By Emma Sweeney, Communications Coordinator

It’s a beautiful summer’s day at David Thompson Secondary in Vancouver. The students working in the garden tell me cheerfully that it’s very hot, but I point out that compared to Abbotsford, there’s a nice cool breeze in the air. They stare at me in wonder and say “Oh, Abbotsford, where is that again?” as if speaking of a far off distant land. Although the farmlands of Abbotsford seem far away to these students, they are growing and learning in their own little farm garden community right on the grounds of a Vancouver school. Rows of colourful Swiss chard, fresh green peas, beans and kale are neatly grown right outside their school doors. This is all part Fresh Roots, a non-profit that connects school communities to growing and appreciating food.

Photo provided by Fresh Roots

As part of the Fresh Roots program students from Vancouver Technical Secondary and David Thompson Secondary have the opportunity to spend class time in the garden during the school year with the Field Class, where the curriculum is tied into learning outside in a hands on environment.

In addition to learning during the school year, students can also sign up to work and learn in the garden throughout the summer as part of the Fresh to You SOYL Youth Program. Students are given a stipend of $600 as well as volunteer credit during the 7 week program. They engage in 3 different aspects of learning: 1) Community Eats, which entails learning how to cook produce harvested from the garden, 2) Farm Work, which includes taking care of the crops and garden area, and 3) Farm Markets, which gives students the opportunity to sell what they have grown to the community. They are learning practical, hands on skills as well as business, and interpersonal skills.

Photo provided by Fresh Roots

Christina, a grade 10 student, says the program is “a great way to make connections in the community.” Her favourite part is the Farmer’s Market, where she gets to talk to many different people about what they grow in the garden.

It’s clear the students enjoy the many different aspects of the program, even when it comes to pulling weeds! They learn how to identify the weeds from the plants and how to use the proper technique when hoeing as well as how to harvest what they grow. I investigate the activities of the group of students in the school kitchen, where they learn how to cook and prepare the food they’ve grown. The students giggle and laugh as they learn the art of making kimchi. They listen attentively as they are given instructions how to chop and prepare the vegetables.

This summer, the students canned 320 jars of jam made with berries sourced from local farmers. It was an exciting project, and gave them the opportunity to take ownership of the activities. They designed the label for the jars, marketed the jam, and then decided what to do with the profits.

Rosalind Sadowski, the Youth Empowerment Manager of Fresh Roots tells me that by joining this program students “learn about agriculture, leadership, and community connections.” “It’s about youth empowerment. Giving them ownership of something they can be proud of, so that they have a sense of accomplishment in what they do.”

Photo provided by Fresh Roots

These students certainly wore their enthusiasm for the program on their sleeve, telling me excitedly what they are going to do next to make their garden and community thrive.