Sacred Heart ElementaryPrince George BC, Lheidli T’enneh Territory We are sharing stories from the field, harvested by our Community Animators meeting with passionate school food advocates across BC. In honour of Farm to School Month 2023 we want to showcase the connecting power of food #FoodConnects.
North Central Region
#Food Connects 🥔 The Fall potato harvest at Sacred Heart Elementary had students digging for potato gold in the warm fall sunshine.
🌱 Earlier this year, a dedicated community volunteer and Master Gardener in Training with the Prince George David Douglas Botanical Society, Swetha, generously tended to and nurtured Sacred Heart’s garden. With the knowledge that this garden will continue to be in good hands, Swetha helped the school plan and plant their garden with diverse plants for Spring and Fall enjoyment.
🌻 Sacred Heart Instructor Nuala Power: “We are very grateful to our supporters Roanne and Swetha (and her Mom) for all their help with the Sacred Heart School raised-bed garden. The children were delighted to help with the garden and participate in the harvest. Many students loved digging for potatoes, though they acknowledged that it was hard work! They were amazed by the colours of the beans, many of which were like works of art. Some children were surprised that tomatoes are not always red but start out green. Many children had never tasted chives or smelled lovage. They enjoyed chewing the French tarragon, which has an aniseed or licorice flavour. Looking to the future, we hope to continue our outdoor education into next spring and summer when we anticipate an even bigger harvest.”
👩🌾Community Volunteer Swetha: “My mind was blown away when one of the kinders smelled a lovage stalk for the first time in her life and told me it smelled like that green thing you put cream cheese on to eat. This whole experience with the school garden was filled with these little revelations about how easy it is for kids to learn by making associations or by getting their hands dirty in the soil. Some wandered away to stare at cobwebs while others lingered by the tomatoes to talk about the various colours; some played with the garden gnomes while others had a meltdown. I found the most interesting conversation was talking to them about the successes and failures in the garden; it was okay for the cucumbers not to be as successful as the potatoes because they had a different environment to grow in.” |