a wide variety of plants throughout The Farm at Royal Roads. Each area showcases different items, contributing to biodiversity.

Giving Garden and Market Gardens: Bush Beans, Runner Beans, Leeks, Sunflowers, Grape, Nasturtiums, Summer Squash (2 types), Callaloo (4 types), Tomatoes (6 types), Winter Squash (6 types), Onions, Melons (3 types), Fava Beans, Peas, Strawberries, Mint (4 types), Chamomile, Thyme, Chives (2 types), Sage, Rosemary, Phacelia, Buckwheat, Blueberries, Cape Gooseberry, Barley, Rye, Potatoes (4 types), Collard Greens, Perennial Kale, Broccoli, Garlic, Rhubarb, Winter Brassicas, Crimson Clover. 

Indigenous Medicine Garden: Saskatoon Berry, Pacific Crab Apple, Black Hawthorn, Beaked Hazelnut, Oval Leaved Blueberry, High Bush Cranberry, Red Huckleberry, Evergreen Huckleberry, Red Flowering Currant, Nootka Rose, Lingon Berry, Kinnikinic, Licorice Fern, Basket Sedge, Woolly Sunflower, Nodding Onion, Great Camas, Chocolate Lily, Riceroot, Wapato 

Polyculture Orchard: Apples, Pears (diverse varieties), Persimmons, Sage, Lavender, Yarrow, Asters, Catmint

Whether you visit or volunteer to help with tending plants or to reconnect with nature, The Farm at Royal Roads is offers diverse opportunities for community members to engage through RRU undergraduate and graduate programs, research, workshops, seminars, continuing education, micro-credentials and partnered educational offerings. 

RRU’s Vision in Bloom annual fundraising campaign is accepting donations to continue growing The Farm as Royal Roads.