Our Impact, Our Community, Our Purpose
- socialharvest
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
Sylvie Plante | 5 August, 2025
Food that nourishes resilience
At the heart of Ottawa’s Rideau Community Hub, Social Harvest is reimagining what sustainable, inclusive food systems can look like in our city. From our hydroponic room in a former high school classroom, we grow fresh produce year-round lettuce, basil, chard, and more which we deliver directly to our Emergency Food Bank, the Good Food Box program, and our Chez-13 Community Kitchen. Social Harvest production volume has quadrupled in the past year, and Chez-13 now prepares over 1,000 meals monthly!
We’re not just growing food and feeding people we’re cultivating healthier futures by building food systems that uphold dignity and resilience, one harvest at a time. In a city where 1 in 4 households are food insecure, our mission is urgent, and alternative food sources are more important than ever.
Our greenhouse is a beautiful jungle right now, and our production is growing to increase access to food, develop skills, and support local social enterprises. By creating circular systems where people can grow, cook, and eat nutritious food, we make every leaf count.
People who make it possible
Social Harvest is powered by volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. Seniors, students, and families work side by side in our greenhouse and garden planting, harvesting, composting, and sharing meals. People like Jennifer and her son Jacob, who find purpose and belonging in our greenhouse. Or Maddie, our tireless project officer who coordinates everything from planting schedules to a growing network of community gardeners. Lorraine, a retired schoolteacher, appreciates volunteering with Social Harvest, where producing food is a community service that contributes to food security. As she says: “It’s not just a hobby; the social aspect is important to me.”
Social Harvest also offers training and internship placements for the food sector. Local partners contribute to a rich web of shared learning and engagement: from vermicomposting experts at the Box of Life to Forêt Capitale and Just food farms who help coordinate seed and soil giveaways. Champions at City of Ottawa, Ontario Trillium Foundation and Farm Credit Canada have supported us with funding and through volunteering.
Social Harvest is where different generations and organizations come together around a common goal: contributing meaningfully to a healthier food system.
Sustainability: Building systems that last
At Social Harvest, sustainability means thinking long-term and acting locally. We have repurposed space, reduced waste, and reinvested in our community. By integrating growing, cooking, and sharing, Social Harvest nurtures a full ecosystem that goes beyond growing food it grows possibilities. We’ve turned old classrooms into grow spaces, found new life for shredded paper in our worm composting systems, and supported social enterprises that connect local food production with community needs.
We embed principles of efficiency, accessibility and dignity in our work practices to respond to the food crisis. We measure our success in the quality of food we produce, meals served, skills shared, and lives enriched. We count over 1200 beneficiaries this year, supported by over 1300 volunteer hours.
Social Harvest is a movement: proving that with creativity, commitment, and compassion, even an old school can become a hub of hope ☺
💚 Get Involved
Your contribution whether as a volunteer, donor, or advocate helps us grow good food and even better futures.
Volunteer with us: Join us in the greenhouse, at events, or behind the scenes. In the words of our volunteer Jennifer: “Having fun while contributing to growing a sustainable food source that supports the local community is something worth investing in.”
Donate: Every dollar supports food production, education, and distribution to those in need.
Spread the word: Help us tell the story of what’s possible when the community comes together
Together, we can transform underused spaces into food hubs, support our neighbours with dignity, and build a more just, resilient, and nourishing future for people in Ottawa.
Read more about Social Harvest and the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre Poverty Reduction program
Contributors: Sylvie Plante and Carlos Ilunga.
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