The Outdoor Classroom

Fall 2006, Number 18 The Learning Grounds Newsletter On School Ground Transformation

“ When you start to

open up a child’s
senses – when you
invite children to
engage, physically,
with gardening
and food – there
is a set of values
that is instilled
effortlessly, that
just washes over
them, as part of
the process of
offering good food
The Power of Food Gardens
For the past 18 months, Learning Grounds has been health, Evergreen is compelled to work collaboratively to
exploring school food gardening in Canada: who’s doing push the school gardening agenda forward in Canada.
it, what they are growing, what obstacles they are facing,
To that end, you’ll find inspiration in this issue with a
what it takes to create and sustain a successful
profile of an Edmonton school that’s had huge
garden. Like Alice Waters, we believe
success growing potatoes. You’ll also
food is a key entry point to the most
find a snapshot of the current state
pressing environmental issues of
of Canadian school food gardens
our day, and school food gardens
(below) and links to like-minded
have a unique and important
organizations that are working
role in building awareness of
on food issues. We’ve made
these issues. They offer a
some changes to our funding
captivating doorway into the
program this year, as well, to

”
to one another. world of food science and a
encourage schools to get
potent starting place for
growing – we’ll fund up to $2,000
Alice Waters, owner of Chez teaching ecological literacy.
of your school food garden. Don’t
Panisse Restaurant and
Food gardens also make visible our ity forget to check out the stories, photos
founder of The Edible ers
Div
intimate connection with the land and so
f and other resources in the Food Gardening
Seed
Schoolyard in Berkeley,
are a powerful way of building community. They section of our online Discussion Forum at
California
reinforce how looking after the natural world and looking evergreen.ca/forum. Here’s to a bountiful harvest!
after each other are one and the same.

With such a clear need for action on food issues from the
dual perspectives of environmental awareness and children’s Cam Collyer, Learning Grounds Program Manager

Canadian School Food Gardens at a Glance

This snapshot is culled from a 2006 Evergreen survey of over 50 representatives from 19 secondary and primary schools
and 22 school boards from across Canada:
• There are food gardens at about 100 schools in Canada – approximately half of one percent of schools
• Most gardens are at elementary schools and usually have a garden committee with six members (teachers & parents)
• 90% of garden schools use the produce as part of teaching activities, class parties or snack
• 70% of teachers are teaching in gardens twice a week or more
• 65% of gardens cost under $2,000 to start; 24% cost under $500 (largest costs were fences required
by school boards)
• 91% feel school food gardens foster awareness of nutritious food
• Schools grew an average of five kinds of vegetables
• The most successful vegetables were potatoes, carrots, beans, tomatoes, beets, sunflowers, herbs,
lettuce and squash.
 ST.
Jerome’s
Potato Project Photos by Kathy Goble

I
n 2004-2005, students, staff, parents and community members at St. Jerome Catholic School in
northeast Edmonton embarked on an ambitious three-phase naturalization project: a vegetable garden,
flower and shrub garden, butterfly garden, weather station, bird and insect habitat, gathering circle,
multicultural walk and an amphitheatre. They began phase one in May 2005, building raised beds for their
vegetable garden, and by the end of June had planted it with potatoes and petunias.

Led by maverick principal Michelle Dupuis, the whole staff bought into the idea and made potato inquiry
the basis for some form of learning in every grade. Classes rotated through weeding, watering and hilling
responsibilities, and the soil was enriched through daily wiggler worm composting in each classroom.
School families and community members tended the garden throughout the summer, with the help of the
enthusiastic caretaker, and the potatoes flourished. On Thursday, October 13, 2005, the students of St.
Jerome enjoyed the fruits – er, tubers – of their labour in the 1st Annual Potato Harvest Fest. Each class
presented its potato project to the other classes, and at the end of the day they all had home-grown, St.
Jerome baked potatoes with their choice of topping!

Here’s what each class did:

Grade 6 – With Grade 4 buddies, they harvested the potatoes, using specific math outcomes of data collection, tallying, sampling and
estimating. They also researched potato history, nutrition and contemporary potato agriculture.
Grade 5 – They researched and brought in samples of different types of potatoes. They also tapped into the energy of potatoes to generate
electrical currents.
Grade 4 – With Grade 6 buddies, they harvested the potatoes, collecting raw data. They used the data to derive the average number of potatoes
per plant and the total number of potatoes in the garden.
Grade 3 – Students uncovered a wealth of potato literature and went on to write their own potato poems.
Grade 2 – Beginning with an inquiry into their favourite ways of eating potatoes, the Grade 2 classes
created a survey and graphed their results.
Grade 1 – Integrating art objectives, the Grade 1 class experimented with various shapes
and made potato stamps.
Kindergarten – They learned cutting skills as they helped slice the potatoes to
make home-made French fries in class.
Food for Thought
• Servings of fruits and vegetables At the end of the day, there were enough potatoes from the harvest – 1,400
recommended for optimal health: 5-10 of them! – to donate some to local families and a food bank. “From beginning
• Percent of children 9-12 that have 4 or more to end, this outdoor project was a true celebration of collaborative community,
servings of vegetables and fruit a day: 14 where students were engaged in scientific inquiry and meaningful life-long
• Percent of vegetables consumed by children learning,” says principal Dupuis, who has just moved on to the
that are French fries: 23 junior high down the road. The St. Jerome’s Potato Project is alive and well,
• Year the USDA officially classified French fries though. This past spring, the Potato Growers Association of Alberta got wind
as a fresh vegetable: 2004 of what was going on at the school and offered up five more varieties to
• Percent of 8- to 14-year-old British kids grow and investigate. The patch is proliferating.
who don’t know the main ingredient in
French fries: 36 If you have a school food garden, we’d love to hear about it.
Contact Jane Hayes at jhayes@evergreen.ca.
 “
The most important thing that students get is
accountability and responsibility. They’re taking care of life.
They learn the bigger picture, and how what they are doing

