City Herbal Garden

Our gardens at Loyola Farm, and Concordia University, are located on unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of Tiohtià:ke/so-called Montreal, historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations. Today, it is home to a diverse population of Indigenous and other peoples. We respect the continued connections with the past, present and future in our ongoing relationships with Indigenous and other peoples within the community. 10% of CHAP tuition payments are donated to BIPOC-led initiatives and Indigenous Land Back projects on Turtle Island.

The perennial herb garden at Loyola Farm is the main teaching and demonstration site of the City Herbal Apprenticeship Program, and is the oldest garden plot at the site. Originally created in 2010 as theRealiTea garden by members of the Concordia Food Systems Project, this garden boasts many varieties of perennial medicinal and culinary herbs. CHAP’s apprentices tend to this plot for the duration of the program, and learn about the ins-and-outs of maintaining a perennial herb garden. The herbs are harvested and dried right on site, and are transformed into herbal medicines made by our apprentices which can be found at the weekly Loyola Farmer’s Market.

The other garden that we manage is the food forest, located adjacent to the herb garden. Created in 2012, this garden is planted with a diverse array of fruit trees, berries, and nuts, alongside a variety of flowers and herbs, helping to create a dynamic ecosystem that nourishes each plant as well as the whole. We have hosted a number of workshops in this garden in the past, and have plans to offer another food forest workshop at some point this summer. Stay tuned!

If you are interested in learning more about market gardening and urban agriculture, check out the many educational and volunteer oppurtunities offered by Loyola Farm’s other garden groups, Sankofa Farming Cooperative, People’s Potato, Coop CultivAction, mind.heart.mouth, and the Concordia Pollinators Initiative.