WELCOME to The Garden Institute of B.C. (TGIBC)
TGIBC on Vancouver Island is active in community development using seed at the heart of food security. 'Community Seed School' will be a project of TGIBC and various Nanaimo partners and will produce training modules for broadening public awareness for the need to save open pollinated heritage seeds. Contact us for more information.
NEW!! Seedy Saturday 20 Years Later. Article sharing how to set up Seedy Saturday event and how to bring seed to the heart of local food security. Written by Sharon Rempel, founder of Seedy Saturday. GRAIN organization offers information about Farmers Rights and other seed issues.
New! Urban Agriculture blog with YouTube videos and 'how to grow' information! Join TGIBC directors Megan Halstead from Merville BC (half way up Vancouver Island on the east coast) and Ian King from Metchosin BC (part of greater Victoria) as they share their experiences in small scale organic farming 'how to' on the blog.
New! Collaborative Journeys linking communities and capacity building with TGIBC.
New! Heritage Wheat Project is now being adminstered by Seeds of Diversity Canada and is a public fund for donations and funding support for heritage wheat projects.
NEW! "Faith" Red Fife heritage wheat. Organic farmer Bernie Ehnes and Sharon Rempel are selling 'Faith' Red Fife and donating a tithe to Heritage Wheat Project.
HISTORY OF TGIBC and MISSION STATEMENT
The Garden Institute has been promoting organic urban food production, community gardens and community seed banks since 1998. Founders Sharon Rempel and Nancy Finlayson have worked in the organic movement since 1986.
The Garden Institute of B.C.(TGIBC) and The Garden Institute (TGI) of Alberta are the same registered Canadian charity. We incorporated in B.C. as a non profit society in November 2008. We were a non profit organization in Alberta from 1998 to 2008.
Current Directors: Sharon Rempel, Ian King and Megan Halstead. Program funders are W. Garfield. Weston Foundation and October Hill Foundation.
We have two free downloads in pdf:
DIG. Diversity in Gardens. Activities to explore seeds and biodiversity in food.
On Farm Research Guide. Ways to discover answers to your own agriculture questions. Participatory research involves everyone as equals. Farmers are the world's plant breeders doing 'on farm' research and variety selection.