Refarmers

04/09/2026

After more than 5 years, it’s finally happening! For those of you who’ve been following this journey, you know how meaningful this planting day is and how much it’s been earned through patience, work and community care.

We can’t wait to see all the beautiful things that will grow from this incredible new space in Vancouver!

It's finally coming!
Planting Day at Burrard View Park
Saturday April 18
11 AM - 2 PM
Contact us to volunteer: [email protected]

02/22/2026

Nzawa sits in one of the driest regions of central east Kenya. Between May 2025 and January 1, 2026 the community received just 6 hours of rain. For the 300 students at Nzawa Primary School and their families, resilience is not an idea. It is daily life.

Between November 9 and 25, 2025 that resilience turned into action.

Working alongside the Genesis Foundation, Practical Permaculture Institute of Kenya - Africa Events (PPIK), school leadership and an extraordinary group of parent and student volunteers, our small Refarmers team focused on strengthening food security, water access and long-term sustainability at the school.

To support the intensive work on site, we funded a community kitchen that prepared meals for approximately 80 people each day. These meals sustained the volunteers, parents, kids and community members who gave their time, energy and labour to build something lasting for their children.

A tree nursery was established with approximately 2,000 drought-tolerant trees, selected for timber, fruit and ecological resilience. These trees represent future shade, nutrition, income and building material.

The goat shed was constructed entirely from wood harvested onsite. The species selected will regenerate, ensuring that future projects can continue sustainably. The school now has one male and two female goats for breeding, creating a future source of protein for students. And we just got word that the goats had babies last week so the project is well underway!

The permaculture garden, completed in two phases, is now thriving. Leafy greens, fruits like papaya, mango, avocado, moringa, citrus and cashew are now part of the students’ daily diet. These gardens not only improve nutrition but also serve as a hands-on learning space for students to understand the importance of regenerative agriculture.

The sack gardens have proven remarkably successful. We used native soil combined with goat manure which allows greater control over fertility and plant vitality. The vegetables remain healthy and less affected by pests. The sacks, made from durable recycled plastic, can last up to ten years with care. Each participating parent received five sacks to begin gardens at home, extending the project beyond the school grounds.

Water security was strengthened with a dual-source system. Gutters were installed on one of the larger classrooms to harvest rainwater when it comes. Because rainfall is unreliable, the tank is also connected to the town water supply, ensuring continuity.

The women’s empowerment group continues its work crafting baskets from local sisal made from the agave plant. These are sold through Rachel and Lillian of PPIK as they travel to other communities, creating income and strengthening local economic independence.

This project succeeded because it was community-led and community-built. The school, the parents, local leadership, and partner organizations worked side by side. Together, we have transformed a dry, challenging landscape into a thriving, resilient environment, one that nourishes children, empowers families and plants seeds for the future.

12/01/2025

Our beautiful friends from Nenqayni "People of the Land" are offering online Spanish classes to help fundraise for their food justice related projects 💚 Join in and learn the basics of the Spanish language!

11/27/2025

11/25/2025

Hi everyone! MP here from Refarmers!

I wanted to share some exciting news! I’ve recently started a new adventure as part of the Oregon State University's Online Permaculture Course team! I’m supporting students by grading assignments, offering feedback, supporting design work and facilitating online discussion groups. It feels so aligned and nourishing ;)

For me, this photo captures exactly what this course is all about: reconnecting with the land, seeing the world through a regenerative lens and discovering the joy that comes from working with nature instead of against it.

And truly… this course is incredible!

If you’ve ever wanted to:

learn permaculture from world-class instructors,

reimagine how we cultivate, care for and regenerate our landscapes and communities

or simply try something new that might just change everything…

If that sounds like you, this course will be a perfect fit. It’s designed for beginners and experienced folks alike and there is no prior experience needed.

It also makes a beautiful holiday gift for someone you love or for yourself if you’re ready for an inspiring, eye-opening learning journey.

I also have a 5% discount code to share: MPBPerm5%

You have time to think about it as the next course starts January 5th!

Please feel free to share widely with anyone who might be interested!

Here’s the link to learn more or register:https://workspace.oregonstate.edu/course/permaculture-design-certificate-online

Important: le cours est en anglais, mais si vous comprenez l’anglais oral et écrit, il est tout à fait possible de faire vos travaux en français et de communiquer avec moi en français aussi ;)

11/19/2025

While part of our Refarmers team was in Rwanda and Uganda this fall, another small crew continued our five year collaboration at Magarini Children Centre & Organic Demonstration Farm in coastal Kenya.

Our project leader and board member Brandon Bauer spent several weeks on the ground supporting both the food growing systems and the essential water infrastructure the school and surrounding community rely on.

Over the years, Refarmers has helped install water tanks, irrigation lines, taps, food-growing systems and planted thousands of trees at this incredible children’s centre.

