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School Garden Guide: Farm to School

This is a resource for teachers to support school gardens, particularly those with a focus on plants found in Lheidli territory

How to Use

Click on the banner to take you to Farm to School BC's website and find out more from them about the amazing programs they offer.

Webinars

Each one is 1 hour and 15 minutes long and is on a Tuesday. (3:15 – 4:30) 

F2SBC says these same webinars will be offered again next year. 

 

  • How to create a garden committee
  • Setting goals together
  • Defining roles of your team
  • The benefits of community buy-in
  • Tips on sharing your successes
  • Garden Design for success and inspiration
  • Crop planning tools
  • Purchasing materials on a budget
  • How to engage your class with the garden
  • Early spring planting tips
  • Starting seedlings and building a grow station in your classroom
  • Garden beds construction, greenhouses, and other infrastructure
  • Considering perennials in your garden
  • Fundraising with seedlings
  • Building and installing garden beds
  • Planning your seeding schedule
  • Develop a harvest schedule
  • Using tools in the garden – best practices and maintenance
  • Spring planting outdoors
  • Engaging volunteers for summer maintenance
  • Hosting a garden tour
  • Signage in the garden
  • Deterring theft and vandalism
  • Summer Maintenance Guide
  • Supporting the program through staff turnover
  • Planning for the next school year
  • Team reflection – assessing your process
  • Harvesting tips
  • Seed saving with students
  • Hosting a harvest party
  • Harvest recipes
  • Celebrating and sharing your success
  • Four-season gardening options
  • Winterizing your garden
  • Grant reporting and season reflection
  • Fundraising

Lessons

Curriculum Connections

Grants

Types of Grants: 

  1. F2SBC Start Up Grants 

    1. Up to $3000 
    2. Only one allowed per school, typically 2 schools per district 
    3. Application deadline is in November 
    4. Successful applicants informed by  January; funds provided within a month of that 

  2. F2SBC Scale Up Grants 

    1. Up to $1000 
    2. Available to schools that have previously received a start-up grant 
    3. Schools must have completed their final report for their start-up grant 
    4. Schools must have an existing garden (ie. Something to “scale up”) 
    5. Application deadline is in November 

  3. Farm to Cafeteria Grants (see also “What are the Farm to Cafeteria Grants?”) 

    1. Up to $10 000 
    2. Only one allowed per school  
    3. Not allowed if school has previously received a F2SBC grant  
    4. Come from Farm to Cafeteria Canada F2CC (not directly from F2SBC) 
    5. Schools must include a plan for creating meals for students from their gardens 
    6. Application deadline is January 31 
    7. A recording of a webinar about the F2CC grants (I hour) is available on the website 

For help with your grant application:

  1. A recording of the Grant writing webinar (42 min) from October 2021 and the presentation slide deck (42 slides) are available on the F2SBC webpage.  

  1. Contact Roanne Whitticase North Central Region Community Animator, Farm to School BC roanne.whitticase@farmtoschoolbc.ca 

Schools in SD 57 that have already received a F2SBC start up grant: 

  1. Hart Highlands Elementary (2017) 

  1. Van Bien Elementary (2020) 

  1. Heritage Elementary (2020) 

  1. Valemount Elementary (2020) 

  1. Blackburn Elementary (2021) 

  1. Giscome Elementary (2021)