Mortlach School

Description

Our school has initiated a gardening project with the dual aim of providing valuable learning experiences for our students and fostering community connections. The garden primarily consists of vegetables, and over the summer, students actively participate in a scheduled watering routine. As the produce ripens, the community is encouraged to partake in harvesting vegetables. As autumn arrives, any remaining crops are gathered, and a communal effort is made to create nutritious soups for the entire school. Our school is embarking on a year-long, transformative horticultural program designed to provide students with hands-on learning experiences while instilling a sense of responsibility towards food sustainability in their community. Commencing with the cultivation of beans and wheat in September for foundational knowledge, students are journaling the growth stages of these plants, a process that will extend throughout the academic year. The end goal of this initiative is to empower students to contribute to food sustainability in their community. As part of our vision, we aim to establish a community farmers market where residents can conveniently purchase locally grown vegetables, reducing the need to commute to the city for their produce. Additionally, we plan to sell the bedding plants cultivated during the program, using the proceeds to support the sustainability of our horticultural efforts. Furthermore, we aspire to incorporate the fruits of our labor into our school's food program. This program involves students from Grades 9 to 12 cooking nutritious meals for the school community. By supplementing these meals with locally grown produce, we not only contribute to the well-being of our students but also promote a sustainable and community-oriented approach to food sourcing. Through this holistic project, we hope to inspire a lasting commitment to environmental stewardship and local food production among our students and the broader community.