The Princess Margaret Secondary School is thanking the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan-Similkameen for its contribution to their newly upgraded garden.
Formerly, the school and its students and faculty used a small plot of land next to the school to plant and harvest fresh produce. Thanks to a grant from the foundation, they were able to afford the supplies needed to build and install above ground garden beds.
“It was a patch of lawn against the school, bare grass,” said Tristan Mennell, foods studies and cafeteria training teacher at Princess Margaret. “Once we got the wood to the shop class at the Penticton Secondary School, it took them like three weeks and they built the beds for us.”
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The idea to upgrade the garden came from the seniors at the Seniors Drop In Centre next door, whom they had invited to come and work with the students to tend the garden.
| Tristan Mennell is the main overseer of Princess Margaret Secondary School's garden. Jordyn Thomson/Western News. |
Mennell said the garden is accessible to all staff and students. Students in foods class or working in the cafeteria can use it for fresh ingredients and other classes can access it for educational purposes such as testing soil pH, measuring organic levels, or transplanting seedlings.
“We’ve (started seedlings) in little containers and transferred them to the garden,” said Lauren Scholar, a grade 11 student. “A lot of the foods kids get involved in the garden and I think it’s really great for our school.”
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The community foundation also gave the school a grant to continue offering its lunch program to students in need, which also benefits from the garden and its spoils. According to Mennell, upwards of 30 students access the lunch program.
“The lunch program is good because (it keeps me from) being hungry,” said Bryce Wilson, a grade 10 student at the school.
| Bryce Wilson is a grade 10 student at Princess Margaret Secondary School who utilizes both the school's garden and lunch program. Jordyn Thomson/Western News. |
The benefit of using a raised bed is the school was able to purchase quality soil and fertilizer to enhance their produce quality. It also makes navigating the garden space easier.
“Two years ago, Mennell taking kids out to the garden was like pulling teeth, ‘I can’t get my shoes dirty’ or ‘I’m not touching that or bending down’, but now way more of therm are totally into it,” said Phillips.
“I think the students appreciate it a whole lot more when they go out there and get their own ingredients, and then next time when they go out their to weed stuff or plant something, they’re more connected to it,” said Mennell.
Mennell said it’s important to understand that it takes years to develop a full garden but they will continue to plant and maintain it, and may even eventually look into adding a green house.
Phillips said when the garden is in full bloom in the spring and summer, they open it to people in need who are looking for fresh produce. They are simply asked to be respectful but take as much as they need.
| Students at the Princess Margaret Secondary School thank the Community Foundation of South Okanagan Similkameen for the grant that allowed them to upgrade their garden. Photo submitted. |
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