Canora Composite School

Video

About our Garden

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

In Ground Garden. We will build raised beds in the near future

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

We grew a wide variety of vegetables. Corn, carrots, radish, cucumbers, zucchini, dill, beets, potatoes, peas, flowers, pumpkins, watermelon, garlic, onions, cabbage, assorted peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, swiss chard. The garlic didn't grow, never had the chance to plant it in the fall.

Why did your school decide to add a school garden?

To improve our learning environment for our students by incorporating experiential learning through gardening

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

All grades took part in the gardening process. Science, Social, Health, Career Educaton, PAA

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

Teachers and students manage it day to do. Over the summer we have student volunteers and a teacher supervisor.

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 sold it this year. In the future we would like our students to eat it and prepare a fall supper for 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?

Covid 19 has restricted the number of people that can help. We have sourced other funding through grants and donations from community businesses.

What are your future plans for the school garden?

Create an orchard, raised garden beds for students with mobility challenges, chicken coop, in ground watering system, renovated kitchen to utilize the produce, planting of native Saskatchewan tree species and plant species on our school grounds incorporating Indigenous teachings into our lessons.

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

It requires a great deal of work and you will not be successful without at least one motivated teacher. You have to build a culture that is willing to learn outside and utilize the garden to educate students.