Fresh Roots in Vancouver

You don’t have to travel far to give your students a farm experience in our outdoor classrooms. Situated at Vancouver Technical and David Thompson secondary schools, our schoolyard farms are a short walk from many elementary schools and community centers. Our standard field trips are 2 hours long and include a farm work experience, as well as a tasting of farm-fresh veggies when available. Longer or shorter hour versions of some programs as well as custom themes may be available – ask when you book.

Cost & Group Size

We can host groups of up to 35 participants on either of our farm sites. We require 1 teacher/chaperone for every 8 grade K-3 students and for every 10 grade 4-12 students. Required adults do not count toward the group size. If your group needs more adult assistance, please let us know on the registration form.

Number of Students	Cost
12 or under	$125
13-24	$200
25-35	$275

VSB Discount

All VSB classes will receive a 20% discount.

We strive to make our programs accessible to all groups. If cost is a barrier, please let us know on your request form.

Scheduling

2023-2024 MultiVisit Programs

If you are interested in the Year on the Farm or Farm Observers multi-visit programs, please complete your interest form by September 11 so we can get you booked! Space is limited at each farm site. Priority will go to Van Tech/David Thompson neighbourhood schools, then other VSB school, then non-VSB schools. After September 11, remaining spaces will be given on a first come, first served basis.

Fall 2023

Fall field trip season is September 25- November 3. Field Trips may be available earlier in September on request. Bookings for fall field trips is open now!

Spring 2024

Spring field trip season will be April 8-June 20, 2024. Spring program bookings will open in January.

More Details

Click here for more information about our field trip policies. Click here to get a glimpse into what experiential learning on the farm looks like.

Got questions?

Email our Experiential Learning Team at education@freshroots.ca or call 778-764-0344, ext 100.

Multi-Visit Programs

Grade K-3

A Year on the Farm

Cost: $480 for VSB classes, $600 for non-VSB classes. Discounts for small classes (12 or fewer students) available upon request. Classes must register individually.

Program includes:
3 Fresh Roots-led 2 hour field trips (October, April, and June)
One classroom workshop (February)
Four Teacher-Led Visits (November/December, January, March, and May)

This year-long program will help your students develop deep connections with the land through the cycles of the seasons as they explore how plants grow and how weather and seasonal changes affect life on the farm. Classes in the program will have the opportunity to plant in their own plot on the farm and visit the farm nearly monthly through the school year. Please see the Fact Sheet for more details!

Two students wearing masks have their heads bend over focusing on writing on clipboards. Behind them is a bed of tall garlic growing, a couple of trees, and the brick exterior of Vancouver Technical Secondary School

Grade 4-7

Farm Observers

Cost: $550 for VSB classes, $687.50 for non-VSB classes. Classes must register individually. Discounts for small classes (less than 24 students) available upon request.

Program includes:
Three Fresh Roots-led 2-hour field trips (October, April, and June)
Four Teacher-Led Farm Visits (November/December, January/February, March, and May)

This year-long program is designed to help your student develop long-lasting connections with the land and its cycles, and to slow down and really observe and enjoy the world around them. Classes will practice a variety of naturalist and observation skills on their farm visit throughout the school year. The program is perfect for classes within walking distance of the farms. Please see the Fact Sheet for more details!

Single Field Trips

All Ages

Welcome to Fresh Roots

Get a taste of what Fresh Roots is all about! Activities will vary, but you can expect to learn about how Fresh Roots came to be, learn about food and food systems through play, participate in farm work, and try some farm-grown food!

All Ages

Get Creative

Art is all around us, including on the farm! Try your hand at making root veggie stamps, painting with leaves, dying cloth with plant-based dyes, or other plant-based art projects. Exact projects will vary depending on plant availability.

All Ages

Custom Field Trip

If you are interested in a field trip longer than two hours, or would like to work with our Experiential Learning Manager to craft a program to meet your learning objectives, fill in the registration form and we will get in touch to figure out how we can help make it happen! A uniquely designed program will be priced accordingly.

Grades K-3

All About Cycles

Winter to spring to summer to fall, seed to fruit to seed, experience how the cycle of the seasons affects the life cycle of the plants we eat.

All About Cycles supports these Big Ideas.

Science

K: Daily and seasonal changes affect all living things.
K: Plants and animals have observable features.
1: Observable patterns and cycles occur in the local sky and landscape.
2: Living things have life cycles adapted to their environment.
3: Living things are diverse, can be grouped, and interact in their ecosystems.

Physical and Health Education

K, 1: Daily physical activity helps us develop movement skills and physical literacy, and is an important part of healthy living.
2, 3: Daily participation in physical activity at moderate to vigorous intensity levels benefits all aspects of our well-being.
2: Learning how to participate and move our bodies in different physical activities helps us develop physical literacy.
3: Movement skills and strategies help us learn how to participate in different types of physical activity.

See BC Curriculum Alignment

Three children digging in the soil on a sunny day

Grades 4-5

Dirt Made My Lunch

Learn about the nutrient cycle, soil composition, and compost food webs, and see how they all come together to make delicious, nutritious food!

Dirt Made My Lunch supports these Big Ideas.

Physical and Health Education

4, 5: Personal choices and social and environmental factors influence our health and well-being.
5: Daily physical activity enables us to practice skillful movement and helps us develop personal fitness.

