GROWING UP ORGANIC

Farm Field Trip to Rainbow Heritage Garden

2011-10-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, October 4^th, Growing Up Organic joined Longfields-Davidson Heights Grade 11 Culinary Arts class on their farm field trip to Rainbow Heritage Garden in Cobden. Upon arrival we were greeted by young farmer Zach Loeks who runs the farm with his wife and a team of interns. The tour started the second we stepped off the bus. We all took a minute to look around and absorb the colourful scenery and the smell of fresh clean autumn air. Zach’s first question to us was ‘what do we see’? The students answered with trees, meadows, hills, rocks, plants, and so on. What Zach was trying to get at was the idea of biodiversity; something that today’s many large industrial farms are highly lacking. Almost all industrial farms that are involved in the mass production of supermarket food are based on monoculture. Monoculture is the agricultural practice of producing one single crop over a large area with a main goal of quantity over quality.

Zach began by teaching us the importance of biodiversity. The diverse landscape on his farm allows for the accommodation of 150 varieties of fruit, vegetable, herb, and tree species. Biodiversity is the key to food security. Zach provided us with the example of sap producing trees. The main sap producing tree is the sugar maple because it yields the most sap. Large industrial sap farms will plant acres upon acres of only sugar maples so that they can produce as much sap as possible. But what happens when this farm gets hit with a strain of disease specific to the sugar maple? All the trees become infected and no syrup is produced. This is the problem with monoculture farms; they put all their eggs in one basket and if something goes wrong they have nothing to lean back on. This results in a huge loss of money but most importantly it results in the loss of food and food insecurity. This is why Zach plants a variety of sap producing trees along with a great variety of all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Notably, the trees that Zach plants today won’t be ready for any kind of sap or lumber production in his lifetime and therefore have no direct benefit to him. He plants the trees in hope that they will be of use to following generations and contribute to the sustainability of our future. The large trees that are currently on the farm are there because someone, a long time ago, planted them. Likewise, future farmers will surely be thankful for all the trees that Zach plants today.

The next thing Zach showed us was his well that extracts fresh clean water from hundreds of feet below the ground. By using this untouched groundwater for watering his crops he can be sure that they won’t be contaminated by chemicals that are often found in water sources that have been in human contact. Of course, he also uses this water for other purposes such as drinking and bathing. After the well, Zach went on to show us his solar panels which work to provide his entire farm with renewable energy. By extracting water from deep in the ground and gaining energy from the sun, Zach’s farm is completely sustainable on its own, meaning it doesn’t require any outside sources of energy. This saves Zach a lot of money in the long run and contributes to the sustainability of our future by saving the energy that would normally be used to transport electricity and water all the way out to the farm.

Continuing on the subject of biodiversity, Zach brought us into a barn that was filled to the brim with squash of all kinds of different shapes, sizes, and colours. He went on to explain how he could pick a squash with desirable characteristics and by planting seeds from this squash he can grow more squash with similar qualities. Each squash has the potential to grow hundreds of more squash with all the seeds that are found inside of it.

Alongside food security, another issue raised by Zach was that of food storage. Eating sustainably, especially in Canada, usually means eating seasonally. Naturally, most fruits and vegetables do not grow all year round. Supermarket food is imported from all over the world. In mid winter when it’s too cold to grow strawberries in Ontario, we can go to the store and buy strawberries imported from Chile. Relying on food that’s traveling thousands of miles by boat or plane also means relying on the fuel that’s being used to transport it. Fuel is a non renewable energy source and its availability is becoming increasingly limited. In order to created a sustainable food system we need to focus on ideas of food storage that will help us store those foods that aren’t available all year round. Zach invited us into his very own underground food storage cellar. The main structure was built but still had to be buried. The earth’s temperature a few metres below ground is always at a constant temperature of around 3◦C. In summer months it can keep food out of the heat and in winter it can store all the food that was grown in summer.

To finish off a great day on the farm we got the chance to get our hands in the dirt by helping Zach harvest his organic potatoes. During his demonstration of how to harvest them properly he ate some of the soil to show us that it was perfectly harmless due to the lack of chemicals and pesticides. Whatever minerals are in the dirt will end up in the potatoes anyway, so Zach joked around about getting his minerals straight from the soil! Finally, it was our turn to help out on the farm. We dug for potatoes the way Zach taught us, making sure we sifted every patch of dirt so that no potatoes got left behind! Although I found it quite enjoyable and somewhat therapeutic, some of the kids were fairly tired by the end of it and couldn’t believe that this is a job that Zach usually does on his own or with a few interns. With twenty of us it took about an hour of hard work.

When asked why he farms, Zach answered first with his love of eating good tasting food and having it readily available to him, but mostly he does it because he feels as though he is making a difference. Organic farming and sustainability awareness are his contributions to our current deteriorating food system. What’s also really important is that it makes him happy.

2011-08-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

Another great Food and Farm Camp!

This year’s first Youth Food and Farm Apprenticeship Camp put on by Growing Up Organic, a project of Canadian Organic Growers Ottawa Chapters, in partnership with the Glebe Neighborhood Activities Group was slightly different this year than last. This summer we decided to do two camps, and instead of having one only on the farm and the other only in the city we combined both to offer a more diverse experience to the youth that attend them.

Our first camp ran from July 25^th to July 29^th. Anyone that knows about the camps knows that the goal of them is to provide youth with a realistic perspective on the food system, an understanding of conventional farming practices versus organic, and help the youth connect the food they eat with where it comes from.

We spent the first two days of camp at the Glebe Community Centre where the 15 youth attending the camp got to watch the film Food Inc, scavenge through a nearby supermarket to locate certain ingredients, and also do some organic cooking with Organic Chef Stephanie Stewart. These two days at the Centre set the scene for the experience that was to follow. The idea was to give the youth a basic understanding of the food system and conventional farming practices so they could compare and contrast those practices with the ones they would see at Alpenblick Farm.

9am on Wednesday morning could not come soon enough as the youth waited in excitement for their chance to experience Alpenblick Farm. Robert Oeschli, who is the farmer at Alpenblick Farm and coincidentally a bus driver, picked us up at the Glebe Community Centre by school bus at 9am and we were on our way out to the Farm for three days of camping and grassroots education.

Upon arrival we were greeted by Robert’s wife and farming partner Petra Stevenson, their farm helpers Alex and Jessica, their potbelly pig named Freddy, and a llama named Prince David. The three days and two nights that followed can be summed up by the smiles of tranquility that came over the youths faces as they exited the bus and took a step back in time to a place where quality and meaning come before mass-production, and health before profit.

Our three days on the farm were spent harvesting from Alpenblick Farms vegetable garden, milking cows and goats, playing camp fire games and our infamous Farm Olympics, taking part in an Aboriginal ceremony, learning survival techniques, cooking outdoors over an open fire, lounging with goats, and most importantly absorbing the humbling wisdom taught to the youth by farmer Robert Oeschli. The 15 youth that walked through the doors of the Glebe Community Centre on Monday July 25^th, left Alpenblick Farm on Friday July 29^th with a deep and very crucial understanding of the food system, a new look at health, an appreciation for organic food and farming, a confidence that can only be achieved by experiencing new challenges, and above all a new group of friends.