🌱 Soil Building & Tree Planting

This year’s ecological work focused on rebuilding soil and expanding food production. Brandon and the team re-dug the swales and harvested more than 50 wheelbarrows of rich soil applying it to the tree nursery, ginger beds and turmeric beds. They planted 500 timber trees and expanded the orchard with 100 grafted fruit trees including mango, papaya, guava, dates, and citrus.

💧 Water Access & Infrastructure

Reliable water access has always been a challenge at Magarini. Since 2019, two deep 235-meter boreholes have provided clean drinking water to more than 300 people, but with a growing community, the system needed upgrades.

This year, Brandon replaced 8 leaking taps, added 100 metres of new pipe and installed 8 more taps across the land. He also connected borehole 2 to the original system with 10 new gate valves, allowing either borehole to feed any part of the property. A new community watering trough was added for local herders.

A 10,000-litre tank was installed on a raised platform at the top of the hill and 2 roadside taps were placed so women and children no longer have to climb uphill or walk through the school grounds for water. The property now holds six 10,000-litre tanks and one 5,000-litre tank, five of which were installed through Refarmers.

🤝 Community Collaboration

This work is always rooted in partnership. Brandon collaborated daily with Mwalimu, two community members and Jescar, founder of the Centre. Together they mapped the entire water system to ensure long-term, locally led management.

We are honoured to be part of this shared journey!

11/10/2025

On October 23, our team set off from Kigali, Rwanda by local bus to Kampala, Uganda then onward to Mubende, where we were welcomed with open arms by the incredible youth of a grassroots Ubuntu inspired movement creating regenerative change through agriculture, art, education and Indigenous wisdom.

At the Fliptown Hub, we worked side-by-side with the “Flippers” to install vertical gardens, a breath of fresh air in a bustling town where greenery is scarce. Fliptown’s work with street children and underserved youth is deeply inspiring and their Ubuntu motto of “I am because we are” shines through everything they do.

Together we spent the following week supporting three schools with small permaculture gardens which were each unique, full of heart and taught us as much as we shared:

🌱 Noah’s Splendid School - a safe haven for 30 children from families with little to no means and street children. Here, school fees are waived or paid through food crops grown by families if they can contribute. Despite the challenges of extreme economic hardship, the spirit of learning and joy was contagious.

🌾 Kaweeri Junior School - where children already skilled in agriculture joined us to explore water harvesting and soil care practices, sharing their own knowledge with pride. We created two gardens, including a playful one where the garden beds spelled out ‘KAWEERI,’ showing how creative gardening can be!

🍃 Kalingo School - where we created a new learning garden based on permaculture principles, incorporating fruit trees and encouraging chemical free growing.

Everywhere we went, we saw communities using creativity, resilience and collaboration to solve challenges together, showing how communities can build, adapt and grow the foundations for lasting regeneration.

The next part of the journey will be to welcome 6 East African youth leaders to Canada in July 2026 to support our projects with their knowledge, exchange ideas and be equally inspired by new lands! Stay tuned for more info 💚

11/09/2025

11/06/2025

Our journey to East Africa this fall began with an inspiring first project at Nyakabanda Primary School in Kigali, Rwanda!

This project was organized by our local partner who invited us to support their vision for this school garden. Together we developed a half-acre permaculture food forest to strengthen the school’s food program. Our team was there from October 13th to October 20th.

Nyakabanda is a government school that, like many others, receives only the most basic staples condition of mostly beans and ugali (hard porridge made from maize flour). These foods fill bellies but don’t always nourish growing bodies. Access to fresh greens, fruits and diverse foods is essential for children’s health, focus and development.

We4Climate selected 30 dedicated students, representing every class in the 400 student school, to form an Agriculture Club that worked alongside us to design and build the garden. During our 10-day visit, we’ve reshaped the steep land with swales on contour, half-moon swales for fruit trees, keyhole gardens and vertical gardens. We also explored composting and seed saving together, giving the students practical tools to continue expanding the project.

In Kigali, where the cost of living is high, learning to grow diverse, nutritious foods is a step toward greater self-sufficiency and food sovereignty, reducing reliance on industrial food systems and aid while building resilience to a changing climate. This site also serves as a demonstration for neighbors and community members, showing ideas they can replicate in their own homes. We’ve had several neighbors stop by, admire the design from a distance, and express interest in applying similar concepts themselves. Much of Kigali consists of rolling hills and steep slopes, so residents regularly contend with challenging terrain for agriculture. Our work is visible from afar bring at the top of a slope, which naturally draws attention and inspires others to try these approaches.

We’re deeply grateful to our partner We4Climate for trusting us to contribute to their important work. Our role here is to support and share knowledge at their request, ensuring the project remains locally led and community-driven.