Vic High builds Vancouver Island’s first school farm
›› Aaren Topley
Fernwood’s landscape is changing with a brand new operational learning farm at Victoria High School. Located on the field between Gladstone Avenue and the school’s automotive shop, Fernwood can now enjoy its own urban agriculture farm.
This project will be operated by Jesse Brown from the Mason Street Farm, where he’ll share his farming knowledge and experience with students from Vic High. Beyond hands-on learning, the students will get to grow food for their weekly salad bar, feeding the school healthy local food.
If you walk past the field you will notice a large tarp covering 5,000 square feet. This tarp will cover the field from now until the spring, where it will be cooking the grass and weeds underneath, creating healthy soil for growing food. In the spring of 2018, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony and the first crop will be planted. The Mason Street Farm and Vic High will be growing delicious local food for many years to come.
This project was made possible by the support of the School District 61, School District 61 Facilities, the City of Victoria, Victoria High School and Mason Street Farm. Funders include Farm to School BC and Farm to Cafeteria Canada.
The project can always use hand tools, wheel barrels, seeds, and small monetary donations. If you have anything you’d like to donate, please contact Aaren Topley, Capital Region Farm to School Animator, Farm to School BC at capitalregion@farmtoschoolbc.ca.
