Kindersley Composite School

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About our Garden

Please describe your garden, is it raised beds, in the ground, do you have a greenhouse?

Our garden at KCS has 6 galvanized steel troughs, roughly 4' x8' x 3'deep each. They sit on top of a gravel. We have two rain barrels, and many containers gardens in and around the troughs.

What vegetables/fruit do you grow in your garden? What do you have a difficult time growing in your school garden?

We grow potatoes, corn, beans, squash, carrots, beets, tomatoes, broccoli, peas, Swiss chard, spinach, dill, parsley, rhubarb, strawberries, tiger lilies, and mint.

We were unsuccessful with the squash this year. Everything else grew great!

Why did your school decide to add a school garden?

I love gardening, and saw many learning opportunities to incorporate gardening into my classes. I also wanted to get the students outside more often, and felt that gardening provided many opportunities for that to happen. I also wanted the students to have easy access to fresh produce.

What classes participate in the garden, what subjects are taught in the garden?

Science 9- Genetics and Reproduction
Environmental Science 20- Terrestrial Ecosystems

Who manages the garden day to day? Who manages the garden over the Summer break?

My students and I manage the day to day work of the garden.

Over the summer, I am fortunate to have a wonderful custodian who waters and harvests vegetables when I am away.

What do you do with the harvest from your garden? Do you have a harvest celebration? Do you use it in the cafeteria, or culinary classes? Do you donate some of the produce?

My students ate most of the raw produce as a snack. We will be donating the potatoes. The custodian who helps over the summer harvested veggies for herself.

Do you have community involvement? Do you have parents and volunteers? Have been able to source other funding to help your garden grow?

I do not have parents and volunteers yet, as the garden was in ""renovation mode"" this summer. My goal is to have parents and volunteers in place for the spring & summer of 2018.

We received a sizeable grant from the Town of Kindersley, as well as several donations in-kind.

What are your future plans for the school garden?

We plan on adding a space for an outdoor classroom, including fruit trees, berry bushes, etc.

Any words of encouragement/tips for a school starting a school garden?

Find a team of people who will support you. Have a plan in place for the summer months. There are many opportunities for grants.