Carberry, Manitoba
Please describe your garden, is it raised beds, in the ground, do you have a greenhouse?
Raised garden bed with chicken wire for plants to climb around the outside and a bench in the middle to sit in. Solar lights across the middle and a garden bed on the ground around the outside.
What vegetables/fruit do you grow in your garden? What do you have a difficult time growing in your school garden?
We grew carrots, beans, peas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, peppers. We found the cherry tomatoes were very late to ripen. The placment of the cucumbers to other plants was also too close.
Why did your school decide to add a school garden?
Something for the children to work on at recess and after school. A treat for the students to harvest the veggies and eat at recess. A learning process that even younger ones could help with.
What classes participate in the garden, what subjects are taught in the garden?
Grade 1 to 8 helped with the garden. We used it for teaching math with the measurements of the construction and in phys ed to work at weeding and loosening the soil.
Who manages the garden day to day? Who manages the garden over the Summer break?
Day to day Leah oversees the garden. Over the summer Kate, a Grade 7 student was in charge of the garden.
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?
The students eat the harvest as it is ready. They are fair in sharing it amongst themselves.
Do you have community involvement? Do you have parents and volunteers? Have been able to source other funding to help your garden grow?
Yes, the community at our school was kind enough to donate flowers for around the outside. These perennials will come up year after year around the garden. The moms also offered advice and guidance. No we do not have any other funding at the moment.
What are your future plans for the school garden?
We want to start our own seeds inside the school and be able to plant those into the garden. We need a type of indoor green house.
Any words of encouragement/tips for a school starting a school garden?
Make a good plan. Budget your money wisely. Get as many donations of flowers and plants as possible.
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