聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 This year, Cornerstone Family and Youth will celebrate 10 years of growing young gardeners through their Outdoor Exploration Club.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 think it's really important for kids to know where their food comes from,鈥� says CFY Corodinator Jenn Sedor. 鈥淲e've tweaked the program over the years - and depending on growing聽 conditions, we've had varying results, but ultimately, that's our goal.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This year, the project encompasses eight garden beds and an Early Childhood Garden on the patio of the Carlyle Public Library.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ur Early Childhood Garden on the library patio will be made up of a few decorative flower pots which will contain tomatoes, herbs and lettuce,鈥� says Sedor. 鈥淭hat garden is in place so families and some of our littlest people can tend it on a drop-in basis when they visit the library.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's there so kids can see how gardens grow from a young age.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e also work with Carlyle Elementary School,鈥� adds Sedor. 鈥淭here's a small 'Lot of Hope' behind the elementary school just off the playground. There are eight garden beds built there in partnership with the Carlyle and District Lions Club.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e work with CES students until the school year ends and then the project is overseen by us,鈥� says Sedor. 鈥淲e start the process with students from kindergarten to grade six as part of after-school programming.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淒uring the summer, these beds become a component of CFY's camp programming and in fall, the harvesting, the turning of the beds bring us back to working with CES students.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The gardens are organic and pesticide-free with a rain catchment system, says Sedor.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥� In an effort for our gardens to be sustainable and as healthy as possible, we do a pollinator garden to benefit bees. That particular plot includes lavender, bee balm, coneflower, echinacea and other plants,鈥� says Sedor. 鈥淭he pollinator gardens won't look 'kept.' Instead, they'll kind of look like a wild, English garden that is there for the bees.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e'll also have our first crop of caterpillars and Painted Lady butterflies - native to Saskatchewan - and we'll be releasing them, too.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hrough the years, our produce crop has met with varying degrees of success,鈥� says Sedor with a smile. 鈥淚n one instance, we found that a little gardner liked our pepper crop so much, that they consumed almost all of it. But that's okay.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e're also hoping to grow loads of tomatoes, beans, peas, pumpkins and squash - and if we do have a surplus, we plan on donating it to the food bank. That's one of our ongoing goals, too.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗owever, right now, the relatively small amount of produce we grow, is served back to our programming for snacks.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen kids get the chance to participate in the entire process of producing food, it's enriching for them, their families and the entire community,鈥� says Sedor. 鈥淚'd like to welcome families to contact us about our programs.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e'd love to give them the chance to get their hands dirty!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For more information, visit: .
