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Column: Students garden while helping Second Harvest

Friends & Neighbours/Leah Blain
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The Seventh Day Adventist school donated potatoes and corn to the Second Harvest food bank. Front row from left to right: Ava Ritchey, Chanel Tardif, and Finn Hillier. Back row left to right: Carol Nelson, Eileen McKie, Debbie White, Mil Buchannon, Bill Nelson and Margie Lightbody. (Photo contributed)

There’s a playground, a field, and a forest, but sometimes the students at the Seventh Day Adventist school spend their outside time working. The school has a garden and everyone helps out.

“I like digging up the potatoes. We have potatoes and corn. We should grow peas but they’re hard to pick,” says 10-year-old Chanel Tardif. She knows a lot about gardening because they have a big garden at home with an impressive variety of fruit and vegetables.

“We have a garden too,” says Ava Ritchey, 10.

“We have one - it’s medium, not a whole lot of stuff,” says Finn Hillier, 10. “Tomatoes, onions, lettuce. We tried to grow watermelon but it didn’t work.”

“The same,” says Ava, referring to the watermelon.

“We tried a peach tree but it didn’t work,” Finn continues.

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Finn likes eating the fresh food from the garden but he isn’t crazy about weeding.

“Especially when it’s wet and your mom tells you to get it at the root.”

“It’s boring,” adds Ava.

“It takes a long time to pick peas,” Chanel says.

But they don’t mind gardening at the school because it is a social event.

“It’s fun because we do it together,” says Ava.

“When we do the harvesting its fun to see who can find the biggest potato and who can get the smallest,” says Finn.

They did a lot of digging and weeding because they use their harvest as a fundraiser for the school.

“The kids get the orders,” says teacher Debbie White. “They do the advertising and make posters - it’s a part of the project. They do it on computers and by hand.”

Debbie says they got the idea to put in a garden a few years ago.

“We thought it would be a good way to develop hands-on skill, and to be able to eat healthy food. It gets them away from the screen and outside. They develop more freedom and learn a healthy lifestyle. And we had fun.”

Besides selling their vegetables, they use some of it for the hot lunch program and, of course, the less fortunate are not forgotten.

They took 60 pounds of potatoes and about 10 dozen corn to the Second Harvest.

“We did that so other people can have food,” says Ava.

“There are families in need who don’t have money to go to the store,” says Chanel.

They already have ideas for next year’s garden project.

Ava wants to add cantaloupe; Chanel suggests carrots and tomatoes; and Finn wants tomatoes and watermelon.

They are really happy when the garden gets them out of math class but they appreciate the whole experience.

“I think it’s good to be outdoors,” says Finn, “learning about nature. It gives you energy.”

“Learning is good for you,” says Chanel, “but instead of being inside you learn about nature and how to grow your own crops and harvest them. It’s good to be outdoors getting fresh air.”

Ava is quick to add what her favourite part is…

“Eating it,” she says with a wide smile.


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