Vancouver, British Columbia
Please describe your garden, is it raised beds, in the ground, do you have a greenhouse?
Our garden consists of 5 raised beds that we use for food production, and a native garden with another two raised beds.
What vegetables/fruit do you grow in your garden? What do you have a difficult time growing in your school garden?
Last school year we had seedlings which included sugar snap peas, kohlrabi, kale, mixed lettuces (red and green).
We also directly sowed some basil, dill, beans and corn.
Why did your school decide to add a school garden?
We added a School Garden Program to connect children to their local food systems, classmates, the natural world and the community.
Students in the program learn through inquiry, teamwork, communication and observation, building empathy for all the creatures in the garden and developing basic gardening skills with hands-on work.
Lesson themes focus on indigenous perspectives, seasonal cycles, ecosystems, native flora and fauna, soil science, pollination, the life cycle of plants, seed germination and beneficial insects and pests.
What classes participate in the garden, what subjects are taught in the garden?
Classes from kindergarten to grade 6. Science is taught in the garden
Who manages the garden day to day? Who manages the garden over the Summer break?
Teachers manage the garden day today and during the summer it is managed by members of the community
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?
With the harvest, we share it amongst the students in different forms. Sometimes there is a celebration where the food is shared and other times it is used for teaching.
Do you have community involvement? Do you have parents and volunteers? Have been able to source other funding to help your garden grow?
We work with SPEC, The Society Promoting Environmental Conservation, to manage and continue the garden as a community space and as a teaching space.
What are your future plans for the school garden?
We will continue to work with SPEC, The Society Promoting Environmental Conservation to provide lessons to students and to continue the stewardship of our gardens.
Any words of encouragement/tips for a school starting a school garden?
Start small... dream big!
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