Westville, Nova Scotia
Please describe your garden, is it raised beds, in the ground, do you have a greenhouse?
We rebuilt a school garden at NRHS in 2023-2024. We have an old greenhouse, and added a learning garden, as a living lab for the Agriculture 11 class. We have 8 4x4 squarefoot gardens. We also started development of a food forest, a medicine garden and an indoor hydroponic garden.
What vegetables/fruit do you grow in your garden? What do you have a difficult time growing in your school garden?
We did intensive gardening and grew SOO MUCH! Basil, beans, beets, butternut squash, chives, corn, cucamelon, cucumbers, dill, garlic, kale, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, radicchio, radish, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip, and watermelon. We have harvested almost 300 lbs of food in the first year.
Why did your school decide to add a school garden?
We decided to establish a school garden for several reasons. First, we anted a living laboratory to develop hands on application as a part of the Agriculture 11 course. Secondly, we wanted to support the student run free lunch program at our school with a farm project by students for students.
What classes participate in the garden, what subjects are taught in the garden?
The Agriculture 11 class plans and manages the garden, however, it is accessed by many classes, including Biology, Mi'kmaw Studies, construction tech, art.
Who manages the garden day to day? Who manages the garden over the Summer break?
The garden is a project of the Ag 11 class, and is student driven, with support from the Ag 11 teacher. In the summer, the garden is managed by Schools Plus staff, and students involved in their programming.
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?
Most of our harvest is donated to the Culinary Arts class, for the free lunch program. Harvests over the summer support families in our community.
Do you have community involvement? Do you have parents and volunteers? Have been able to source other funding to help your garden grow?
We have been lucky to have a lot of community support. The learning garden was a stepping stone, and students proposed improvement projects, and financial support to grow learn about and develop a food forest, we developed a rainwater harvesting system, and an additional hydroponic vertical garden.
What are your future plans for the school garden?
Immediate projects for our farm improvement include, expanded composting systems, cattle panel trellis, weed suppression and mulch around our square foot gardens, a pollinator garden, expansion and development of the food forest and medicine garden, mini polytunnels, and a mushroom garden. (We are ambitious! )
Any words of encouragement/tips for a school starting a school garden?
Starting a school garden is a rewarding project that brings people together and supports learning. To make it successful, try using intensive gardening methods like square foot gardening to get the most out of your space. Reverse planning is also helpful—start with your harvest goals and work backward to figure out the best planting dates, especially if you want crops ready for special events or the school year. A summer garden club can keep things running during the break and help prepare for a fall harvest. Most importantly, start small, stay organized, and celebrate every success along the way! Our experience may be unique because it is a course project, and we had students all school year working and planning, and a teacher who was working on this project as part of her regular schedule.
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