Myself along with Organic Chef Stephanie Stewart and support staff Jordan Davies would like to thank all those who attended the camp for your unrelenting enthusiasm and open minds, as well as Torry Simpson from Growing Up Organic, Paul O’Donnell from GNAG, and most importantly Robert and Petra of Alpenblick Farm for once again opening their doors to the youth of Ottawa, sharing their knowledge, and for all the time they put in to bettering the local and organic food scene.

Our next camp runs from August 22^nd to August 26^th, sign up can be done online at gnag.ca. For more information on the Growing Up Organic and Canadian Organic Growers please visit our blog at growinguporganic.blogspot.com or our website at cog.ca/Ottawa

Thank you,

Jasen Brousseau, Camp Coordinator

Mutchmor Garden Harvest Going to a Good Cause

2011-07-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Last week to celebrate the end of school and a great (yet rainy) growing season at Mutchmor PS, Growing Up Organic helped the Grade 3/4 girls harvest 10 bags bursting with delicious organic lettuce and spinach. The 10 bags were donated to their local women's shelter... and a small amount was given to their class - who enthusiastically sampled the fruits of their labour!
Thanks for a great Spring and we look forward to seeing you in the gardens in the Fall!

2011-03-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

The Globe and Mail focuses on a new form of summer camps (including the Youth Food & Farm Apprenticeship Camp)

www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/education/learning/hey-kids-how-about-a-vocation-vacation/article1929258/page1/

Youth Farm Apprenticeship Camp Registration Open!

2011-03-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

YOUTH FOOD & FARM APPRENTICESHIP CAMP (12 - 16 years)
Canadian Organic Growers (COG), through its Growing Up Organic project, invites you to sink your teeth into the world of food. Join professional chef Stephanie Stewart and spend 2-days preparing and eating delicious organic food. We will learn how to grow it yourself, right here in the city while preparing for two nights and three days of camping at Alpenblick Farm. Farmers Robert & Petra will teach you how to milk goats, make cheese and care for the cattle, sheep and goats that graze their 320 acre organic farm outside Stittsville. Fee includes organic meals and transportation.

Jul 25 - 29 (5 days, 2 nights) $265
Aug 22 - 26 (5 days, 2 nights) $265

Register online at gnag.ca.

Sharing the Harvest

2010-09-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

This Summer, Shepherds of Good Hope struggled for food donations. For the first time in over 20 years, they did not have enough soup for soup kitchen. The volunteer chefs were happy to receive donations from the school gardens.

"It smells so fresh!" and "What a great thing for kids to do" they said about the food grown in school gardens.

They were happy to receive a salad of basil and cherry tomatoes, grown by grade 3s at Mutchmor & First Avenue's school gardens, while the students were on holiday.

At Elmwood's Fall Harvest Party, there was more than enough to go around. 20 of Elmwood's grade 7 girls harvested, prepared and enjoyed a feast from the gardens they build with their own hands. They shared their delicious garden salsa, extra tomatoes and herbs with teachers, parents, and still had two big bins of food to donate to Shepherds.

Herb Spiral at Heritage

2010-09-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

Heritage Academy boasts a new Green Technologies class this year. The grade 10 class learned about Permaculture during the first week of school, and to culminate the lesson they built their own Permaculture Herb Spiral.

Their teacher Derek cleared out the area.

While the students unloaded bricks from the car. They decided to make a human chain to transport the bricks more easily.Many hands make light work. The spiral was finished in no time!

Bridgehead and Growing Up Organic came out to help (ie supervise!). We are happy with the end results!Next spring, the plan is to plant all perennial herbs in the spiral to have a low-maintenance, decorative and delicious garden by the school's side entrance.

This weekend at Feast of Fields, Stoneface Dolly's teamed up with Heritage Academy to create a delicious dish from the garden.

How do the gardens grow?

2010-07-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Heritage Academy has a brand new shed thanks to funding from the Community Gardening Network, a dedicated teacher and community volunteer.

The bees are working hard pollinating the flowers on our tomato plants.

During my school garden visits, I pinch off the 'suckers' so that the plant's energy can go to making us more fruit, and less branches!

Elmwood School shows off it's first red tomato!

Heritage Academy's Nasturtiums are a beautiful and tasty addition to the garden. The pretty edible flowers have a spicy pepper taste, and can be used as a decorative garnish in salads, pastas or to decorate baking.

We grow our own beans so that we can have any variety we like. Elmwood likes them purple! This variety of purple bush beans was grown from Greta's Organic Seeds. Greta has an extensive variety heirloom and heritage seeds and starts. They can be ordered on the website Greta's Organic Gardens: www.seeds-organic.com.

Greta even has a few varieties of Popcorn.

The peas at Devonshire School are climbing toward the fence.

The grade 5s at Devonshire put in special root watering systems for each of their plants. It's made with a pop bottle and has a tiny spout at the bottom to allow water to slowly soak down around the roots.

Parent volunteers at Trilles des Bois come by to water the gardens.

And look at their gardens go!

The squash & cukes at Trilles des Bois loves to climb up the fence.

Woodroffe has got lots of big zucchinis too!

Woodroffe Elementary has lots of Swiss Chard - YUM!

Here is a tasty, easy way to prepare swiss chard:

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard
1 small clove garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp water
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon butter
Salt

Method

1 Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard or save for another recipe (such as this Swiss chard ribs with cream and pasta). Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips.

2 Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Remove the swiss chard to a serving dish.

www.simplyrecipies.com

The Herb Spiral

2010-07-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

This herb spiral was built at the SLOE Children's Garden on Main St. It was built with middle-school aged children as part of a 3 day food education program run by a Carleton University student.

The Herb Spiral is an easy to make Permaculture project. It maximizes space and creates ideal conditions for a variety of plants. Herbs that are planted at the bottom get shaded by the spiral walls and the higher plants. Herbs that need most sun are at the top of the spiral.

The spiral is built by layering straw, good composted manure, and lots of water. Over time, the straw will break down and give nutrients to the plants. It also makes lots of space for the roots.

For more information about herb spirals and a video of how to make your own, visit:
http://myurbangardener.com/herbspiral.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxGqUnHz-1A

Feel free to stop by the Children's Garden to enjoy & participate in the project. Playgroups are held on Saturday mornings for young children and parents. More information visit www.sustainablelivingottawaeast.ca.

Butterfly Garden at the SLOE Children's Garden

Summer Maintenance

2010-06-30T09:46:00.001-07:00

School is out for summer and the school gardens are in full bloom. Over the summer, many dedicated parents, Bridgehead staff & student volunteers have signed up to water, weed and enjoy the gardens. If you'd like to be involved with the gardens this summer, let me know & I'll find something for you to do!

Growing Up Organic is here for support over the summer. I will be visiting each school garden every 2 weeks to check up on the gardens and see what needs to be done. Please join me for any of my garden visits. We might prune, plant, stake, harvest, build... whatever needs to be done!

Monday (July: 5th, July 19th, Aug. 9th, Aug. 23rd)
10-11 Cambridge 11:15-12:15 Heritage
12:30-1:30 Devonshire

Tuesday: (July 6th, July 20th, Aug. 10th, Aug. 24th)
1:15-2:15 Elmwood
2:30-3:30 Trillium / Trilles des Bois

Wednesday (july 7th, July 21st, Aug. 11th, Aug. 25th)
10-11 Mutchmor
11:15-12:15 First Avenue
**Children's garden?**

Thursday (July 8th, July 22nd, Aug. 12th, Aug. 26th)
10-11 Woodroffe HS
11:15-12:15 Woodroffe PS
1:30-2:30 Pinecrest

Friday - **with Jasen (July 9th, July 22nd, Aug. 13th, Aug. 27th)
(10:30-11:30 Lakeview)
(11:14-12:45 AY Jackson)

Hope to see you in the gardens!!!
Laura
Growing Up Organic Intern

A few young gardeners, for inspiration. Happy gardening!

