Many fruit crops introduced to northern Manitoba by gardeners can survive and produce fruit. The major challenges in growing introduced fruit are extreme weather and a short growing season. Success at gardening in northern regions has more to do with choosing the best locations, keeping soils fertile and well-watered, using hardy plant stock and investing...Read More

Photo Above: A mural depicting the Saskatchewan First Nations School Garden Program. Graphic Facilitation: Shelley Keyes. First Nations school communities in Southeastern Saskatchewan have started a school garden program to help children, youth and families make healthy, local, and sustainable food choices. There are three schools involved: Chief Gabriel Cote Education Complex, Keeseekoose Chiefs Education Centre,...Read More

Above: Eight L-shape raised beds provide lots of growing opportunity for the students of Grosvenor Elementary School, Winnipeg. Photo: Mark Klassen It’s great to see how many people in Winnipeg want to engage youth and community in the act of growing food. We are fortunate to be able to help some of those folks in their...Read More

Halifax hospitals will soon replace their flower beds with vegetable gardens. The edible plants will be brought to replace the flowers, shrubs and even the lawn outside ten different medical centres. Health authority staff say they’re rethinking the way they use their outdoor space. The plan is to plant everything from beets to tomatoes right...Read More

Photo: Yun Leong Something shifted in 2010.  Two cities that had been overcoming barriers to school gardens and getting local foods in classrooms now found themselves starting farms on school grounds. These farms added one more educational and food production tool to the complicated puzzle of Farm to School. Some wondered if school farms would be...Read More

Photo: Oliver Elementary School is turning some of its students into “young farmers” as part of the Salad Bar Program. In top photo are students getting ready to grow their gardens. In top photo from left are Matthew Hodge, Dustin Cachola, and Justin Vala. In back row are Nicholas Lang, Jasneet Sidhu, Avnit Sidhu, and Eisha...Read More

For the volunteers who came out April 12 to prepare the garden beds at David Thompson secondary school, it was about supporting environmental causes in any way they could. Volunteer Barbara Bradbury said there’s a huge need for individuals to help out. “The Vancouver Park Board doesn’t have enough money,” she said. “They can’t hire...Read More

Therapeutic gardens boost mental and physical health Tucked away on the campus of B.C. Children’s Hospital is an oasis of sorts. It’s a therapeutic food garden frequented by young inpatients and outpatients in programs run by B.C. Mental Health and Substance Use Services. Julia Thiessen, executive director of the Environmental Youth Alliance, gave the Georgia...Read More

Last week, while spring flurries flew around us, we built a new school food garden. Dundas Public School and First Nations School of Toronto now have a shared school garden! The process has been in the works for over a year, but last week the physical garden build finally happened! I work at Dundas and...Read More

Photo: Niagara College sustainability engagement assistant Gina Pannunzio looks over one of many trees to be included in the school’s edible orchard. A groundbreaking for the orchard was held as part of the school’s Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 25, 2015, in Welland, Ont. Maryanne Firth/Welland Tribune/Postmedia Network Niagara College has launched a new initiative...Read More