Vision

We live in a part of the world where access to quality fresh fruits and vegetables is limited by the growing season. Purchasing fresh produce out of season such as salad greens, tomatoes, and herbs is not only costly but also has a high carbon footprint due to the distance these items travel to reach our grocery stores. Our vision is to equip our students with knowledge and skills to grow their own food both on and off growing seasons.

We aspire to have three garden towers, grow lights and necessary equipment to grow our own produce for our school community of approximately 300 students and staff. We have a daycare and afterschool program in our building as well who would benefit from the project. Our school hosts a number of outside activities such as sports teams who would see the project in action as well.

Action

This year we were able to secure 1 Tower Garden and a set of Indoor Growing Lights to grow food indoors using hydroponics. Our EcoClub set up the system and were responsible for it’s maintenance. Within 9 weeks, we had seeds started, transplanted into the tower, and harvested 1.2 kg of salad greens! Our EcoClub had a salad party and my Grade 2 class had a salad party as well! Within the next week another class will have the opportunity to harvest their salad greens and host their own party. Our Tower Garden resides in the entryway of our school and is visited by staff and students every day!

Reflection & Celebration

This spring our students learned more about growing our own food to be more self-sufficient, having a smaller carbon footprint, and addressed food insecurity. Teaching students how to grow their own food from seeds gives them skills to provide food for themselves or others in their communities. Instilling a love of gardening at a young age makes a difference in the future as these students turn into adults who know how to grow their own food.