Friday, February 24, 2012

New Sprouts!

We have green onions, red lettuce and spinach are beginning to sprout!  Seedlings were planted January 25.  Yes, we know it is still winter and cool outside, and perhaps a bit too early as our little seedlings need sunshine to flourish, but this is how we like to begin our second semester!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Composting Bins!

This year we have added four more compost bins to our greenhouse area.  We are using a colorful flower to indicate to others which bin we are currently filling.  Not only is compost waste gathered from the Foods & Nutrition classes, but also from our Cafeteria program.  We are also encouraging teachers to have a collection bucket in their classrooms / prep areas to collect compostable waste during the run of a day rather than people putting it in a regular garbage bin.  Compost bins were attained from the City of Surrey.  Once the soil from the bins is ready, it will be used to fill a raised garden bed that will soon be installed!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Second Year Progress!!

Once again our school's greenhouse is being incorporated into our curriculum.  Home Economics teacher, Ms. MacKenzie, and Teacher-Librarian, Ms. Gruden, have decided to join forces and make use of this wonderful resource. This is the second year that they are teaching students some basic gardening skills. They are currently starting seeds in the greenhouse that will later be transplanted into our new raised garden beds. By late spring we will have herbs and salad greens to use in the Foods and Nutrition 9/10 classrooms.
In addition, we also want to educate students about composting, so we have set up an additional five bins to be used by the Home Economics class, the Cafeteria class, and the Chef Apprentice program. The rich compost will be used for the garden beds and in the greenhouse.
Thank you to West Coast Seeds for their generous donation of seeds for our salad garden!
Request for donations: We desperately need some organic garden soil for our raised beds and some gravel for the walkways. Please contact Ms. Gruden if you are able to donate these materials. Many thanks!