KPU Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems
8771 Lansdowne Road V6X 3X7 Richmond, BC, Canada

What we crave is not trickle-down, faceless profits, but reciprocal, face-to-face relationships, which are naturally abundant but made scarce by the anonymity of large-scale economics. We have the power to change that, to develop the local, reciprocal economies that serve community, rather than undermine it.

Here is Dr. Michael Bomford showing students a cover crop in one of the high tunnels during a class. As you can see, we’re in a confined space so we’re sufficiently distanced and masked. As for the cover crop this is a mix of rye, vetch and chamomile. This combination, like many cover crop combinations will help to fix nitrogen, improve soil organic matter, provide habitat for beneficial soil organisms (an underrated and vital part of healthy soil) in addition to feeding all of those above ground organisms we love so much like birds and bees.

The BC Eco Seed Co-op is a co-operative of 18 local seed producers dedicated to improving access to high-quality, ecologically-grown seeds. The work that they do actively contributes to our regional seed sovereignty and food security. They are currently crowdfunding in the hopes of raising the funds necessary to expand their operational base, so please consider making a contribution to this campaign so that they can continue to meet our need for seeds! #morebcrecoseedplease #bcecoseedcoop

The @kwantlenstmkt is back, and have we got some greens (and reds) for you!! Come get some beautiful salad greens, scallions and some transplants for your garden! We are so excited to see your faces again! We will be social distancing, but our smiles will have no problem reaching you! We are in a new location at Brighouse Park, but same time Tuesday 12-4. Hope to see you there!! @cityofrichmondbc @kpusciencehort @ksacouncil @kwantlenu

Summer is here, finally, after an early but cool spring. With summer comes sunflowers! Sunflowers aren't just pretty to look at but attract pollinators such as bees, they have deep taproots which help loosen up the soil - making it easier to plant in next year - they attract insects, which help with pest control, and **birder-pro-tip** for apartment dwellers with balconies, they grow well in the harsh conditions on balconies and can attract lots of chickadees, helping you circumvent lease clauses that prevent bird feeders (no mess is left and no undesired birds attracted).

Utilizing all the necessary precautions, we proudly continue to provide our students space and guidance for their experiments. By exploring new ways of sustainable production, we are rethinking traditional practices and encourage new approaches that will benefit our ecosystem and future generations

Our good friends at the KPU Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems are hard at work harvesting fresh organic produce for community members to enjoy. Big thanks ...to Farm Manager Andy Smith for bringing this natures bounty to the Richmond Food Bank Society. The people that we serve are going to love this freshness. #SustainableAgriculture; #Community See more

BC residents! Researchers from KPU’s Institute for Sustainable Food Systems want to hear about your food purchasing experience during this COVID-19 pandemic. Please take the 15-minute survey and help generate new knowledge on how pandemics affect one of our basic needs food.

It’s @kwantlenstmkt day and we have an amazing rainbow of freshly harvested colour waiting for you! Stop by Brighouse Park today 12:00-4:00! @kpusciencehort @kpuorientation @kpu_business @richmondfoodsecurity @richmondfoodbank @cityofrichmondbc @eatdrinkbuybc

Here is a research project exploring the effect of seaweed extract and powder on the growth of wine grapevines. The images are of 48 one-year old white wine grape vines. This grape variety is called L’Acadie Blanc. This vine makes excellent sparkling and still white wines in NS. We’ll see how it performs in BC. If you ever wondered what these vines look like when the begin their transformation from woody stick to rambling vine, tab through the photos! #lacadieblanc #nswine #bcwine #grapevine #graperesearch #whitewinegrapes #whitewine #ascophyllumnodosum #seaweed #kpu

Congratulations to our grads! You have achieved a great accomplishment and we are so proud! Thank you for the passion and commitment you brought to the program and the awesome impact you have had on our department! We also want to that the family and friends that have supported our grads throughout their journey! We can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for you!