The final day of the camp started at the Fernwood Community Centre (FCC) again, with the kids playing a ‘Plant Needs Game’ in the field out back. The game consisted of the kids needing to get the four main things (soil, water, air, sun) plants need to grow. They had a lot of fun running around the field to various stations collecting the resources. Kids definitely love a game that involves collecting and running, and if they can learn at the same time, all the better!
We then headed over to the Haultain Commons (more info here) to see what Rainy and Margo have been up to. They told the kids all about the Commons; how it came to be and how the food grown on the boulevard is for anyone to enjoy. They also made more compost tea with the kids, and told them about the importance of using rainwater or tempered tap water (as opposed to direct tap water which is chlorinated) to make compost tea, as well as to water the garden.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
GRUBS Camp Day 4 - Growing Your Own Food
Day four started with a story, “Jesse’s Jungle of Food”. This story introduces not only growing your own food, but more importantly the idea of diversity in a garden, and also companion planting. After the story we played a companion planting game, where the kids were each a plant from a garden (tomato, zucchini, nasturtium, etc.). Each plant had a brief description of what it likes (i.e. shade, loose soil, etc.) as well as other plants it likes to be around or kept away from. