Riverview, New Brunswick
Please describe your garden, is it raised beds, in the ground, do you have a greenhouse?
We have 6 raised vegetable garden beds that are 10 feet by 4 feet.
What vegetables/fruit do you grow in your garden? What do you have a difficult time growing in your school garden?
We grew all sorts of vegetables this year:
Successful vegetables: potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins, beans, corn, cucumbers, zucchini.
Not so Successful: eggplant, peas.
Why did your school decide to add a school garden?
We decided to add a school garden to have a hands on learning experience for our students. We wanted to demonstrate that vegetables come from a garden or farm and not just the grocery store. We wanted our students to think globally, but act locally.
What classes participate in the garden, what subjects are taught in the garden?
All classes participated in our garden. Topics touched on were lifecycles, pollination, vegetable types, indigenous planting practices, among other things
Who manages the garden day to day? Who manages the garden over the Summer break?
School staff and volunteers managed the garden throughout the summer. Many community members helped with the set up.
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 decided to have a school soup luncheon with our vegetables. We connected with the New Brunswick Community College, culinary classes to help make the soup. We fed over 320 students and guests.
Do you have community involvement? Do you have parents and volunteers? Have been able to source other funding to help your garden grow?
We had lots of parent volunteers. We also had help from Ayles Landscaping, Home Hardware, Kent Building Supplies, the Co-op Feed Store, and the New Brunswick Community College.
What are your future plans for the school garden?
We would like to expand our garden with more boxes, for pollination purposes. We want to start composting and using grow lights to start our plants in the spring.
Any words of encouragement/tips for a school starting a school garden?
Go after local businesses for help. Many businesses want to help schools and don’t know how. This is a great way for them to contribute.
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