SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 83
Schools Receive Grant from Garlic Festival

Silver Creek and North Canoe schools are the lucky recipients of a $500 grant from the Grindrod Garlic Festival Society.

Ian Richardson, representing the Grindrod Garlic Festival, recently presented the cheque to Silver Creek, with North Canoe's presentation coming up soon.

Silver Creek's winning proposal is to purchase a stainless steel 12 tray food dehydrator to be used to preserve food as part of the school's exploration course.

Teacher Noah Ralston explained that the Silver Creek Elementary Grade 6-8 Explorations course includes several aspects of food. Students participate in activities such as growing food in raised beds and containers, cooking and eating the food, and preserving food. "We try to source food locally or from the wild and cook things like salmon, applies, elk, and more," shared Ralston. "We would like to add teaching students how to dehydrate food. We will do fruits like local apples and perhaps some wild meat to make jerky."

Ralston added that food events at the school often bring the community together. "Sometimes these events are for the whole school, like when we smoked salmon for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Other times, the Grade 6-8 students prepare food for everyone, like the turkey dinner we have in December." Incorporating dehydration into the program would allow student to preserve excess or donated food, creating healthy treats for the school's food program while teaching valuable life skills. "Many families in the Silver Creek community grow or hunt their own food," Ralston noted. "We try to augment this by incorporating skills and techniques school wide."

North Canoe Elementary

Also receiving a grant was a proposal by North Canoe Elementary. Two classes, the Grade 4-5 class taught by Stephen Pyle and the Grade 3-4 class taught by Pattie Perkins, have been hard at work cleaning and weeding the four raised beds at the school. They have connected with a local nursery, Green Farms, for guidance. This spring, the students will visit the nursery for a tour and assistance in selecting soil and plants. The North Canoe classes will be using the funds to purchase materials, including soil and plants, as well as to add two additional raised beds so that all students have their own plot to look after.

The goals for North Canoe are to:

• get the students digging in the dirt and connecting to the joy of growing vegetables, fruit and flowers;
• grow items that can be harvested before school ends and having a long table lunch using the bounty of the students' hard work;
• recognize the differences in food that has travelled hundreds if not thousands of miles to our plates, and food that the students have nurtured from a seed; and,
• foster a sense of pride in the school and respecting the land.

There were six applications for the two grants of $500 each. Richardson has also approached Valley First Credit Union to see if they might be interested in funding at least one of the other applicants. For many years now the the Grindrod  Garlic Festival Society has supported programs in the schools that align with the purposes of  the Society:

• raise awareness about and promote local food and agriculture, and  economically and environmentally sustainable farming practices;
• foster community spirit by organizing the Grindrod Garlic Festival; and,
• support related local community events, community organizations, artisans and education initiatives whenever possible. 

Thanks to the Grindrod Garlic Festival Society for supporting our schools and helping students connect with their food, community, and environment.