Sunshine, make those greens grow!
Gone are days of rain and gray
as springtime comes along to say
‘Huzzah hello – I’ll make you grow
with a blue blue sky and wind to blow
Over fields filled with seed and leaf
and good thoughts, and one belief
that together we’ll do it, hand in hand
with just one tatsoi or corn in a stand.
Farmer’s Log: March 31st, 2014
Ah, it is so nice to enjoy spring weather in Vancouver, of course, you have to get it while it lasts. Conveniently, there is more daylight to go around. As we move into spring, our greens switched to daylight saving time and began growing in high gear – hooray they’ll soon be lunch!
With the beginning of April comes the time to remove the low tunnels at David Thompson Schoolyard Market Garden. Kale and collards will leave the comfort of the greenhouse to be transplanted in beds covered with fresh compost. We’ve already started the cilantro by seed outside. At the Van Tech Schoolyard Market Garden, lettuce, carrots and beets are scheduled to appear in the first week of April.
It’s official. The season has begun!
Last month, students from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition came to learn about soil and plant nutrition. They did it the ole’ fashioned way, moving compost one wheelbarrow at a time, at Van Tech Secondary. They worked very hard during two sunny afternoons. Their amazing work will make it possible to grow, healthy, local food for students and neighbours. Thank you everyone.
As we get ready for the growing season, we still have a few more weekly veggie boxes left . Quick, sign-up before they’re all gone!
As always we are looking forward to sharing our harvest with you.
With a fistful of sunshine,
Ilana, Marc, Marilou and Scott
Marilou Bourdages – Fresh Roots’ new Community Coordinator
Fresh Roots Team is Growing
Meet our new Community Coordinator, Marilou Bourdages
Bonjour!
My name is Marilou Bourdages and I am thrilled to join Fresh Roots’ team as the new Community Coordinator! I have been passionate about urban agriculture and food for many years. Being able to work at engaging the community in the Schoolyard Market Gardens is a dream come true!
Let me tell you a bit about me. My education background is in environmental sciences, biodiversity and conservation more specifically. No matter what I’ve done, my professional life path always brings me back to environmental education. Before joining Fresh Roots, I was the Community Education Coordinator at the UBC Botanical Garden and the Beaty Biodiversity Museum for three years. Before that, I led youth through gardening lessons at the Montreal Botanical Garden. My curiosity about organic gardening has grown through various experiences: as farm staff on an organic farm, as an intern for an NGO organizing CSAs in Québec and as an urban gardening intern in Cuba.
I am looking forward to developing the Schoolyard Market Gardens as outdoor classrooms for both the schools and the neighbourhood community. I am also excited about creating meaningful volunteer opportunities and participating in growing the Fresh Roots community.
When not working, you will find me sowing arugula in my community garden plot, baking bread at home or running along the trails on the north shore.
Feel free to contact me if you have great suggestions to share!
I am looking forward to meeting all of you.
Marilou
Good Food Market
Please join us on April 3rd, 3:00pm – 5:00pm, at David Thompson Secondary at our schoolyard harvest market stand! For those of you with our schoolyard harvest program, we’ve got your account ready.
Get ready for winter spinach, Fresh Root’s delicious spinach, kale buds, collard buds, turnip buds, kale, collards, parsnips, salad mix and mustard greens. Come for the food – stay for the friends! It will be another beautiful day with Fresh Roots and we are excited to share our produce with you.
When: April 3rd, 3-5 pm
Where: David Thompson’s Schoolyard Market Garden
More info?: marilou@freshroots.ca, 778.872.KALE (5253)
Weekly Veggie Boxes!
This year, Fresh Roots is bringing back our famous weekly veggie boxes. Enjoy a weekly delicious box of schoolyard grown vegetables and at the same time, support your schoolyard market garden.
$475 for 24 weeks of veggies; May – Nov
10% off Fresh Roots’ Good Food Market
For more information and to sign up – click here!
Volunteer Opportunities
Want to participate in growing vegetables in the city? Come and join Fresh Roots in April for two great days of hard work in the garden:
- Sat., April 5th, 10am – 2pm: David Thompson Secondary School: We need help to start working on the Outdoor Classroom that is being created at David Thompson. Come and get your hands dirty and participate in transforming the space!
- Sat., April 12th, 10am – 3pm: Queen Alexandra Elementary School: We are getting the Queen Alexandra school garden a spring makeover! Join us for a fun day of work in the garden.
If you have questions, contact Marilou at volunteer@freshroots.ca.
Featured Veggie: Mustard Greens
Have you ever tried mustard greens? This spicy vegetable is a hidden gem of the vegetable world! Great in a salad, sandwich or stir fry, they add a kick to your dish! They grow well in cooler temperatures, which makes them a great spring and fall crop. We have plenty growing in the Schoolyard Market Gardens right now, so jump on the opportunity to try this remarkable green. You can find them at our Good Food Market on April 3rd.
photo credit: Kirsten Jennings, Flickr