Join us for an informative and engaging evening with New Grocery Movement!
Learn community garden strategies and discover how the Mill Creek Healing Park project combines food production, accessibility, and neighbourhood connection.
New Grocery Movement started with a simple question: what if more people could grow their own food without needing land, tools, or experience?
The NGM Garden Club answered that by providing everything needed to start: plots, seeds, soil, water, and guidance.
What began as a supported way for community members to garden has evolved into the Mill Creek Healing Park project, transforming an underused public green space at 95A Street and 82 Avenue into a community-designed healing park and long-term garden hub.
Tonight’s presentation brings together the people doing this work.
You’ll hear about the Mill Creek Healing Park project, learn practical strategies for starting and sustaining community gardens, and meet experienced Garden Club members who share what they’ve learned through challenges, successes, and ongoing experimentation.
Mark your calendars and we'll see you there!
What You’ll Learn
How the Mill Creek Healing Park project works, from initial vision through city designation process and community governance structures
Practical strategies for starting community gardens including site selection, securing land access, and building partnerships with municipalities
Building accessible programs that lower barriers through shared tools, seeds, soil, water, and educational support
Creating inclusive spaces focused on equity-deserving communities while remaining open to all skill levels and backgrounds
Balancing multiple goals – food production, ecological restoration, urban biodiversity, mental and physical wellbeing, and community gathering
Sustaining engagement beyond the growing season through winter programming, planning meetings, and skill-sharing events
Real challenges and solutions from Garden Club members who’ve navigated obstacles and found what works
The presentation covers the vision behind Mill Creek Healing Park, then opens into Q&A and discussion with community garden members who possess deep knowledge from hands-on experience. You’ll hear about challenges they’ve faced, solutions that worked, and tips for building strong community around shared food-growing spaces.
RITCHIE PRESENTS
Our 2025-2026 session of Ritchie Presents is hosted by our friends at the Edmonton Permaculture Guild. They’re bringing together organizations across Edmonton who work, advocate, and organize across a variety of fields with the common values of “Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share”.
The Edmonton Permaculture Guild connects you with hands-on education, a growing community of practitioners, and practical skills for building food security and resilient landscapes across Edmonton and all of Alberta. Click here to learn about all of their upcoming events.