Last spring, 17 “Le Petit Collège” primary school classes in Ville LaSalle took part in an urban agriculture project called “Classe Verte” (Green Class).
Supported by the Louis Bonduelle Foundation in its Summer 2015 Call for Proposals, this initiative gave the students a chance to create a garden where they could grow various vegetables and herbs, including cucumber, tomatoes, ground cherries, basil and thyme.
The project comprised four workshops representing the different stages of cultivation:
- march: seedling germination and development
- mid-april: seedling transplantation
- late may: soil preparation, learning the concepts of seedling pollination and acclimatization
- june: planting of seedlings
A theoretical learning area was also devised, with the installation of a large outdoor octagonal table for working on the seedling germination and start-up. The table also served as a gathering place for the young people to do their learning alfresco.
The teachers continued the fruit and vegetable discovery process throughout the year thanks to a turnkey kit developed by the La Table de Développement Sociale de LaSalle (in French). The children could take home the vegetables they grew to be enjoyed with their families and thus extend their veggie growing experience.
When school resumed in September, the students were back in their beautiful garden, which had been well maintained on a voluntary basis by neighbours and students’ parents during the summer break.The children had great fun participating in this project, and were very proud to show us their garden last October 18, 2016: “A garden is like a vegetable restaurant!” said one of the students.
An initiative that stimulates greater interest in vegetables and herbs and in discovering new flavours!