Vision

Our action plan was to create a “green wall” for the school. We have 20 pouches attached to the wall each filled with 5-7 cubic liters of triple mix soil. We filled each pouch with soil, worm castings (natural aerators) with a variety of different herbs and lettuces. Each pouch also has 3 onions growing deep in the soil underneath the rooting of the other vegetables. The first reason we decided to start this project was to help our school become a more green environment. When the opportunity and funding came along I had to implement this into my lessons. It fit perfectly into my “going green in the hospitality industry” lesson and now has become an interactive project. Alongside creating a greener school, the food created on this green wall can and will be used for our hospitality department as there are a variety of different vegetables and herbs not usually seen or known in a regular Orangeville diet. Another great part of the green wall is that any vegetables or herbs that are left over can easily be packed and donated to the food bank or even used in our Breakfast Club. All tools and equipment can be used over and over again multiple times (which was the largest cost to the project). The great benefit is that each season we can create more and more products. This is a great start to the green wall and we should be making it bigger and bigger each and every semester. As of today, May 9, 2022, we have established 18 pouches and plants alongside 2 types of onions. Full bloom and harvesting should be starting in 4-5 weeks, just before the end of school. I have been taking pictures each week of the growth and we are now in week 3. Students are learning and appreciating the cost and workload of growing food and have a better understanding of food and ecology in our environment.

Action

Our action was the building and setup of a green wall in the school cafeteria. Students have planted 20 different pouches with some locally sourced seeds and others with a variety of lettuces and herbs. Students learned about how this specific green wall (made of cloth) is able to use, hold and disperse water evenly throughout so that none is wasted. They have learned about amounts of water per plant. They have learned about soil types and the use of natural fertilizers. Students’ work has been implemented into their learning. Students understand growing times and the temperatures and strategies of planting in a staggered time. Students will continue to grow all herbs and lettuces and should have their final harvest around the time of exams. Most items will be used throughout the school in other programs (ie. Breakfast Club) and/or donated to the located Food Bank.