EVENT RECAP: Red Deer, AB – Farm Tour and Potluck at Piper Creek Project, Common Ground Garden, and Woody Nook Gardens

Posted on August 13, 2026

On July 18, 2026, Young Agrarians (YA) gathered with apprentices, new and aspiring farmers, and farm-curious folks from near and far, at three different sites in the Red Deer area. All the sites have a focus on veggie production while each offers its own aspects that make it unique.

Young Agrarians Apprentices Amy and Violet led us on a tour of The Piper Creek Restoration Agriculture Project, where we got to see the large community garden, communal space (including medicinal and ceremonial plants), and food forest. They explained how the creek and riparian area has improved since beavers have been allowed to come back. We were able to hide from the blistering 35-degree heat in the shade of the barn, that doubles as a large insect hotel designed to provide shelter and habitat for a variety of insects.

After touring the Piper Creek site, we drove to the Common Ground Garden Project. There, we took a break by cooling off under a sprinkler, connecting with one another, and enjoying a potluck lunch of burgers and hotdogs provided by Rethink Red Deer. After lunch, our wonderful apprentices took us on a tour of the former industrial site, which is now home to a communal garden featuring a potato breeding plot and medicine wheel, along with some greenhouses.

Our third and final site was Woody Nook Gardens, which is a thriving 5-acre market garden in Lacombe County, just outside of Red Deer. The farmers, David and Emily, showed us some of the tools and tractors they use and talked about the struggles of having a farm that is neither small-scale nor large scale, but somewhere in the messy middle. We had a lively discussion about producing veggies and flowers on a medium scale for markets, and we had the opportunity to check out their farmstand.