It began as a vision: Melanie Beliveau, a Vancouver Technical Secondary School biology teacher believed in the possibilities of teaching in an outdoor classroom that was supported by urban farmers and big enough for the entire school to use. VanTech already had an existing school garden, so teachers understood the value of teaching outside, but they desired a long-term, resilient partner to support with gardening maintenance, resources, and knowledge.

Together, Melanie and Fresh Roots founder Ilana Labow dreamed up the concept of a Schoolyard Farm – a commercially producing educational farm on school land utilized as an outdoor learning classroom. In March of 2013, 285 volunteers spent four days establishing the VanTech Schoolyard Farm.

These days, Van Tech grows most of our longer season hot crops and flowers, which are tended by our SOYL youth in July and August, and is the site of our Vancouver Market Stand on Wednesdays from June to October. The site also has a sensory garden and an Indigenous plant garden, which Fresh Roots supports Van Tech students to maintain. In addition to the SOYL program, students from around the district and beyond learn on the site during field trips in fall and spring.

The dream for a market garden at David Thompson Secondary School sprouted in a greenhouse. Lee Green, the culinary arts instructor at David Thompson, had been growing herbs and vegetables with her Culinary Arts program for years, but always regretted that the greenhouse in the courtyard sat empty. So she invited Fresh Roots to enliven the neglected space.

The transformation was dramatic. Animated with farm staff, interns and thousands of seedlings, the space attracted attention. Inspired by the potential of adding such vibrancy to the entire school grounds, Lee, Principal Iona Whishaw and Vice Principal Alison Ogden worked to bring a large-scale market garden to David Thompson Secondary. The David Thompson Schoolyard Farm was built in June 2013, over a span of 4 days by over 360 community volunteers.

Today, David Thompson grows our salad greens and root veggies. School field trips bring hundreds of learners to the site in spring and fall. In summer, SOYL and Camp Fresh Roots make full use of the farm and courtyard, where we’ve added an outdoor kitchen next to the greenhouse!

In 2016, Fresh Roots partnered with SD43’s Indigenous Education department to develop what is now the Suwa’lkh Medicine Garden, Healing Forest, and Orchard at Millside Center. The Medicine Garden was founded by Indigenous Education staff Malcolm Key and Carrie Clark as a space for students from Suwa’lkh School (located at Millside) to give students space to connect with the land and grow traditional medicines and food plants. In Malcolm’s words, 

We needed somebody as a year-round steward of the garden… in partnership with the Indigenous Education department there, so Fresh Roots was an ideal partner for that. They had expertise in navigating through a school district…and expertise in facilitating gardening programs and all those types of things that go with it. (Read more from Malcolm.)

Millside grows food and traditional medicines for the community, with an extended growing season thanks to a greenhouse. The greenhouse also supports an indigenous plant propagation program. Plants go out into the community and are replanted in the 7-acre Healing Forest, which students and the Fresh Roots team have transformed into a place for learning and healing, with walking paths along the salmon stream, salmon berry patches, and an outdoor classroom. SOYL youth host weekly markets in the summer to sell veggies, fruit, preserves, and plants, and Camp Fresh Roots runs for three weeks each summer. Spring and Fall, we work with students based at Millside, and welcome classes from around the district for Field trips.