Funding secured to sprout school based urban food farm in Nanaimo

Frey, who is also the principal of Georgia Ave. Elementary School, said the first large-scale urban food garden on SD68 property ticks a lot of critical boxes.

She said fueling critical school meal programs, while exposing students to hands-on growing experience presents exciting opportunities.

Frey said a possibility she’s hoping for is creating a curriculum with credits once the Woodlands site is sustainable.

The opportunities are endless, she said.

“I can see for example students here at Georgia Avenue to grow seedlings that will eventually make it over to the farm. I think that there are ways that more than just students at that site can be involved in the farm,” Frey said.

Outdoor learning opportunities have proven to unlock a variety of tangible benefits to students and learners, Fry noted.

She said mental health benefits of being outside go a long way.

“It’s very satisfying, the voices and sounds of excitement when students see what is produced is pretty cool.”

Gabriola Island’s Erin Champion, a mid Island rep for Farm to School BC, said their program has funded local school-based food-growing initiatives for the past several years.

She said creating classroom and community connections form a significant component of their mandate.

“It’s really about providing programming that best suits an individual school, whether that be composting or creating a school smoothie program,” she said.

Champion said community partners will help the soon-to-be urban food farm be successful.

She said the mid Island region is well suited for outdoor food-growing with a favourable climate to cultivate a wide range of fresh, nutritious food.

“We both have some beautiful farm land and ALR land to grow things on and as well a lot of local knowledge and skills on how to grow in our region,” Champion said.

Farmers interested in the farm opportunity at the Woodlands school site can get additional information here.

Additional information on Farm to School BC is available here.

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by Ian Holmes

Funding secured to sprout school based urban food farm in Nanaimo

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