Community garden grows on Cloverdale Fairgrounds
Published 11:30 pm Monday, September 14, 2026
A new community garden is now growing on the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
It was built and planted by the Cloverdale Community Association (CCA). They will use it to train the public in an effort to tackle food insecurity.
The CCA held an official opening at the site Sept. 11.
Ram Sabharwal, CCA president, told the Cloverdale Reporter he was very excited to officially open the garden (located on the south side of the Cloverdale Rec Centre).
“This is a monumental event for Cloverdale and a true testament to the hard work of the Cloverdale Community Association,” Sabharwal said. “The CCA is incredibly proud to see our proposal come to life for the benefit and enrichment of Cloverdale residents.”
He noted the initiative fulfills one of the four pillars of the CCA’s mandate.
“The CCA … is built on four key pillars: community engagement, where we actively involve residents in discussions and decisions; advocacy, representing the interests of Cloverdale and Clayton Heights; preservation, maintaining our historic values and town centre status; and sustainability, promoting a safe and livable environment for future generations,” Sabharwal explained. “Together, we strive to create a vibrant and inclusive community for all.”
He added the project would never have broken ground if not for the hard work of several people.
“(It) began as a discussion at the board of directors two years ago and is now a reality thanks to the incredible support of our community, our sponsors and donors and our city partners,” Sabharwal noted.
Paul Orazietti, a CCA director, said he was surprised at how fast the garden was built after shovels went in the ground. He thanked Atkinson Landscaping for doing “such professional work” on the garden project.
“I’m super-excited to be involved with fellow Cloverdalians on doing some really neat, meaningful projects in the town,” he said. “This is the first of many and I’m really proud to be involved with this group of people. They are spending their spare time to make Cloverdale a better place.”
He said the project embodies what the town’s all about: agricultural roots, commerce, education, and town fervour.
“The project’s on the Fairgrounds and it involves the efforts of the community, locals rolling up their sleeves to to get the job done.”
Orazietti noted this garden is the first of a possible four local community gardens. He said a garden may be built at the new Zappone Manor. He noted the CCA already cleared a garden for use at Storehouse Community Hub Society. And he added a fourth garden may be located on city land off 177th Street.
“That’s an area that is very densely populated in Cloverdale, so it seems that it would work well as a site.”
Tamara Jansen, MP for Cloverdale-Langley City, was it attendance for the grand opening. She said was quite impressed by the scale of the project.
“Projects like this bring the community together.”
She noted that because the project involves an educational aspect, there are great opportunities for people in the community to learn about gardening and growing food.
“It’s not easy to grow things,” she said. “Even when you have all the right equipment, there’s a real art to it.”
Ken Bauder, CCA vice-president, told the Reporter the whole idea behind the project is to create a training ground for the community. The CCA, along with KPU, will now run eight training workshops on Saturdays over the course of the fall. The first one took place Sept. 12, the day after the opening ceremony.
“The idea now is to do research and training on the site next year, starting in the spring and having a full growing season to do it in,” said Bauder. “It’s tentative now, but were making strides toward that becoming a reality.”
The effort is a collaboration with Simon Fraser University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Institute for Sustainable Food Systems.
Visit Eventbrite.ca and search “garden training” to sign up for the workshops.
FALL 2026
Scheduled workshops for the year include:
Sept. 12 – Plan And Prepare Your Fall Garden
Sept. 19 – Growing Great Garlic
Sept. 26 – Indigenous Foodways
Oct. 3 – The Well-Watered Garden
Oct. 17 – Soil Health For Home Gardens
Oct. 24 – Extend Your Growing Season
Oct. 31 – Garden To Table: Harvest Time
Nov. 7 – Grow Your Own Orchard: A Guide To Fruit Trees
Cost for each course is $20. Courses run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more info, or to inquire about becoming a sponsor, visit the Cloverdale Community Association website at cloverdalecommunity.org.