School children in the South Shore will be enjoying the fruits and vegetables of their own labour.
Petite Riviere Elementary School has received funding from the Farm to School organization to encourage students to grow and eat their own produce.
Teacher Kristy Boutilier says everything they produce is served in the school cafeteria and the process is a great educational opportunity for students.
“To know where their food is coming from and to start it right from a seed. And tend to it so that, when it’s ready to harvest, then we get the benefit of that. So many children say to me, the broccoli tastes so much different than what it does in the grocery store.”
Boutilier says students take responsibility for all aspects of gardening from planting to harvesting and the results are served in the school cafeteria.
“It’s really neat to see that we’re part of this big picture. That it’s not just something that we’re doing here in our community, but that it’s across Canada, which is so exciting.”
The $1,500 will be used to purchase gardening supplies and to help with their new chicken coop.
Boutilier says after winning the award, she showed students some of the other submissions and they’re already planning what they’ll be planting next year.
