The Healthy Harvest program, established in 2017, provides fresh, organic, nutrient-dense produce to help improve food access within the UBC community.
Over the past eight years, the program has worked in partnership with the AMS Food Bank to supply produce rich in key micronutrients often missing from typical food donations. In 2024, Healthy Harvest contributions accounted for 20–25% of the AMS Food Bank’s weekly donations, making the Garden one of the most consistent providers of fresh produce throughout the growing season.
From May to December, Food Garden Horticulturalist Linda Layne and the Friends of the Garden (FOG) volunteers grow and harvest produce each week. After every harvest, the Garden’s Education team and dedicated volunteers clean, package, label, weigh, and track the produce before delivering it to the Food Bank for distribution.
During the 2025 growing season, the program produced over 1,400 kg (3,080 lbs) of fresh produce, representing a diversity index of 140 food plants and an estimated economic value of $10,800. Across 29 harvest sessions, community members of all ages participated in growing and preparing food for the community. We are deeply grateful for our volunteers.
New Application process 2026:Sign up to be a Healthy Harvest volunteer
Healthy Harvest Statistics
Here’s a glimpse of the ways Healthy Harvest is making an impact from 2017 to 2025.
16281
Produce Shared (lbs)
2520872
Estimated Calories (kcal)
4000
Volunteer Hours Contributed
139
Food Plant Varieties
From 2017–2025, Healthy Harvest produce contributed an estimated 2.5 million calories and thousands of daily recommended nutrient servings to community members.
More about Our Healthy Harvest Program
Check out relevant updates below:
