Woodwyn Farms has opened a year round farmers market selling produce raised by once-homeless people, this weekend.
In what may be a model for Victoria's homeless challenge, Richard Leblanc, founder and executive director of the Creating Homefulness Society that operates Woodwyn tells CTV Vancouver Island the project has been years in the making. “We’ve been doing this for 7 and half years and this is a great opportunity to look at farming and homelessness in a different way.”
The farm, located in Central Saanich, is a 193-acre organic farm and therapeutic community for the homeless. The food grown has been used to feed residents but will now be sold to the local community. Leblanc says the society is applying to boost the number of residents living, and working on the farm to 40 from the current 7.
Given the current fentanyl crisis and the continued rise in homelessness, Leblanc hopes the municipality will support his plan to expand his operation. .
The market is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.