Saint John, New Brunswick
Please describe your garden, is it raised beds, in the ground, do you have a greenhouse?
We have a beautiful closed in court yard that has raised garden beds, picnic tables, and a beautiful 10x16 green house.
What vegetables/fruit do you grow in your garden? What do you have a difficult time growing in your school garden?
We tried a bit of everything in our first year but realized many of the crops were too time consuming during the summer months, so our next goal is mainly tomatoes, beans, and lettuces!
Why did your school decide to add a school garden?
We are a low income school and we want to provide students with healthy snacks.
What classes participate in the garden, what subjects are taught in the garden?
All classes are welcome to participate in the garden at our school, as well we have a small team that will be maintaining it as well as our science classes.
Who manages the garden day to day? Who manages the garden over the Summer break?
Shania Maguire manages the day to day and over the summer but this will also be changing as it is a huge task!
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?
For our first harvest (which was small) we gave it all to students who helped with the harvest! Our plan is to do the same but also have a "pantry" that students can grab from.
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 sourced other funding from other companies and the community. The community has also donated resources, tools, etc. to help this project grow and to help the greenhouse take place!
What are your future plans for the school garden?
Our future plans are to set up a schedule of who is working on the garden, create a green team at my school, and have more community involvement over the summer months.
Any words of encouragement/tips for a school starting a school garden?
It might feel overwhelming, but it is so worth it to see the kids be so proud of something.
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