SCHOOL GARDEN BIKE TOUR

2010-06-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

This Saturday June 19th!Come one, come all...and see the school gardens!

Learn about what the high school and elementary students have been growing with us this year. Parents, teachers, community members. Everyone is welcome to participate in the leisure-paced bike tours.

Enjoy refreshments from Bridgehead Coffee, our school garden funder.

Morning Tour (East/Central) 11:00-2:00pm
Starting Location: Trilles Des Bois 135 Alice St (Near Vanier Pkwy & Beechwood)
This tour will showcase gardens at (Elmwood*), Trilles des Bois, Trillium, Mutchmor, First Avenue and Devonshire.

Afternoon Tour (Central/West) 2:30-5:00pm
Starting Location: Devonshire School 100 Breezehill (near Somerset and Preston)
This tour will showcase gardens at Devonshire, Heritage Academy, Woodroffe PS and Woodroffe HS.

Bring your bike and a water bottle. See you there!

Laura guoschoolgardens@gmail.com

In the Gardens...

2010-05-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

2010 has been a great season for school gardens. So far this spring, garden beds have been built at Lakeview Public School...

AY Jackson...

Woodroffe PS...

Devonshire PS...

and Youville Centre for Young Mothers.

Thanks to the Youth Eco Internship Program, I have had the pleasure of visiting all the school gardens to do lots of activities with students. We planned the gardens, studied soils, & planned for harvest.

We began early in March when it was chilly outdoors.

Starting seeds for our gardens,

Sprouting alfalfa & mung beans to eat,

And watching seeds grow. We learned about germination and the needs of plants.
At Elmwood, at Cambridge, Woodroffe PS. At Woodroffe HS & Mutchmor & at Heritage Academy...

Everyone is proud of their gardens...
Les maternelles à Trilles des Bois sont fiers de leur jardin!

And the Grade 11s at Woodroffe HS

Keep up the AWESOME work everyone.

2010-05-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

THANKS BRIDGEHEAD!! from everyone involved with Growing Up Organic's school food gardens...

Growing Up Organic's school gardens are being funded again this year by a limited edition coffee blend being created by and sold at Bridgehead coffeehouses.

The Growing Up Organic Blend was launched on Earth Day, April 22, 2010. Every pound of coffee sold will generate $2 for the development of school food gardens in neighbourhoods in which there is a Bridgehead location. In addition to financial support, Bridgehead is encouraging its employees to work with schools on garden construction and maintenance.

Earth day was a great kick off for school gardens this year. We celebrated Bridgehead's funding by constructing 6 raised garden beds at Woodroffe Avenue Public School. We used recycled logs from Alpenblick Farm to build not only 6 raised beds, but also to create seats for an outdoor classroom! What a beautiful addition to the schoolyard.

With the help of students...

parents....

and Bridgehead volunteers...

We built...

Added soil...

And even planted some seeds...

It was a sight to see!!!

Earthcare Spring Training

2010-03-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

Feb 24 – 25
At Earthcare's Spring Training 2010, Earthcare groups from Ottawa's elementary and high schools gathered for environmental learning and fun. With Growing Up Organic, students learned the ins and outs of composting - and made their own...

Pop Bottle Composter!

All you need: recycled containers (2L pop bottle, large yogurt and medium sour cream), a small piece of nylon, a rubber band, half a cup of soil, some newspaper.

Step #1 Carefully cut the bottom off your pop bottle (about two inches, usually there is a line on the bottle)

Step #2 Attach nylon to the spout of the bottle with rubber band to create a screen

Step #3 Place the bottle spout down in the large yogurt container. Add shredded newspaper until your bottle is about half full (get ripping!).

Step #4 Add 1/2 cup of soil to the bottle

Step #5 Put the small container in the top of the bottle as a lid (right side up).

And voila! Your composter is ready!

To use your composter:
Add 1-2 cups organic material (fruit/vegetable scraps, crushed egg shells-washed, coffee grounds) ***The smaller the better! Chop up into small pieces, or put your scraps in a blender!

Add a few spoons of water, and stir up the paper, soil and organic matter. You want the consistency to be that of a damp sponge, so add water as needed.

Now wait while tiny bacteria and microorganisms turn your scraps into compost!

Check on your composter once or twice a week. Stir it up to allow air in, and empty the liquid that has drained into the bottom container. This is 'compost tea', and your plants will love it!

Does your compost stink? It shouldn't! It may be too dry - add a little water, or too wet - add dry material like sawdust or shredded paper.
Tip: If you are having trouble, try only composting coffee grounds, it won't stink!

After about 1 month the contents of your pop bottle should begin to look like a smooth, dry soil. Your compost is ready to be used - your houseplants will love it!
***Don't forget to save half a cup of compost to restart your composter for the next month!

Keep composting! You are reducing the amount of waste in landfills, and creating organic plant food (for free!) that will help your houseplants or your garden grow strong and healthy!

More information on composting...
http://www.ec.gc.ca/education/default.asp?lang=En&n=BAE2878A-4

Also, check out Vermiculture - composting with worms!...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjjuYNilM60

Red Wiggler worms are the best! Add them to your outdoor bin, or make a worm bin.
Order your own Red Wigglers from Arbour Environmental Shoppe in the Glebe. (613) 567-3168

What's on the Calendar?

2010-03-12T09:09:00.001-08:00

Spring is in the air, and things are getting starting for school gardens!

Growing Up Organic has begun to host garden workshops for kids in schools across the city. For the rest of the school year, GUO will be available to do lessons with children, assist teachers with their garden related lessons, and provide materials and resources.

The lesson topics include (but are not limited to!)...

Planning the Garden: Three Sisters Garden – Before April 1st (Grade 3) - Students learn about a traditional 3 sisters garden, and then plant a mini version of one!
Planning the Garden - Before April 1st (gr.9, 10, 11…) - Students learn about needs of plants & factors to consider when planning a garden: space, light, how plants work together, planning for the harvest... .
The Mystery Garden – March, April, Anytime (Kindergarten, grade 1) - Students plant unidentified seeds and make observations in their investigation to discover what each plant is.
Soil Investigation - When ground is thawed, before planting (Grade 1, 3,6,9) - Students explore soil, experiment with different types of soil, and discover soil components through observation and soil testing.
Seed Starting – First Week of April (Grade 1, 3, 6, 11) - Through a series of stations, students explore seeds and seed germination. Seeds are sprouted for snacks later in the week, and seedlings are planted for later use in the garden.
Transplanting and Planting – Earliest Mid-April (Grade 4) - Students take seedlings and plant them in the garden. Experiments are done on weaker seedlings that don’t make it to the garden.
Weeding and Mulching - any time! (Grade 1, 3, 5, 6, 9) - Students discover weeds, weed the garden and conduct a mulch experiment.
Composting: Create a Composter – when ground is dry (Grade 7,8, Design/Shop class) - Students design and build a composter
Composting: Get Composting – any time (Grade 5,7-10) - Students design a composting system at their school, and teach other students about compost.
Harvesting (everyone!) - Lots of activities for harvesting including cooking, nutrition, preserving food (making pickles...) and more.

