We have been working on the school garden for two years, previously our garden was off site, graciously hosted by local gardener Sharon Neufeld. This year saw our onsite school garden “Explode” in a number of really great ways. We were able to complete our automatic sprinkler system which makes caring for the garden much much easier. We also finished covering the pathways in woodchips donated by our local mills. The use of the produce by students also “exploded” this year as well, being used by our Foods class and our Cafeteria. Not only did the Foods class use the produce in their weekly cooking but they also froze and canned produce for use in our annual Christmas dinner.
We hold a number of school BBQs in the garden each year and we hope to put a roof over our cement patio this year to extend the usage of this area. Our garden is currently exploding with produce ready to be harvested this September and used for our Back to School BBQ, Foods classes, and again in during our Christmas dinner.
Students took a hands on role in spreading the woodchips, planning, planting, weeding, harvesting, preparing and EATING the produce from the garden. In addition to the garden we produced micro greens year round. Being involved in every stage of the garden helps connect students with the source of their food and the idea that delicious can be nutritious. As we fight childhood obesity and rising food costs local gardens present a logical step in the right direction.
This project would not be possible without the support of community members, local businesses, our Parents Advisory Committee, and the commitment of both school based and District staff. The efforts of many have come together to make the vision a reality.