Science

4: All living things sense and respond to their environment.
4: Energy can be transformed.
5: Multicellular organisms have organ systems that enable them to survive and interact within their environment.
5: Earth materials change as they move through the rock cycle and can be used as natural resources.

Social Studies

5: Natural resources continue to shape the economy and identity of different regions of Canada.

See BC Curriculum Alignment

Grades 6-7

Evolution on the Farm

How many plants are related to broccoli? Why can’t we grow coconuts in Vancouver? Explore these questions and more as we dive deep into the evolution of food crops through natural and human selection, and the effects of climate on our food.

Evolution on the Farm supports these Big Ideas.

Career Education

6,7: New experiences, both within and outside of school, expand our career skill set and options.
6,7: Practising respectful, ethical, inclusive behaviour prepares us for the expectations of the workplace.
6,7: Safe environments depend on everyone following safety rules.

Physical and Health Education

6: Daily physical activity enables us to practice skillful movement and helps us develop personal fitness.
7: Daily participation in different types of physical activity influences our physical literacy and personal health and fitness goals.

Science

6: Multicellular organisms rely on internal systems to survive, reproduce, and interact with their environment.
7: Evolution by natural selection provides an explanation for the diversity and survival of living things.
7: Earth and its climate have changed over geological time.

See BC Curriculum Alignment

Grades 6-12

Student Team Build

Team Builds are a chance for students (and teachers and chaperones!) to get their hands really dirty helping our farmers grow Good Food for All. This program includes an introduction to Fresh Roots and the many things we do, and plenty of time to work on projects around the farm, from weeding to building. Exact projects will vary depending on the group and the needs of the farm.

Student Team Builds support these Big Ideas.

Career Education

6, 7: Safe environments depend on everyone following safety rules.
6, 7: New experiences, both within and outside of school, expand our career skill set and options.
8: Reflecting on our preferences and skills helps us identify the steps we need to take to achieve our career goals.
8: The value of work in our lives, communities, and society can be viewed from diverse perspectives.
8: Adapting to economic and labour market changes requires flexibility.
8: Our career paths reflect the personal, community, and educational choices we make.

Career-Life Connections

A sense of purpose and career-life balance support well-being.
Lifelong learning and active citizenship foster career-life opportunities for people and communities.

See BC Curriculum Alignment

Grades 8-9

Farming Then and Now

From the invention of crop rotation to the industrial revolution to the creation of Genetically Modified Organisms, agricultural technology is always changing. See what technologies, modern and ancient, we use on our farms to grow delicious food, and even give some of them a try!

Farming Then and Now supports these Big Ideas.

ADST

8: Design can be responsive to identified needs.
8: Complex tasks may require multiple tools and technologies.
9: Social, ethical, and sustainability considerations impact design.

Career Education

8: The value of work in our lives, communities, and society can be viewed from diverse perspectives.
8: Adapting to economic and labour market changes requires flexibility.

Social Studies

8: Human and environmental factors shape changes in population and living standards.
8: Changing ideas about the world created tension between people wanting to adopt new ideas and those wanting to preserve established traditions.
9: Emerging ideas and ideologies profoundly influence societies and events.
9: The physical environment influences the nature of political, social, and economic change.

See BC Curriculum Alignment

Grades 10-12

21st Century Farming

Climate change and biodiversity loss are major threats to our food system, and unjust labour practices in the food sector contribute to poverty and oppression in our communities, but there is a way forward! See how regenerative agriculture and projects like Fresh Roots can improve the food system by supporting both the ecosystem we are part of and the people who grow our food, and help build a truly sustainable food system!

21st Century Farming supports these Big Ideas

ADST

Design for the life cycle includes consideration of social and environmental impacts. (Multiple)
Social, ethical, and sustainability considerations impact the culinary arts. (Culinary Arts 10)
Social, ethical, and sustainability considerations impact design. (Food Studies 10)

Physical and Health Education

Spending time outdoors allows us to develop an understanding of the natural environment, ourselves, and others. (Outdoor Education 11 & 12)

Science

Energy is conserved, and its transformation can affect living things and the environment. (Science 10)
Organisms are grouped based on common characteristics.(Life Sciences 11)
Scientific understanding enables humans to respond and adapt to changes locally and globally. (Science for Citizens 11)
Complex roles and relationships contribute to diversity of ecosystems. Human practices affect the sustainability of ecosystems. Humans can play a role in stewardship and restoration of ecosystems. (Environmental Science 11)
Sustainable land use is essential to meet the needs of a growing population. Living sustainably supports the well-being of self, community, and Earth. Human activities cause changes in the global climate system. (Environmental Science 12)
Climate change impacts biodiversity and ecosystem health. Biodiversity is dependent on the complex interactions and processes between biotic and abiotic factors. (Specialized Science 12)
Natural processes have an impact on the landscape and human settlement. (Physical Geography 12)

Social Studies

Historical and contemporary injustices challenge the narrative and identity of Canada as an inclusive, multicultural society. (Social Studies 10)
Social justice initiatives can transform individuals and systems. (Social Justice 12)
Decision making in urban and regional planning requires balancing political, economic, social, and environmental factors. (Urban Studies 12)
Analyzing data from a variety of sources allows us to better understand our globally connected world; Human activities alter landscapes in a variety of ways. (Human Geography 12)

See BC Curriculum Alignment