Detailed lesson plans are available at: https://sites.google.com/site/growinguporganicschoolgardens/ (they are still in the works).

If you are interested in scheduling a workshop with your school, contact Laura at guoschoolgardens@gmail.com

Don't have a garden? No problem! There are many activities that can be done in the classroom. Interested in creating an outdoor garden? Contact Growing Up Organic for support.

To see what's going on so far, take a look at the calendar (Click on a day and then event details).

SUMMER CAMP FUN!

2010-02-23T21:25:00.000-08:00

Growing Up Organic, with the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group (GNAG), is happy to offer two summer camp experiences summer 2010. For more information please contact Torry Reid at 613.627.6343 or GNAG at 613-564-1058 or 613-233-8713. Register online at gnag.ca, registration opens March 8^th at 9:00 PM.

FOOD & GARDEN CAMP (12-16 years)

Yellow tomatoes, purple carrots, edible weeds…

Canadian Organic Growers (COG), through its Growing Up Organic project, invites you to sink your teeth into the world of food. Not only will you get to prepare and eat great organic food, you’ll also learn how to grow it yourself, right here in the city. Along the way you’ll meet professional chefs, city farmers and take a trip out to Alpenblick Farm for a day with the goats. Fee includes organic food and transportation.

Jul 12 - 16 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. $165

YOUTH FARM APPRENTICESHIP CAMP (12-16 years)

Canadian Organic Growers (COG), through its Growing Up Organic project, is offering its farm camp for a third year – and this time we’ll be camping for a full week while living and working out at Alpenblick Farm. Farmers Robert & Petra will teach you how to milk goats, make cheese and care for the cattle, sheep and goats that graze their 320 acre organic farm outside Stittsville. While there you’ll learn how to cook over an open fire, identify and prepare wild edible plants, participate in a land art project, and take day trips to other nearby farms. Fee includes organic meals and transportation.

Jul 5 - 9 (5 days, 4 nights) $240

Food For All

2010-02-11T06:17:00.000-08:00

Food for All: Join Food Action Planning Conversations – Feb.

People from across this city are coming together to address the food issues in our communities. It is called Food for All: an Ottawa Community Response. Join Food for All and participate in the Food Action Planning Conversations in 2010. The time is right for Ottawa to develop a food action plan.

Between February and June of 2010, there will be a number of Food Action Planning Conversations. These conversations are for all people in Ottawa who are interested or have concerns about their food. You are invited to join Food for All and participate in these conversations.

We will find solutions to many of the food issues that exist in Ottawa, make recommendations and work with decision makers, including the City of Ottawa, the Ottawa school boards, and the NCC on ways to improve the food system in Ottawa.

Please choose the topic area that interests you the most, save the dates for the workshops and contact us to register for the workshops. We will confirm your participation and share with you the location of the conversations when we receive your registration.

Food, Access and Health in Our Communities: This topic area will look at issues like being able to find, afford and get to the food we need, the relationship between food and health, and our community food programs.

Time: 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Dates: February 9th, March 9th, April 13th and May 11th, 2010
Contact: Project coordinator at info@justfood.ca or 613-236-9300 ext. 301

Food in Our Schools: This topic area will explore the issues related to formalized programs that provide children with food, the general availability of foods in schools, and food in the curriculum.

Time: 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Dates: February 16th, March 30th and May 18th, 2010
Contact: Project coordinator at info@justfood.ca or 613-236-9300 ext. 301

Household Food Production: This topic area will explore the issues faced by households growing food for their households – including household gardens, community gardens, livestock by-laws, and skills to grow and use food.

Time: 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Dates: February 23rd, March 23rd and April 27th, 2010
Contact: Terri O’Neill at terri@justfood.ca or 613-236-9300 ext. 309

Market Food Production: This topic area will explore the issues faced by people who are growing food for sale to others.

Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm
Dates: February 2nd and March 16th, 2010
Contact: Robin Turner at robin@justfood.ca or 613-236-9300 ext. 306

Special Notes:

· In each topic area, every conversation will build on the conversations that happened before it. When you sign up for a topic area, please ensure that you can commit to participating in all of the conversations for that topic area.

· We welcome both French and English speakers to participate in these conversations. Each topic area will have an English and a French speaking facilitator.

· Locations will be wheel-chair accessible

· Child-care will be available during each of these conversations with prior notice.

· OC-Transpo tickets will be available to help you get to and from the meeting venue.

For more information about Food for All as a project, the topics that will be discussed in each of the topic areas, or to suggest topics that should be included, please visit www.justfood.ca/foodforall

2010-02-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Gardeners!

My name is Laura and I am a new School Garden Intern working with Growing Up Organic. I am very excited for all the fun in the gardens this year!
Even though there is snow on the ground, Growing Up Organic is working away planning gardens and events for the spring.

Here's what going on so far...
We are working with teachers to create a workbook about the school garden project. The workbook will include a basic guide to gardening, curriculum-based lesson plans in the garden, and many other great resources for teachers to use gardens for fun and learning.
Come the spring, with the help of elementary and high school students, we will be waking up the gardens, planting some new ones, and rounding up volunteers to help take care of them. For more information about when and what types of things we'll be doing with students, visit https://sites.google.com/site/growinguporganicschoolgardens/home.

How to get involved:
1. Volunteer to help getting the gardens started
2. Volunteer to help with a workshop
2. Volunteer to help take care of the garden nearest to you (weeding, watering...)
3. Teachers: Participate in a garden workshop with your class
Contact me at guoschoolgardens@gmail.com to let me know that you are interested.

Get Inspired! Get Gardening!
Check out all the great new resources for kids gardening:
http://www.kidsgardening.com/Dig/dig.asp?act=t -fun activities for children in and out of the garden
http://www.evergreen.ca/en/resources/schools/curriculum.sn -lesson plans & more teaching tools
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/Schoolgardening - an established school garden project in England, lots of information, activities and ideas (more than 10,000 schools involved!)

A Week at Alpenblick

2009-09-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

It was nine o’clock in the morning on Monday, August 24th when I arrived at the Glebe Community Centre in Ottawa, dragging along two backpacks, a sleeping bag, and a mat. I was about to go on a very interesting trip, along with three councillors like myself and thirteen campers. We were all participating in the 2009 Youth Farm Apprenticeship Camp, which took place at the historic, picturesque Alpenblick Farm.

Alpenblick is a free-range organic meet and dairy farm with a diverse collection of animals and ecosystems. Robert Oechsli and Petra Stevenson, our hosts, love their animals and make sure that they lead happy and healthy lives. We were very privileged to be able to hold the camp at their home.

The camp was a very successful Growing Up Organic project. Growing Up Organic, a subdivision of Canadian Organic Growers, focuses on exposing kids and teenagers to organic foods and practices. Three of our staff members, including myself, work or have worked with Growing Up Organic.

Steve Gibbs was the programmer for this year’s camp, and he did an astounding job of organizing and planning the camp down to its minuscule details. As well, we had an Ottawa actor and social justice activist, Tracey, accompany us with the hope of raising awareness towards food issues through theatre activities. Also signed up to help was Christian, a Glebe Community Centre employee.

About an hour following my arrival at the Centre, everybody was set and ready to go. The campers ranged anywhere from eleven to sixteen years old and came from the Ottawa area and beyond. We even had a student from France participating!

