Star Garden: Together We Grow

ABOUT STAR GARDEN:

The Star of the North continues to develop a cooperative urban garden focused on increasing access to fresh produce for those in need within our community. We are networking with local organizations such as the St. Albert Food Bank, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, and others, to help address issues of food security among indigenous people, newcomer immigrants and others. We are welcoming these individuals and families to be a part of the growing Star Garden community to learn about sustainable gardening practice, to volunteer, and to harvest.

Star Garden is a cooperative project being developed through education around the ecologically sustainable practices of organic, deep-mulch, no-till gardening.

  • Cooperative means that everyone is a stakeholder in the garden—in learning, planning, planting, tending, watering and harvesting. There are no “individual” plots. The expectation is for each individual or family benefitting from the garden will volunteer in the garden a minimum of one-hour weekly.

  • Education means we are committed to foster learning and environmental stewardship through hands-on and on-site education partnerships with individuals, groups and schools in the local area.

  • Organic methods mean there are no fertilizers or chemicals used, protecting the immediate environment and watershed.

  • Deep-mulch methods result in minimal watering (average of once a week) and the reclamation of hundreds of cubic yards of organic waste (leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, and compostables from the landfill.

  • No-till methods mean maintaining the integrity of microbial networks within the soil for optimal carbon sequestration. Zero air pollutants from equipment such as rototillers, and zero greenhouse gas emissions from tilling processes.


TO BECOME A STAR GARDENER:

  • Arrange a visit to the garden. Contact us and a friendly guide will give you a tour of the garden area. We’ll answer questions and have the opportunity to learn more about each other. We may even send you home with some produce!
     
  • Consider your schedule. Would you be able to volunteer during the week (between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm) or join us for regularly scheduled help & harvest evenings? The expectation is for each individual or family benefiting from the garden will volunteer in the garden a minimum of one-hour weekly (16-20 hours between May and September).

  •  Make the commitment. Once you’ve decided to add your name to our list of Star Gardeners, you will receive regular email updates on help & harvest opportunities. Come get your hands dirty, meet some new people and learn more about sustainable, no-till, deep mulch gardening techniques.

Contact Garden Coordinator Clint Porritt – 780-459-5511 or programs@starofthenorth.ca

STAR GARDEN UPDATES 
2024 FINAL REPORT

This season Star Garden has had the helping hands of over 50 volunteers. 21 one of these are official Star Gardeners, contributing on average an hour per week to the project. We are happy to have 10 Ukrainian individuals and families as active participants this year. This year, our dedicated group of gardeners have clocked over 500 volunteer hours.

The newest development this season was a new set-up for rainwater collection. Five 1000 litre “rain-cubes” (also known as IBC totes) were installed to collect rainwater runoff from the retreat centre. To facilitate the new system, eaves along the back of building needed to be adjusted with new downspouts added and specialty diverters installed. We are grateful for the generous donation of both materials and labour provided by Steve Jackson at Irish Steve’s Eavestroughing (www.irishsteveseaves.ca).  Among the many benefits, using rainwater for our yard and garden plants saves money, improves soil and plant health, and reduces energy use.

There was a production yield of 1042 kilograms of potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, squash, peas, beans, lettuce, cabbage, kale, pumpkins, berries, pears, zucchini, beets, broccoli, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, herbs, and more. Approximately 50% of the food harvested was donated to the St. Albert Food Bank, 30% went home with our Star gardeners & volunteers, with the remaining 20% being used and distributed to other individual’s or groups including Foyer Lacombe and the Star Kitchen.  

Alongside a number of shorter garden tours, Star Garden hosted 9 different educational field trips, retreats, and workshops on spirituality, sustainable garden practices and environmental stewardship this season. These included:

  • St. Albert Catholic High School (2 classes)
  • St. Albert Catholic Parish Youth
  • St. Albert Nature School (2 classes)
  • St. Gabriel Catholic School (2 classes)
  • We Love Gardening! Workshop Series
    with St. Albert Backyard Gardening Group & The City of St. Albert
  • How To Grow: Gardening & Spirituality Series
    a The Star of the North Retreat Centre Program

Star Garden was featured as a CBC news feature (television and radio) on sustainable urban agriculture (April 2024). The We Love Gardening! Workshop Series and Star Garden project were also featured in a St. Albert Gazette article (April 2024).

