Students learn patience, healthy habits as plants grow

The Kipohtakaw Education Centre on the Alexander First Nation is an exciting place to be these days. The students planted 25 gardens in earth boxes throughout the school early in November to participate in a two-year study by the community and the University of Alberta which will explore the state of children’s health and encourage them to eat more nutritious foods.

“We were interested in promoting more fruit and vegetables among children, which is an issue concerning all kids in Canada,” said Anna Farmer, a nutrition researcher of public health nutrition. “A gardening project is a great way to get children involved in growing food, and the more aware and engaged they are, the greater the likelihood of having them try new things.”

Farmer co-leads the project with Dr. Noreen Willows.
The enjoyment of growing and eating the produce will hopefully go home with the children to encourage the whole family to eat healthy.

“It’s a container gardening project with two containers per classroom, with a minimal mess for the teachers,” she explained. “The project can be integrated into the science curriculum as well.” Tomatoes, radishes and other small produce will be tended and documented by the children and they will eat them in the school lunch program. The students will spend the rest of the school year looking after the boxes.

“We are studying their preferences, by talking to them before the project began, and then again after they’ve had the opportunity to sample the foods,” she added. “We are hoping, long term, that we’re producing a generation of young adults that can self-sustain, and not be so reliant on the retail stores.”

The initiative is a collaborative effort between the community and the University of Alberta with funding partners including Alberta Centre for Children, Family and Community Research, the U of A, and Alberta Agriculture Rural Development. AARD provided a specialist who supplied the earth boxes and other resources and education to teachers in preparation for the project.
Principal Raymond Soetaert is enjoying the excitement in the hallways.

“The plants are growing already, after only two weeks, as the lighting in the room is ideal. And it’s too early to say, but it seems like with that lighting in the room, the educational setting has also been improved by having plants growing,” he said. There is much speculation within the school, anticipating when the first produce will be ready to eat.

Watching the progress and seeing the weekly growth is a great exercise for the students in patience as well, said Soetaert.

“There are few gardens in the area, although some plans are being implemented for possible community gardens next year. It’s our hope that the kids will try to plant their own after seeing the experiment here and be more aware of where their food comes from at the same time,” said Soetart.

Photo caption: Students at Kipohtakaw Education Centre wear headbands with vegetables on them as they plant out their earth boxes.

Photo supplied by Kipohtakaw Education Centre