Our bus arrived shortly, driven by Alpenblick’s own Mr. Oechsli (who is also a licensed bus driver). After loading our camping equipment onto the bus, we set off to the sound of excited voices and the warm summer wind in our hair. About a half-hour later, we were there.

As soon as the bus had come to a stop at the end of Alpenblick’s lengthy driveway, we were greeted by the resident canine, a group of wandering goats, and Petra. The campers immediately noticed the goat pen just a few metres away, filled with goats yet too young to brave the outside world with the adults. Although the campers were all eager to get going, Robert decided to take a few minutes to remind them that, since they were on a free-range farm, they had to expect regular run-ins with the livestock during the five days that they were there. He assured everyone, however, that all of the animals were tame and extremely friendly. He told us that we should expect to see, scattered around his three hundred and twenty acres: a herd of cows, a flock of sheep, a herd of goats, a bristly black pig, a guard llama, a miniature horse, a lazy dog, and five fluffy felines. Not to mention the wildlife.

Once Robert had finished the introduction to his farm, it was time for the campers to set up their tents and get their belongings organized, while the four councillors helped with either the set-up, worked on constructing an eating area, or prepared lunch. As soon as everybody was done, we sat down for a delicious meal of organic pita wraps with honey, peanut butter, and jam. That was when we learned our very first lesson about goats: they are extremely curious creatures.

We barely had time to start eating when the goats started coming, one by one, wanting to investigate all of the new objects, see all of the new people and, more importantly, have a taste of our delicious food. Luckily, as soon as a goat’s curiosity was quenched, it was very happy to leave us alone and get back to its goatish activities.

Following lunch, Steve led a fire-building activity with the campers. Some of them have never actually built a campfire before, but by the end of the activity not only could they build steady campfires with no assistance, but they could also teach others the skill at the same time. Following the activity, Steve arranged a series of games for the campers to play. Team members had to work together to extinguish the campfires of their opponents while keeping their own fire from being extinguished. The participants seemed to be enjoying themselves very much.

After the games it was time for everybody to participate in cooking dinner. Everybody helped to cut and cook organic vegetables as well as prepare organic peppers stuffed with rice and lentils and boiled in tomato sauce. Everything was cooked over campfires that the kids built and maintained themselves. To go along with the main course was a fresh salad.

Following the delicious and filling meal, the time had come for Tracey to do her first theatre workshop. The workshop was held in Robert’s warm and roomy barn, where bales of hay served as comfortable seating. The theme for the workshop was obstacles related to food and how to deal with them. Although some campers were a little shy to participate at first, everybody ended up having fun and learning some valuable lessons too.

After theatre, we had a bonfire and made ourselves some nutritious snacks before going to bed.

At 9 AM the next morning, Steve woke us up with a deafening “GOOD MORNING, FARM CAMP!” Waiting for us was a wonderful breakfast of oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, toast, and hot chocolate. As we ate, we shared stories of meowing strangers who’ve come to visit us in the wee hours of the morning.

A number of campers had gotten up early so they could watch and help Robert milk the goats. Then, following breakfast, everybody proceeded to Robert’s cold storage to watch the first step of making goat cheese. Robert thoroughly explained what he was doing and the campers all seemed very interested. Once the forming cheese had been left to sit, the campers kept themselves busy by helping clean up fallen trees and broken branches lying around the campsite. Soon enough, the time had come to watch the second step of making goat cheese. Afterwards came lunch, which was made up of peanut butter and jam sandwiches, raisins, honey, limeade, and the leftovers from yesterday’s dinner.

Once lunch was finished and the eating area was cleaned up, it was time to make the camp’s first outing. The trip was made to a biodynamic vegetable farm. A biodynamic farm is a farm that is self-sustainable, meaning that everything that the farmers need comes from the farm itself. Not only is it a method that saves money, but it is also a way of life that has a lot of spiritual meaning to some farmers. On this particular biodynamic farm, the campers and councillors learned about the value of self-sustained farming, and then got to harvest and try a number of different organic vegetables. It was a very delicious and informative experience.

Upon returning to Alpeblick, the campers gathered firewood for the dinner that they cooked shortly afterwards. The dinner was comprised of stone soup, Alpenblick’s own beef sausages, cheese, limeade, and a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds. Following dinner, the campers resumed their firewood-gathering activity so as to have a constant amount of wood to use in the future.

Once darkness had fallen, it was time once again for the theatre workshop. As Tracey was gone for an audition that night, Steve took over the workshop for her in the lighted and cosy barn. The participants, including the councillors, were divided into two groups and each group thought up and acted out a different version of the same story (the story being the lifecycle of a common tomato). One story had the setting of an industrial tomato farm, and the other of an organic tomato garden. It was amazing to see how much knowledge the kids had on each subject, and how well they were able to share this knowledge with their peers.

Following theatre came the nightly tradition of sitting and talking around a campfire, and then gradually heading off to bed.

Wednesday morning. Everybody was awake in an instant at the sound of Steve’s booming voice. A breakfast of hot oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, toast, and bagels was already waiting for the groggy campers. Immediately following breakfast, Robert had prepared some of his own cow’s and goat’s milk for the campers to taste and compare. Many said afterwards that both types of milk were extremely delicious, which I am sure they were.

Not long following the milk-tasting activity, the campers got to watch as Robert and an adult helper moved freshly-bought bales of hay from a wagon and into the barn. Robert also talked about personal safety on the farm as he worked. A goat named Daisy kept everybody company as she observed the goings-on, and got continuously pet in the process.

Next came a hands-on activity where the kids got to work together to build a raised garden bed from logs, sticks, and compost. Although it was fun, and there was even time to plant a packet of seeds, the campers were exhausted by the end. A much-needed break was in order, before a much-appreciated lunch of pita wraps with hummus and peanut butter, apples, salad, hot chocolate, and leftover stone soup.

Following lunch, the campers had the amazing opportunity to look at authentic northern aboriginal art brought in by four wonderful and knowledgeable northern aboriginals. There was everything; from soapstone carvings, to animal furs, to artwork, to books, to films, to photography, to traditional clothing, to tools, and even music recordings. Licks the cat enjoyed spending time among the fox furs, much to everybody’s amusement. After learning the story behind every single piece of aboriginal artwork that was presented, the campers got to make some of their own art. Using bars of soap and plastic knives, the campers got to carve whatever sculptures they could come up with for everybody to see. It was a great activity with which to finish the afternoon.

The night’s dinner was made up of spaghetti with tomato sauce, sausages, cheese, pitas, cooked vegetables, bean salad, and limeade. There was no theatre activity that night; instead, we had a campfire with delicious roasted marshmallows and chocolate.

The next morning began with the now all-too-familiar “GOOD MORNING, FARM CAMP!” The usual breakfast of oatmeal and other treats followed. To start the day off, Robert organized an educational session where he talked about farm equipment and how to safely interact with it. The session was informational, of course, but it was quickly followed by a game of wheelbarrow racing. There is no need to worry: the game didn’t break any actual farm safety rules. It was fun and full of laughs and silliness.

Before having lunch, most of the campers set out on an exploring expedition of the farm property. Meanwhile, a couple of councillors (including myself) and a few volunteers stayed behind to cook lunch. We prepared pitas with peanut butter and hummus, as well as a beat salad and a bean salad. There were also sunflower and pumpkin seeds, raisins, tea, and the last of the stone soup. Once the exploring campers have returned and lunch was finished, everybody worked together to thoroughly clean up the eating area. Then came the second outing.

