Vision

Stewardship, leadership, teamwork and learning how to grow and care for food are our goal for our community garden. Earlier in the school year we had a healthy eating challenge for students. Quickly we noted that not all students were bringing fresh fruits or vegetables in their lunches. With inflation driving the price of food higher and higher, we felt called to do something to teach our students and community the importance of growing our own food, helping one another and learning how to create, grow and care for a garden. We hope to bridge the gap between socio economic factors that affect who can afford fresh fruit and vegetables.

Action

We began our vision in the winter where students learned how to spout a variety of seeds indoors in small pots. They learned the germination process. An early spring has lent itself to the creation of our garden. Students learned the steps to how to make an outdoor garden such as deweeding, turning soil, adding top soil, transferring sprouted seeds from smaller pots to the larger garden, where to plant certain plants according to their growing needs and the importance of planting in rows. They also learned about parts of plants and the needs of plants ( soil, water sunlight) We tried to involve as many grades as possible. Kindergarten spouted tomatoe plants, grade 1 spouted onion, grade 2 and 3 sprouted cauliflower, carrots and pumpkin, grade 4 and 5 spouted zucchini and bean plants, grade 6 planted a variety of herbs, grade 7 and 8’s researched sustainability and how to grow gardens. Students in our functional ife skills program applied functional math to how far apart to plant seeds/plants and how to read the instruction for amount of sunlight and appropriate spots in a garden for various vegetables.
As part of a spring daily physical activity and mental health and well being focus we discussed how gardening is therapeutic and good for our emotional and mental well being. Students helped deweed the garden, turn the soil, add top soil and plant seedlings.

Community partners will assist in caring for the garden over the summer months.

Reflection & Celebration

Discussions have arisen and inspired the students for next years planning our our community vegetable garden and they wish to plant in addition to what we have, other vegetables that are used in our St. Anthony feast day soup ( celery, potatoes)
In the fall we hope to celebrate by harvesting the fruits of our labour, and have a freshly picked day, where each grade will have to use 1 or more vegetables from or garden for an easy shareable recipe.