In this issue of our BCAITC Teacher Champion series, we profile BC teacher Bharuttee Deehoo. Discover her passion for educating students about BC agriculture, food, and the environment.

Q: What school do you teach? A:  I teach at Centennial Park Elementary School in Abbotsford, BC.

Q: What grade(s) do you teach? A: I teach Grade 1 and 2 French Immersion.

Q: How and when did you first learn about BCAITC? A: I first learned about BCAITC three years ago when I joined two of my colleagues in participating in the Spuds in Tubs program.

Q: How long have you been teaching students about BC agriculture and food? A: I have been teaching students about BC agriculture and food for the past five years.

Q: What are the most important things that you want your students to learn about BC agriculture and food? A: There are several key lessons I hope my students take away when learning about BC agriculture and food:

• Eat Local and Fresh: I want students to understand where their food comes from and the benefits of choosing locally grown food. Eating fresh, local produce supports our communities and reduces our environmental impact.
• Make Healthy Choices: It is important that students learn how to make nutritious food choices and understand how the food they eat fuels both their bodies and minds.
• Connect with the Land and Indigenous Ways of Knowing: I hope to instill a deep respect for the land by helping students recognize our connection to it. This includes acknowledging and learning from the knowledge, values, and traditions of Indigenous Peoples who have been stewards of this land for generations.
• Appreciate Farmers and Agricultural Workers: I want students to see and value the dedication, care, and hard work that goes into growing the food we eat. Recognizing the vital role of farmers helps build gratitude and awareness.
• Understand the Food Journey: It is important for students to explore the path food takes from farm to table — from planting and growing to harvesting, processing, packaging, and transportation. This builds a comprehensive understanding of the food system.
• Grow Your Own Food: Gardening allows students to experience the wonder of planting a seed and watching it grow. It encourages responsibility, curiosity, and pride—especially when they get to taste what they've grown themselves!

Q: BCAITC has over 500 free downloadable resources including lesson plans, activities, videos, recipes, and more! What is your favourite BCAITC resource and why? A: One of my absolute favourite BCAITC resources is the 2020 Fresh Story – Apples. Although it’s originally designed for intermediate grades, I adapted the lesson for my Grade 1/2 French Immersion class—and it was a huge hit! We kicked things off with a hands-on apple tasting activity featuring a variety of BC-grown apples such as Royal Gala, Fuji, Golden, Granny Smith, and McIntosh. This delicious experience allowed students to explore and practice rich descriptive language in French. They learned to describe:

• Colours: rouge (red), jaune (yellow), vert (green)
• Textures: juteuse (juicy), croquante (crunchy), dure (firm), moelleuse (soft)
• Flavours: sucrée (sweet), délicieuse (delicious), aigre (sour), amère (bitter)

Following the tasting, students took part in a guided oral sharing session where they described their favourite apple using full sentences and adjectives. We wrapped up with a creative writing craft where students wrote a few sentences about their chosen apple and illustrated their work. This activity was not only engaging and fun—it was a powerful cross-curricular experience that supported oral language development, vocabulary building, and writing skills, all while deepening students’ understanding of local agriculture. Most importantly, it helped them form a personal connection to the food grown right here in BC.

Q: What is your favourite BCAITC program and why?  A: Spuds in Tubs is my favourite BCAITC program because it’s simple, hands-on, and incredibly rewarding for students. It gives them the chance to grow their own food right at school, making farming and food systems feel real and relevant. The excitement students feel from planting to harvest—especially when they finally dig up their potatoes is priceless. It’s a fun, memorable way to connect learning with the land.

Q: Describe an agriculture or food-based project/program you have implemented in your classroom/school recently. A: Recently, my class participated in the Spuds in Tubs program, planting and caring for our own potatoes. We added an extra step—hilling—where students added soil around the plants to support healthy growth. Along the way, they learned what plants need to thrive and documented progress through drawings and photos. The project sparked meaningful discussions about where our food comes from, our connection to the land, and the importance of local food. We’re excited to harvest before summer and use it as a springboard to talk about healthy eating!

Q: Do you have any advice for other educators on how to integrate agriculture and food education into their curriculum?  A: Start small and connect it to what you're already teaching. Planting seeds fits naturally into science (life cycles), writing about food supports literacy, and tasting activities can spark discussions, descriptive writing, or even math graphing. Hands-on, sensory experiences are key—students love them! Explore local programs like Spuds in Tubs or use free resources from BCAITC. Most importantly, make it fun and meaningful. When students learn where their food comes from, they gain a deeper appreciation for healthy eating, the land, and the people who grow our food.

About the Teacher Champion Series: This monthly BCAITC series features BC teachers and school staff who are passionate about providing agriculture and food education to K-12 students. For more information, contact BCAITC Communications Coordinator, communications@aitc.ca.