The Organic Garden The O.G. Our Garden,

It was an idea that a grade 11 student came up with during a hike and said to her friends, “What if we had an organic garden in our school? Wouldn’t that be cool?” From there the idea sprouted into action. The Seed is Planted

We started off inside a little office with a massive energy-efficient hydroponic light and a few dozen seeds. Our efforts were not wasted, as we soon started seeing our dream unfold.

The Organic Garden: did you know.. All the plants are grown organically in our school courtyard without the use of any pesticides or harmful chemicals. The food is used daily by the cafeteria in an effort to promote local agriculture.

ACTION, our environmental club, consists of over 60 members. Students, ranging from grades 8 through 12, are maintaining the garden and the compost system on a weekly basis. We also receive support from the Environmental Youth Alliance, Slow Food Vancouver, Evergreen, and Vancouver Coastal Health. Our Team

The First Summer The plants grew well and we harvested hundreds of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, beans and other crops. Students were coming in twice a week to water, feed and prune the plants, and maintain the compost.

The Organic Garden: did you know.. All the produce in the summer was harvested by more than 50 students everyday– during their summer break! More than 60 students show up for the monthly garden workshops whether it be sunny, rainy or snowy.

“This might sound so bizarre but today there was so much joy on everyone’s faces when we were picking out ripe tomatoes and digging for potatoes.” ~Grade 9 student

Our Composting System In our garden, we have 5 large compost bins. All the compost material comes from the cafeteria and from the 7 compost bins inside the building.

Our Special Compost: Verma Compost Recently we built a verma compost (a special compost bin with red wiggler worms) to break down our compost quickly. Did you know: At Windermere, we produce more than 100 pounds of compost per week?

The Greenhouse We recently got approval to build a 21’x16’ greenhouse. The approval process has been pending for approximately a year. IMAGE: Greenhouse-Builders-A812C-YK1000.html

“I know that the garden teaches us hands on what local sustainable foods are about and how it benefits the environment and our health, but at that time all I could think about was the feeling that the garden gave us. How it had the ability to bring everyone so close together.” ~Grade 10 student

Our Produce Fruits and Vegetables Tomatoes, Potatoes, Onions, Leeks, Carrots, Beans, Peas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Radishes, Beets, Chives, Peppers, Eggplant, Squash, Pumpkin, Melon, Artichoke, Corn, Mushrooms Herbs Basil, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Mint, Bay leaf, Parsley, Cilantro, Oregano, Lavender Berries Gooseberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry Other Wheat

Why have an Organic Garden? Conventional food is grown using many harmful toxins which not only harms the environment but our health as well. Produce is shipped thousands of miles to supply our demands. This releases tons of greenhouse gasses. Third world workers are exploited on farm lands by large agribusiness. People are losing the connection to the origins of their food. By growing your own food, you are guaranteed to know what goes into producing it Local, organic produce has more of a positive impact on the environment and our health. Maintains the principles of the 100-mile diet. You truly enjoy the fruits of your labour. The Organic Garden re- establishes the lost bond between people and where their food comes from. It’s a fun learning experience.

“Every group has their challenges.. “ Our first transplant didn’t work out because of unusually cold weather. Getting approval for building our first raised beds and getting our greenhouse was a struggle. Money is constantly trying to slow us down, but we’re not stopping!

The Future of Food: our goals A solar powered greenhouse More raised garden beds More education and action on sustainable agriculture and the garden Incorporate the garden into the school curriculum Continue the education, passion and fun!

“It’s important to measure the growth of our food, but it’s even more important to us to measure the growth in our community, our peers, and, in good time, the world.”