This time, the trip was to Carleton Beach. Although the day wasn’t particularly warm, nobody hesitated to get into their swimwear, and some even braved getting into the water. Taking advantage of the pleasant circumstances, Tracey decided to hold part of the theatre workshop right on the beach. The task was to prepare two plays based on the issues discussed during the very first workshop. The two most popular issues were chosen, and each camper had to work with the issue that they felt they most closely related to.

Upon returning to the farm, the campers got to continue their theatre activity by making up and then practicing their plays. As soon as everybody was prepared to present, the plays were acted out - the first time completely through with no interruptions, and the second time with audience members having the opportunity to interfere at any time that they would like, replacing the character of their choice, and then helping to resolve the conflict in the play as that character. If that isn’t an ingenious way to learn about a problem and then work together to find a solution to it, I don’t know what is.

Our dinner that night was prepared with help from Robert and Petra. To go along with our baked and boiled potatoes with butter and sour cream, Robert cooked a delicious beef roast over one of our campfires, while Petra prepared an exquisite lentil dish for the vegetarians. There was rich hot chocolate, too. It is safe to say that the kids were the happiest that they have ever been that evening.

That night’s campfire was an especially important one. Not only was it our final campfire at the camp, but we also had an important duty to perform. A friend of Robert had asked us to properly and patriotically dispose of his old Canadian flags. We did so, with a moment of respectful silence to farewell their fiery departure.

Once the flags have passed on, it was time for the silly awards ceremony. An award was given to every camper and councillor alike, with titles like “The ‘I’m Not a Cat Lover’ Award,” and others even sillier. Following the awards came a farm trivia game accompanied by delicious s’mores and roasted marshmallows. Finally, once they were sufficiently tired, the kids began heading off to bed, until only the councillors were left. After a few stories and many funny and bonding moments, we decided that we needed our sleep, too. We headed off to our respective tents, more than a little saddened that this will probably be the very last night that we will ever spend together.

The sound of Steve’s voice the next morning did not come as an indicator of a brand new day, but rather as the indication of the last day of fun on Alpenblick Farm. We packed up our tents and the rest of our equipment, then gathered at the picnic table for our breakfast. It would have been a pretty saddening ordeal if it wasn’t for the fact that we still had one more trip to make. Although we would not be coming back to Alpenblick Farm afterwards, the adventure was not yet over.

After everybody had loaded their things onto the bus (driven by Robert, as always) we said our goodbyes to the friends that we have come to make: the young goats, the cats, the cows, the sheep, the dog, David the llama, Freddie the pig, and Petra. It was hard, of course, to leave this place behind, but what lay ahead promised one last memorable experience.

We were going to AJ’s Tomato Farm. AJ Shewchuk, a 13-year-old boy living in Almont, Ontario, grows organic tomatillos and heirloom tomatoes in his own back yard and at the neighbour’s farm. The business gets AJ a lot of summer income, not to mention the public attention and local exposure.

AJ personally gave us a tour of his gardens, and afterwards we got to try tomatillos and several varieties of heirloom tomatoes that we picked ourselves. The variation in taste of the different kinds of tomatoes was incredible, and really made you see the value of heirloom growing. Considering how enthusiastic every one of the campers was during the visit, I would say that it was a pretty successful way to finish off the week.

And thus, only one more bus ride took us back to the Glebe Community Centre, where it all began. Although this marked the end of something unforgettable, the mood amongst the campers was lifted as they talked and laughed, their voices filling the councillors with inexplicable joy. Once the bus had come to a stop, the pace was rushed as the campers said quick goodbyes and walked off to find their families. As one proud councillor, I knew that they had a lot tell.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity,

goodbye,

Julia.

2009-08-25T07:28:00.001-07:00

Elmwood bed raising has been postponed due to weather. We will keep you posted as to when the bed raising will take place.
I hope everyone enjoys the sunshine today - while it lasts!

2009-08-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Despite the rainy start to the summer, our gardens have managed to burst from the seams giving us a chance to sample endless amounts of fresh veggies! Just like your gardens, the school garden network is expanding yet again.

Join us
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26th from 9:00AM-4:00PM
at Elmwood School (261 Buena Vista Road)
to raise beds, plant seeds and share your gardening experiences & stories!

If you can't come all day, stop by to lend a helping hand.

AND where do we get our garden's logs and soil?!

Road trip to Alpenblick Farm!!
Everyone's welcome to join us on
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21 at 10:00AM
where we plan to go to Alpenblick to harvest logs.

Contact Torry Reid at 613.627.6343 for more information on any of these events - they are sure to be a blast!

Hello Again

2009-08-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

Hello, it's Julia again! I have a few more things to talk about today!

First of all, I'd like to tell you all about my experiences at the Vankleek Hill Farmer's Market. For the past three Saturdays, I have been waking up at around 5:30 AM and heading out to Vankleek Hill to assist Diane Bedford of Canadian Organic Growers in running her weekly farmer's market. Is it worth it? You bet, it is! Even though my first visit to the market was rather damp, I was made up for it by the dozens of new people that I got to meet, and a free hot chocolate! The vendors are all very interesting people, with very interesting products. For example, this vendor here sells wild boar and farm-raised deer products (you can even get a delicious sausage or steak hot off the grill):

As well, there is this vendor who sells lamb and wool products:

You can't forget about this nice lady and her jars of honey!

Of course, that's just to name a few. There are also numerous vegetable vendors, a cheese vendor, baked goods vendors, a vendor of Japanese food, and many more. There's even a masseuse, for crying out loud!

The vendors are very interesting people, but the buyers are equally charming. I've had some interesting conversations with quite a few of them while I was there.

My various duties at the farmer's market included helping set everything up and then take everything down, and sell coffee and other drinks in the in-between time. The last time I was there, I was also asked to get all of the vendors to fill out a survey for Diane. I was glad to have a little something extra to do.

Sadly, this Saturday was my last day at the farmer's market. I'll miss the fun times that I had there and all of the new friends that I made.

In other news, prepararions for the organic food and agriculture camp that will be held at Alpenblick Farm are well under way. Last week, I got to help Steve, the guy who is running the camp, start the construction of the second outhouse and the outdoor showers that will be used by the participants while they are at the camp. That was an extremely wet day, but fun nonetheless.

Later that week, I got to help Steve shop for some of the kitchenware and non-perishable food products for the camp. I got to visit three very interesting stores, ones that I have never visited before. They include Value Village, the Salvation Army thrift shop, and the organic food store called Herb and Spice. They are all very interesting shopping destinations and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a good deal.

I honestly cannot wait for the camp. It promises to be a lot of fun, and I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to help facilitate it. I will also be recording everybody's day-to-day experiences during the run of the camp, and then using my notes to compose an article on the camp that will be published in a goat farming magazine. I'm very excited.

This is my last "official" week of working at Canadian Organic Growers. The camp is something that I will be doing after my deadline for completing my hours. I will be sure to make at least one more post before my work term is done. Expect something from me soon.

With love,

Julia

Well, Hello There!

2009-07-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Julia Ogrel and I am a co-op student currently working with Growing Up Organic. Let me tell you - it's one heck of a ride. In the three weeks that I have worked here, I got to do some of the craziest things that I have ever done; crazy things, but enjoyable things at the same time. It was certainly a little scary at first but, soon enough, it was like spending time with good friends.

