From my last experience at the UBC Farm, not only did i learn that it has; over 250 multicrop vegetable varieties, hoop-houses, organic practices, CSAs, grows truffles, restaurant sales, chickens, and numerous other physical characteristics but that it has the emergent property of a healing space.

I realized this at a couple stops during the farm tour. The first was at the Mayan garden. I was really touched by the words of Eduardo Jovel. He spoke to my heart with the way he described the accomplishments of that space on the farm. I have a very deep compassion and appreciation for the indigenous populations of the world and their intimate relationship with the plants and animals of their land. It is inspiring to see that the UBC farm has given the Mayan people a space to call their own and in creating an opportunity for them to reconnect with the land. After being presented concepts on cyber versus physical space in Barry Wellmans reading I was excited to hear Eduardo add on a third and to me the most important space; the sacred/spiritual space.

The second realization I had about the healing space of the farm was at vancouver native health society garden project.  I was truly inspired to hear of the amazing programs that run in support of the First Nations’ community. Their efforts to create opportunities for those among the most marginalized of our city were impressive.   Beyond the healing plants that are being grown in this garden, I see a deeper, much needed, healing of indigenous tradition which has been under fire for the last few hundred years. The collaboration in this space between the elders, engineers when building the smokehouse was symbolic of this.

This learning / insight matters because there is an indescribable synergy occurring on the farm. We cannot break down the farm into its separate parts as they come together to form complex systemic levels of interaction where food is only one outcome.
This visit to the fam has giving me more of a holistic understanding of the impact the farm truly has on our community. This spans far beyond the University level of interaction as it is inclusive of a greater community; the farm is the intersecting space.  It allows access to people generally excluded from the community of UBC; allowing food as the grand connector of people of all kinds.

In light of this learning I have seen a clear example of a complex system and this gives me a whole new level of respect for the farm. It is the ultimate intersecting space of all communities and peoples and this offers a profound spiritual and sacred space for all who are a part of it, whether they realize it or not. 😉