Hamilton, Ontario
Please describe your garden, is it raised beds, in the ground, do you have a greenhouse?
We have recently purchased a greenhouse that will house our seeds and plants until we can construct a garden. The plan is to have raised beds, a compost area and benches for students to sit in the garden.
What vegetables/fruit do you grow in your garden? What do you have a difficult time growing in your school garden?
We hope to grow lettuce, beans, tomatoes, herbs, squash, cucumbers, zucchini and have a flower garden to attract pollinators. We have just started our garden and are only at the seed starting stages.
Why did your school decide to add a school garden?
We are hoping the garden will help to support students with food insecurities. We hope to grow enough that packages of vegetables can be created to take home. Our other reason for the garden is to support our programs, Hospitality and Green Industries. These course will be the primary users of the garden. Other classes can also access the garden for mental health and meditation, sketching or creating garden ornaments and volunteering to help out.
What classes participate in the garden, what subjects are taught in the garden?
Hospitality, Green Industries, the Eco Team, art, physical education will all be able to participate in the garden.
Who manages the garden day to day? Who manages the garden over the Summer break?
Our plan is for the Hospitality classes and Green Industries to take care of the garden during the school year. During the summer breaks, we will have various teacher, caretaking and student volunteers. This will tie in well with community hours that students need to graduate.
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?
We are going to use the food to supplement our lunch program and culinary classes. We are also going to donate some to our local church who has helped out our students in the past. Students who volunteer during the summer will also be able to harvest any vegetables they would like to take home for their work in maintaining the garden in the summer.
Do you have community involvement? Do you have parents and volunteers? Have been able to source other funding to help your garden grow?
At the moment, we are staying with students and teacher volunteers. We are applying for other grants as well to help with the costs, World Wildlife Fund for example
What are your future plans for the school garden?
We hope the garden will continue to be part of the school community for future generations. The hope is that each year, students will continue to be involved and possibly partner with the church as well.
Any words of encouragement/tips for a school starting a school garden?
We think it is important to establish a good team of people. We started as a small group of teachers to get the initial planning and grants in place. We are now going to start a garden club to help with planting, planning of the space and to set up volunteers.
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