I've met a lot of great people - like Lynda, Tracey, Steve, Diane, and Gabriel.

This is as much a learning experience as it is a working experience.

It is also quite a delicious experience.

I got to visit such a large number of organic gardens right in the city of Ottawa!

We worked hard to take care of the plants already growing there.

We also planted new plants for future visitors to enjoy...

... and we certainly didn’t forget to thank the person who takes care of the plants in our absence.

We thank you so much, Garden Gnome!

Other than visiting gardens, I also got to visit the picturesque Alpenblick Farm.

Which is beautiful both on the outside...

... and on the inside.

The farm is mostly woodland and pasture...

... but you can’t forget about the rather overgrown pond!

Robert and Petra raise cattle...

... sheep...

... and goats.

Just look at that beard!

Here’s a beautiful black one:

Of course, I cannot not mention animals like Elvis the miniature horse...

... Muffin and Licks...

... and the friendly canine.

The babies also deserve their own photos!

We ended up having so much fun with the animals:

Did I mention that the goats like playing peek-a-boo?

We all got to see Robert make cheese from the goats’ milk, using this complicated-looking apparatus:

It is used to squish the cheese curds into shape:

In the end, the cheese ends up looking like this, and is smoked:

Alpenblick Farm is certainly a place of fun and friendly faces.

I think that it is the perfect place to run a camp for organic agriculture and food!

Did I mention that I also got to help Tracey run an organic cooking workshop at the Youth Action Gathering at the MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre? Well, I did!

The centre is located in one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen.

The Sierra Youth Coalition, who host the camp every year, were friendly and warm.

Tracey and I were prepared to cook...

... and everybody got right to it!

Finally, we got to devour our delicious creations, yum!

It was as much of a learning experience for me as it was for the camp's participants!

At the moment, I am helping Steve prepare for the camp that I will be helping him and Tracey run at Alpenblick Farm during the last week of August. We are going shopping for some of the non-perishable food tomorrow! Perhaps I will have yet another post ready then!

See you soon,

Julia

A little goodbye (for now)....

2009-06-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

A photo of Orleans Childcare Centre garden. Boy, is it ever growing!

_____________________________________________________________________

In the span of 7 weeks, it is a little crazy to think of what has transpired.

As a community, in 7 weeks, we’ve worked with 9 different schools to expand and build food gardens.

We resurrected 12 garden beds from the previous year and created an additional 20 spaces designated for the purpose of growing food.

Furthermore, we’ve worked with close to 100 kids and a few dozen community members including parents, neighbours, and Bridgehead staff.

That said, like our old friend Albert Einstein notes, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” Indeed, I cannot count the number of smiles,

the number of times kids were amazed to see roots,

nor the number of times I had to tell kids (and adults!) that cutting a worm in half does not make two worms but rather just a dead one. One.

I cannot enumerate the number of emails that helped to conspire and inspire new thoughts and ideas, the amount of coffee I drank,

the number of handshakes,

the number of helping hands along the way,

nor the number of times when simple words of encourage kept the fire going.

Speaking of keeping the fire going, our dearest Tracey Guptil has signed on to continue with the programming aspect of the food gardens for the remainder of the summer and into the fall. She'll be working with each garden to bring out their potential as a community space. Yeah!!!

As I reflect about my time working with GUO, I realize that there are many things that could have been done differently, perhaps better. Still, I believe it was a perfect place to walk the talk, even if you first have to learn how to crawl. For me, it was a perfect place to unearth some real gems in people, places and communities. Moreover, it was a perfect place to learn that with every seed comes the promise of a flower.

Thank-you to everyone who came out and shared their time with us. Until we meet again, take care.

Sincerely,

Minh

Pinecrest follow-up...

2009-06-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

No more school, no more books...but just before that, looks like we sneaked in one more garden before school breaks for the summer.

The day started bright and early with a trip to the builder's dream land, Home Depot. I have to say myself, going down the lumber isle towards the cedar section is always a treat since it reminds me of home sweet home (Vancouver). In any case, several logs later AND a couple hundred pounds of compost later, I arrive in one piece at Pinecrest Elementary.

Greeted by the charismatics Karli and a few members of the EarthCare Environment Team, we got right to it. Not shy of a little hard work, these ladies ripped up the lawn, prepared the logs, and helped sledge hammer the garden beds into place.

Oh we managed to take a bit of time to goof around and take some pictures too.

Later that afternoon, Ms. Carson's class transplanted their bean and sunflower seedlings they had started a few weeks earlier. We also planted some fall vegetables in hopes for a harvest party come September.

Thanks for all your work kids!

Cultivating some heritage at Heritage Academy

2009-06-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

The gardens at Heritage are looking mighty fine. The teachers and kids are experimenting and approaching their food gardens as a "learning-by-doing process". This includes trying to grow maize and some grain in addition to cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, spinach, beets, salad greens, chives, radishes and so on.

Jumping on the band wagon: Pinecrest Public Elementary Joins GUO family

2009-06-11T09:59:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow, we begin the construction of food gardens beds for Pinecrest Public Elementary School. Soon the seedlings started by the Gr. 1 class will soon be out and about and growing. They will be located next to the flower beds and will hopefully share some pollinators.

Our first harvest at Cambridge

2009-06-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Remember way back when we planted all those wee little seeds?

Well, they've done some growing since then and yesterday we were able to harvest some greens for the Family Day BBQ at Cambridge.

Voila!!

Thanks to all those who've had a hand in growing these vegetables. The summer has yet to come and so more there's much more coming. If you are in the neighbourhood and would like to garden at Cambridge, let us know.

Summer is coming...maintenance plans for the gardens

2009-06-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, the summer weather may not be exactly summer but for kids, they are counting the days until school is out. For the school food gardens, this means they'll need help from neighbours or mobile "GuARDi(E)N" angels to take care and use the garden space during the summer weeks.

So what exactly do "GuARDi(E)N" angels do?

Watering: Water plants 3x a week (if it rains, I guess that means a day off!). The general rule of thumb is water, water, water. Too much is better than too little. Each garden will be equipped with water tools.

Weeding: Keeping the weeds out of the garden gives our plants a much better environment to grow. If you see that weeds are overgrown, or simply growing, pull them out!

Thinning: Just like people needing space to grow, so do plants. Leaving the plants spaced too closely together reduces yields and make plants compete for nutrients and water. In the thinning process, try to save the strongest seedling and remove excess plants. Where seedlings are very close together and pulling disturbs the roots of others, simply pinch or cut the extras.

Harvesting/Eating: Enjoy and share the veggies of your labour.

Other things to keep in mind:

If you find that some plants need structural support (tomato cage, bean or pea trellises), let us know and we'll provide material to do so.
Return all tools/equipment to proper storage places.
Lock any gates or storage facilities that you unlocked.
Be an educator and share your knowledge with others.
Have fun!
Oh, yes--Wear sunscreen (sorry, the mother is me is coming out).

Summer maintenance schedules coming soon.

A photo collage of the triumph at Trillium/Trille des Bois

2009-06-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Despite the questionable early morning weather, plans to build the garden beds persevered. By 9:00 am, we had a healthy number of eager parent, community and Bridgehead volunteers bustling with energy and ready to dig in.

