In 2015 Craig Evans, a long time Nanaimo Foodshare Board member, and his partner Jen Cody, then Executive Director of Nanaimo Foodshare, began to supervise work on the property at 933 Park Avenue, then owned by Allen and Linda Torgerson. Both Craig and Jen were founding members of their own separate organization; Growing Opportunities Farm Co-op. The land on Park Avenue became a productive area for vegetable production, most of which was sold by Growing Opportunities to Nanaimo Foodshare.
Grants and donations to Nanaimo Foodshare paid for necessary seeds, wages, equipment, infrastructure, and land amendments. Volunteers—both from Nanaimo Foodshare programs and the broader community—provided invaluable labor for production of vegetables, and delivery of Nanaimo Foodshare educational programs.
For years, Growing Opportunities managed the cultivation of this land and sold around 500 portions of vegetables weekly to Nanaimo Foodshare’s Good Food Box program. Nananimo Foodshare provided delivery vehicles, fuel, storage, and packaging materials.
In 2019, Paul Manly, a close friend of Craig and Jen, documented this journey in a film titled Five Acres, which he produced with a $50,000 Telus grant awarded to his company, Manly Media. This film highlighted the farm’s contribution to community food security while also drawing attention to its historical connection to Nanaimo’s coal mining and agricultural past. The film’s premiere served as a fundraiser for Nanaimo Foodshare, though it fell short of raising enough to purchase the land. Presentations were made to City of Nanaimo Council to highlight the potential benefits of the property to the community of Nanaimo by Jen Cody, Nanaimo Foodshare’s Executive Director.
Later that year, the City of Nanaimo purchased the property for $1.38 million. As part of its strategic vision, the city aimed to balance the land’s heritage with modern community needs, preserving part of it for food security, protecting its wetland ecosystem, and incorporating community housing.
After the purchase of the property by the City of Nanaimo, Nanaimo Foodshare Society leased the 0.7 acre cultivated portion of the land, continuing to support food production and education. In 2023, Craig Evans was no longer on the Board of Directors, and Jen Cody was no longer employed by Nanaimo Foodshare. As lessees, Nanaimo Foodshare continued to fund activities at Park Avenue Farm and took over management from Growing Opportunities. This change expanded the number of community members benefitting from the property by inviting other local non-profits to join in food production. In 2024, the farm produced food that contributed to Nanaimo Foodshare programs and three other nonprofits. There was such an abundance of food that we were also able to donate to local organizations. None of the food produced on the farm is sold for organizational gain under Nanaimo Foodshare’s Management.
Today, Park Avenue Farm serves as a hub for organic, sustainable farming practices that foster biodiversity and support a healthy ecosystem. The farm is also a space for food education and community engagement, with thousands of community members benefiting from its programs. Nanaimo Foodshare has partnered with several other non-profits—including AVI, Claytree, and Nanaimo Community Kitchens—to ensure the farm maximizes its positive impact on the community. Please let us know if you are a nonprofit who is interested in joining us.
In 2023, as part of its continued development plans, the City of Nanaimo requested that the farm be referred to as Park Avenue Farm until the official community naming process is completed. Amid this transition, Councillor Paul Manly, and Growing Opportunities lobbied to remove the housing option from the city’s development plan and the future of the portion of the property previously proposed for community housing is still unknown.