Apparently Think & Eat Green @ School partners are not only thinking green, but thinking big as well. Big as in 1000 square meters of  Asian greens, salad greens, beets, carrots, garlic, and a host of other vegetables sprouting on the grounds of Vancouver Technical Secondary School in the coming years. The Vancouver School Board and Fresh Roots Urban Farm have teamed up for an innovative project which  repurposes  unused school land and transforms it into  a productive gardens…gardens that not only grow food, but serve as a living laboratory, an outdoor classroom for students studying food systems.  .

“Hundreds of children in schools in Vancouver eat our schoolyard grown veggies with huge smiles on their faces because they learn and play in the spaces where their food grows and know their farmers…We are so excited to grow a large-scale hands-on learning classroom that will make it possible for thousands of children to share in the same experience.” –  Ilana Labow | Director of Fresh Roots Urban Farm

Fresh Roots Urban Farm will be responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the garden, and  will synchronize the growing season with the school year to allow for a fall and winter harvest. Moreover, the presence of the garden serves also as a center for professional development, as local agriculture workers will offer professional development for teachers who will then be able to take their classrooms into the garden to teach about  agriculture, soil and life cycles. That the costs of the garden are projected to be paid for by the sale of its vegetables and fruits? Just another benefit of thinking green!

To read further on this exciting project, check out the recent Vancouver Sun article dedicated to the project, or head on over to the Vancouver School Board District News.