Once the ceremonial petunia song kicked off the morning, working groups broke off and the busy work began...furiously as each group was responsible for assembling a garden bed.

A BIG thank you to all the parent volunteers who made it out and spent the day to make this idea become a reality. The parent volunteers were and are extremely enthusiastic about the new space which will enrich the learning and community environment. Props to Luc Nugent, a parent volunteer who has spent countless hours prepping for this day and allowing GUO to work with Trillium/Trille Des Bois towards a common vision. Also, a number of Bridgehead staff came and conquered...the drill and power saw to construct a beautiful garden bed. Always with a smile, they are definitely a fun bunch to work with.

Lastly, we'd like to thank our lovely farmers:

Tom Waller ofElm Tree Farm for donating some tomato plants;
David Burnford and Robin Turner of Riverglen Biodynamic Farmfor donating potato seeds and onions;
Robert Oechsli and family ofAlpenblick Farm for donating all the beautiful logs.

Triumph at Trillium/Trille Des Bois Photo Collage: Grown ups growing up and still having fun!!!

We'll be singing in the rain!!

2009-05-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

Good morning.

The rain is shining.

The show goes on.

Gumboots galore.

Hmmm...

coffee (Bridgehead's of course).

This is my feeble attempt at a haiku at 7:18am. Not so good but just wanted to let you know we are still forging ahead despite the rain. It is forecasted to stop (if not, sprinkle) around 10:00ish.

See y'all there!!!

The new orleans (childcare centre)?...

2009-05-28T06:32:00.001-07:00

While Richard helped with the construction of the garden bed, the kids displayed no reservations about getting hands on. Many were excited to dig, find worms and others insects, and carefully sow their various vegetable seeds.

Meet Alex- the worm. Resident worm of the new garden bed at Orleans Childcare Centre.

Volunteer Opportunity: Log Rescuing Tomorrow Afternoon

2009-05-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

Help, I need somebody,

Help, not just anybody,

Help, you know I need someone,

Help! - the Beatles

These logs need a new home. We are planning to head out to Alpenblinck Farm tomorrow afternoon (leaving Ottawa around 1:15, back in Ottawa around 4:00) to load 'em on a truck and load 'em off at their new home--Trillium and Trille des Bois Elementary School.

If you are free, contact Minh at 613.262.6775 or by email growinguporganic[at]gmail.com. Carpooling can be arranged!

Hope to hear from you.

Cambridge Street Public School

2009-05-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

Work is continuing at Cambridge Street Public School since the Earth day event in April. Mixed greens, spinach and radishes are growing well and some are even ready for a harvest. Two more beds were added to accommodate the Kindergarden's bean plants and sunflowers.

More room to grow.....

Here, Carol, one of our dedicated volunteer, digs a little deeper to make the extra beds.

Way to go Carol!

There's going to be much more at Mutchmor Elementary

2009-05-25T12:03:00.001-07:00

With help from Kendall (Bridgehead staff) and Mark, a group of kids from the neighbouring community centre came over to help with the planting activity at Mutchmor Elementary School.

After a little team meeting, people got straight to work.

Looking a little bare but...a little sun, water and TLC will have these beds sprouting in no time.

Work Party this Saturday May 30th, 2009

2009-05-25T10:01:00.001-07:00

Trillium and Trille des Bois Elementary Schools are on board and partnering with Growing Up Organic to make food gardens. On MAY 30th, 2009 we will begin constructing several raised beds to transform their current asphalt space towards a space that can produce food.

Join us this Saturday for a work party. There will be opportunities to help construct raised garden beds from start to finish, gardening and so on. Please email Minh Ngo at growinguporganic@gmail.com if you are interested in coming out for the day.

When:

May 3oth, 2009 (Saturday)

9:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m

*Rain date: May 31, 2009 (Sunday)

Where:

Trillium and Trille des bois School

140 rue Genest, Ottawa (in Vanier area)

The before pictures...

The plan...

The results? Well, I suppose that's to be determined.

Hope you can make it out.

First Steps...Orleans Childcare Centre

2009-05-22T05:02:00.000-07:00

For more than 25 years, Orleans Childcare Centre has been serving children and families in the Orleans community. This summer, they have committed to making organic food gardens and have partnered with Growing Up Organic to make it happen. This is GUO's first daycare project and we are excited to track its progress. Stay tuned!!

In the meanwhile, we start some seedlings with the kids.

L'Atelier...a little side trip

2009-05-22T04:26:00.000-07:00

Invited to attend a little shingdig with Chef Mark of L'Atelier, it is incredible to see what creativity, imagination and curiosity can do to food. Cooking with liquid nitrogen was definitely the highlight for many kids...oh and the popicles too!!!

Ashley Simpson....Pretty in Pink

2009-05-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

Bridgehead's own Ashley Simpson joins in on a little manual labour fun at Alpenblick Farm.

Grrr...

The ladies working hard.

Yep, still working.

But no worries, we got 'er done.

And then made its way here the next day...

"You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives."

Clay P. Bedford

A first at First Avenue Elementary

2009-05-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

Kids dig in with paint, laughter and imagination...

Tada....

Finally, plants started in the classroom will have a new home.

Bridgehead: A growing partnership

2009-05-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

School food gardens being developed by Canadian Organic Growers through its Growing Up Organic project in Ottawa, will soon be benefiting from the sale of a limited edition coffee blend being created by and sold at Bridgehead coffeehouses.

The Growing Up Organic Blend will be launched on Earth Day, Wednesday April 22, 2009. Every pound of coffee sold will generate $2 for the development of school food gardens in neighbourhoods in which there is a Bridgehead location. In addition to financial support, Bridgehead is encouraging its employees to work with schools on garden construction and maintenance.

Schools already planning to take advantage of this partnership include Cambridge Street Community Public School in Centretown, Le Trillium and Trille des bois in Vanier, First Avenue Public School in the Glebe, and Heritage Academy in Hintonburg. It is anticipated that enough funds will be generated through the sale of the Growing Up Organic Blend to build up to 6 school food gardens.

Meet the Team

2009-05-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Lynda Hall: GUO Project Manager

A real kid at heart, Lynda works really really hard to make school yards like this turn into something kind of wonderful...like school food gardens.

Minh Ngo: GUO Project Coordinator

Although looking forward to cane shopping one day, Minh is rather excited to help small kids and big kids explore agriculture close to home.

Tracey Guptill: GUO Animator

This bilingual and dynamic educator can get anyone fired up about anything and everything from dirt, to worms and even stormwater runoff.

What is Growing Up Organic?

2009-05-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

The purpose of the Growing Up Organic (GUO) project is to build upon existing efforts to shift Canada towards increased organic production by exploring ways to increase the amount of organically grown food served in Canadian institutions, beginning with childcare centres.

The primary motivation for starting with childcare centres relates to the fact that compared to other types of institutions, the demand for food is relatively small. Since lack of organic supply, particularly in some communities, is a key issue in Canada, we wanted to give ourselves time to gradually build the supply and distribution infrastructure required to serve larger institutions. Secondly, we wanted to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our society, young children, have access to organic food.

Over the course of the next three years, Canadian Organic Growers (COG) will be initiating pilot-projects in various communities across the country to learn more about how best to get food from the farmers who grow it into the institutions that eat it. At the end of these three years, COG will compile and analyze the data from the pilot-projects and publish a set of recommendations in a report that will be available for download from this site.