PROJECTS, SUPPLIES, AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES (Ongoing 2026)
So many ways to get involved. Let us know how you can help!

  • Garden Tours, Field Trips, Gardening Workshops, & Eco-Spirituality Retreats: We love partnering with groups of all ages to plan tours, retreats, workshops, and more! If you are interested in bringing a group out to the Star Garden, please reach out directly to gardens@starofthenorth.ca
     
  • 796 ml Cans: We are collecting 796 ml cans for our celery plants. This is the size most often used for canned tomatoes, etc.

  • Old Blenders: We’re looking for 1 or 2 old blenders for use in creating our own potting soil mixes.

SPRING/SUMMER TIMELINE (2026)
Looking at the big Star Garden picture:

March

  • Set up of the Genesis Grow Room at Star of the North
  • Garden design/layout
  • Spring Symposium: We Love Gardening! (29th) 

April

  • Educational Signs Designed and Ordered
  • Greenhouse maintenance
  • New 7-bin compost bin built
  • New mulch coral built

May

  • New rain cube set-up
  • Organics collection – Wood chips, leaves, grass clippings
  • Signs up
  • Garden Blessing & Volunteer Orientation (9th)
  • Seedling Sale (16th)
  • Mark out the beds
  • Outdoor planting

June

  • Finish outdoor planting
  • New orchard trees
  • Wood chip delivery/path maintenance

July

  • Summer Symposium: We Love Gardening! (11th) 
  • Harvesting/Fall plantings

August

  • Catholic Youth Weekend (20-22)
  • Harvesting

September

  • Harvesting
  • Organics collection – Wood chips, leaves, grass clippings
  • Harvest Celebration & Volunteer Appreciation

APRIL 2025 Planta Greenhouse feature click here

APRIL 2025 St. Albert Gazette article on the We Love Gardening! Spring Symposium here: https://www.stalbertgazette.com/local-news/sold-out-garden-conference-in-st-albert-this-weekend-10489701 

APRIL 2024 A CBC News feature on sustainable gardening. Read the full article here:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/even-gardens-have-a-carbon-footprint-here-s-how-to-reduce-the-climate-impact-of-urban-farming-1.7172192

APRIL 2024 St. Albert Gazette article on the We Love Gardening! Workshop Series and Star Garden project here: https://www.stalbertgazette.com/local-news/can-better-dirt-help-the-earth-porritt-stumpf-allen-8628979

MAY 2023 Radio Active Interview with Jessica Ng, Min Dhariwal here: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-52/clip/15987714 https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-52/clip/15987714

JANUARY 2023 St. Albert Gazette article on Environmental Initiatives Grant funding for greenhouse project here: https://www.stalbertgazette.com/local-news/eco-grants-fund-big-balloon-6363877

Take your class outside for a hands-on education field trip at Star Garden in St. Albert. Customize the experience for your junior & senior high science, biology, agricultural courses and more!

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE - APRIL/MAY/JUNE & SEPTEMBER 2025

  • Star Garden Field Trip Plan a visit to Star Garden & Greenhouse and learn the process of organic, no-till, deep mulch gardening and its environmental benefits.

    Duration: 1 - 2 hours

    Hands-On Level: Low to Medium

    Activity Options:

    - Build-A-Garden Demo
    - Milk Jug Gardening
    - Planting & Transplanting

    Suggested Donation: $5 per person

  • Adopt-A-Plot Have your class Adopt-A-Plot at Star Garden! Learn the basics of the deep-mulch process and then get straight to work building and maintaining a plot.

    Duration: 2 - 3 hours (snack provided)

    Hands-On Level: High

    Activity Options:

    - Wheelbarrows & Pitchforks
    - Build-A-Garden Advanced
    - Planting & Transplanting

    Suggested Donation: $10 per person

Star Garden is a cooperative project developed through education around the ecologically sustainable practices of organic, deep-mulch, no-till gardening and focused on increasing access to fresh produce for those in need within our community.

  • Education: A commitment to foster learning and environmental stewardship through hands-on, on-site education partnerships.
     
  • Organic gardening: Using compost as natural fertilizer with no additional chemicals or supplements.
     
  • Deep-mulch gardening: Growing in a deep layer of organics—leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, compost.
     
  • No-till gardening: No digging, thereby maintaining the integrity of microbial networks within the soil for healthier plants.
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