About the Podcast:
Twenty years ago, UBC’s south campus looked very different than it does today. Among a scattering of empty buildings and some remaining cattle, sheep, quail and poultry, there was derelict farmland, 24 hectares of field and forest with research projects running but not much else – but a small group of students saw the potential.
Growing A Farm: the 20-Year Journey of the UBC Farm, is a limited podcast series that tells the story of the beginnings of the Farm in 2001 and the against-the-odds story of saving it.
The podcast is hosted by current LFS student, Anisha Sandhu, who wanted to explore the Farm’s history on its 20th anniversary by speaking to the students, staff and faculty members who were key to turning a vision into reality.
“The story of the UBC Farm shows we are capable of anything we put our minds to: the team work makes the dream work,” says Sandhu. “It’s also a story that needs to be shared as students come and go. It’s such a unique space and brings so much to the UBC experience.”
Over two episodes, we follow as they uncover this derelict land, learn how to start a farm, battle against devious wireworm pests, set out to show the value of food and sustainability before it was a hot topic and start a movement to prove the value to the university and, ultimately, save the farm.
See how we’ve grown over the years: a timeline since our inception in 2001 can be found in this LFS ReachOut article. Learn more about our history here.
