The Round Hill Renaissance Agriculture Foundation (RHRAF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture and food security in the Round Hill community. This innovative project, known as the "Foodscape Project," began in 2020 and is transforming a 3.5 acre bare grass lot into a productive and beautiful space that provides fresh, healthy food for school and community programs.
Our school, like so many in rural communities, was experiencing declining enrollment. This project was started by the community to revitalize the school, offering unique experiences in agriculture and growing food. The positive response from the students, staff and school board has been amazing. Enrolment at the school is at its highest for a decade (up 50%), with several new families moving into the area to access this program. Our hamlet is growing, not declining.
A long-term lease from the municipality supports this unique multifunctional and intergenerational space designed to become a hub for education on sustainable food production, and the sharing of indigenous knowledge featuring plants for food & healing.
The Foodscape Project is a collaborative effort that works closely with the school, local farmers, gardeners, community members and volunteers, to design and establish the food forest and community garden. They provide expertise in sustainable agriculture practices, resource management, and community engagement to ensure the success and longevity of the project. The foodscape focuses on no till gardens, raised beds, food forest (multilayers of edible plants), rainwater capture, community composting.
The primary beneficiaries of the Foodscape Project are the community members and students in the Round Hill area. The RHRAF aims to address food insecurity by providing a sustainable source of nutritious food, produce for the school breakfast and lunch programs, and any surplus to the local food banks. The community members actively participate in the maintenance and cultivation of the foodscape, whilst the school students (Kindergarten to Grade 9) take care of the community garden, fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment.
There are approximately 120+ residents in the hamlet of Round Hill, 120 students attending the K-9 school, plus 8 staff, and potentially 27,000 people in communities within a 30-minute commute to Round Hill. We estimate that approximately 2500 people directly benefit from the foodscape on a regular basis.
We are generating a lot of excitement and interest in what we are doing in our community and have the vision to be a focal point for integrating agrifood and educational partnerships. There are huge benefits of building a community space that supports education, the environment and the community, whilst also offering opportunities for economic development, and the growth of a rural community.
The food forest and garden yields nutrient dense food, which is a vital source of food for many households in our community. Food insecurity is at it's highest, with 1 in 5 households struggling currently due to food shortages and rising costs of living. The RHRAF is a source of food for our community, school lunch program, and for donation to our local food bank.
The foodscape site provides opportunities for knowledge and experiences to be shared between people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. We see generations coming together to work in the food forest and gardens. When the school students are planting, weeding and harvesting, they are working alongside community members, sharing conversation, ideas and knowledge. This promotes mental, physical and social well-being.
Anyone participating in foodscape projects experience a feeling of community, belonging and contribution towards a project. Interacting with nature through gardening and outdoor spaces are known to improve general psychological wellbeing, reducing anxiety, stress and depression. The new pavilion opening this summer will provide the opportunity to infuse a greater amount of outdoor throughout the year.
Last year the school, supported by the RHRAF, began a community healthy lunch program, where Grade 6 – 9 students plan, source, prepare, serve and cleanup for a healthy meal for the entire school and some community members, upwards of 200 people every month. Gr 6-9 students are supervised by senior community members. All students have completed their food safety certification. These students are learning from their elders and developing skills and knowledge for lifelong healthy eating habits.
Visit our website, Facebook, or Instagram to learn more.
