An innovative project focused on farming, local food and community is coming to Erin District High School (EDHS).
EDHS and Hillsburgh’s Everdale have partnered with support of the Upper Grand District School Board to bring a teaching farm to the school grounds. Everdale is a farm-based organization that engages local communities through hands-on food and farming education.
With support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Youth Leadership Farm project will transform a currently unused piece of land in front of the school into a teaching farm, featuring mobile raised production beds.
Students will be the champions of the space leading the process – from planning and building to planting and harvesting – “allowing them to take ownership of the project and take pride in what they build, grow and create,” program officials state.
The benefits of the project will spill beyond the school, reaching into the community. The produce that comes from this space will be used in the school cafeteria, sold to local businesses and restaurants, and donated to local organizations like the East Wellington Food Bank.
The project will also feature workshops with Everdale farmers, local chefs and business owners, teaching students leadership and team-building skills.
In addition to being a production space, the EDHS Youth Leadership Farm will provide a dynamic teaching space for the staff of EDHS. Through hands-on learning in the green space, subjects like math, English and nutrition will come to life. Literacy and numeracy skills will be woven into every stage of the project from design to distribution. The farm will allow for inquiry and project based learning for any grade and any subject.
The project will provide students with the opportunities to build new skill sets, develop interpersonal and leadership skills, and foster connections within the community.