”
in the garden affects them and the earth.
Teacher, Evergreen Food Gardening Survey 2006

T Teaching Activity (K-3)

h
There are many materials that can be successfully made into compost in either a worm bin or outdoor compost bin, but some materials
should not be added to the compost because they won’t decompose quickly enough or because they pose a health hazard to

e students. This quick game will help young students remember what to put into the compost and give them a preview of what their
composting efforts will produce. It’s a great activity to do on the school ground.

W
o
Materials
• Examples of compostable and non-compostable materials, or the names of these items written on cards

r • Small container of compost or worm castings

m
Procedure
a) Review materials that should and should not go into the worm bin or compost.

S
b) Ask the class to hold hands to form a giant worm.
c) Hold up items that can and can’t go into the compost. Ask the ‘worm’ whether it would like the item.

q d) If the answer is yes, everyone says “WORM SQUIRM!” and the worm wiggles by sending a

u
wave down the line. If the answer is no, ask where the item should go (e.g. in the garbage,
in the recycling box, etc.).

i e) After a few rounds, ask the class to sit down. Look through the items or cards that were

r used and ask why they were or were not used for the compost.

m
f) Bring out a small container of compost and show the ‘worm’ what it
has just made. Pass it around for the children to see, touch and smell.
(From Patterns Through the Seasons: A year of school garden activities, a BC curriculum-based experiential learning tool focused on food
gardening. evergreen.ca/en/lg/patterns.pdf)

Other Great Food Gardening Links

LifeCycles www.lifecyclesproject.ca
Plant a Row, Grow a Row www.growarow.org
Seeds of Diversity www.seeds.ca
FoodShare www.foodshare.net
KidsGardening www.kidsgardening.com/Dig (tons of stuff on spuds!)
The Center for Ecoliteracy, Rethinking School Lunch
www.ecoliteracy.org
The Edible Schoolyard www.edibleschoolyard.org/homepage

Left: This is a garden row greenhouse at Winchester Public School in Toronto.

It comes in a kit from Lee Valley for $59. The greenhouse enabled the school to plant
at the end of March and harvest lettuce and orach for the salad bar in May.

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Ever
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Shorter than a fingernail, able to lift 10 to 20 times its

weight, the tiny and plentiful Formicidae is a mighty
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mini creature. There are more than 10,000 species of

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ants around the world (about 100 in Canada), and they

range in size from 2 to 25 mm. Highly social creatures,
ants live in colonies and nests and have three distinct
castes: queens, males and workers. Available for study
on school grounds everywhere! Sources: wikipedia.org and
the University of Guelph.

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Where to begin?
If you’re interested in starting a greening project at your school, it’s a good idea to begin with
some reading. Check out The Learning Grounds Guide for Schools in the “Our Resources” section of
the website, or download our Getting Started Workshop-in-a-Box. While you’re at it, sign up for our
program online. We offer expert hands-on help, funding and resources to publicly-funded Canadian
schools and not-for-profit daycares. Our team of experts can answer your questions online, and we
also have Associates in eight cities across Canada who deliver workshops on greening and provide
advice on planning, design, fundraising, plant selection and maintenance. (Check our website for
the workshops nearest you.)

In 2005-2006, we distributed $247,250 to 126 schools. To see the complete list of schools we
funded last year, go to evergreen.ca/en/lg/grantees_05-06. This year, $500 to $2,000 is available
for individual schools, and $500 to $1,000 for daycares, thanks to the generous support of Toyota
Canada Inc. and its Dealers, BMO Financial Group, Vancity, an Anonymous Foundation, Green Street,
Wal-Mart Canada Corp. and the RBC Foundation. Funding is first-come, first-served, and we’ll help
you with the application process, starting September 1st, 2006. The final deadline for applications
is January 26th, 2007. For more details and to sign up, go to evergreen.ca and click on Learning
Grounds.

Printed on paper recycled from 100% post-consumer waste that is processed chlorine free (PCF), acid free and with environmentally sound dyes.

www.evergreen.ca
1-888-426-3138
Evergreen Head Office 355 Adelaide St. W., 5th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 1S2
Evergreen adheres to the Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code of Imagine Canada.
Donations and membership are tax deductible. Charitable registration Number: BN 131815763 RR0001.

Evergreen and Toyota Canada Inc. and its Dealerships are working together to ensure that children’s school environments are nurturing, learning environments. The Toyota Evergreen
Learning Grounds Program represents a commitment to contribute positively to the health and well-being of future generations by educating children about the importance of restoring and
preserving the environment. Teachers, students and community members are invited to participate in a nationwide effort to reclaim Canada’s school grounds and to create healthy learning
environments.
Check out the Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds Charter on Evergreen’s web site — www.evergreen.ca/en/lg/lg-charter.html