FERGUS – Over a dozen students, with their teacher, principal and some volunteers, swarmed over the yard at Faith Lutheran Church to prepare a plot and plant it for J.D. Hogarth Public School’s own community garden.
The Garden Project idea came from student Bailey Blanchard, who suggested students should grow some of the vegetables that go into their salad lunches and healthy snacks.
“Last year I noticed the school yard was pretty empty and thought a garden would make it seem nicer, but then I thought about the benefits of a vegetable garden and how we could use it to benefit the school,” Blanchard said.
“We came up with the idea of putting it next to the existing community garden at the church.”
Her friends were also on board, so they continued their discussions with teacher Dylan Gordon.
“When kids have great ideas like this and show such initiative you just have to help them bring it to fruition,” said Gordon, who contacted Faith Lutheran Church, which has been part of the Community Garden Network for three years.
Community Garden Co-ordinator Ingrid Kebbel-Beer was excited to support the initiative. “So many people only get their groceries from the supermarket, they have lost contact with the production of their food.”
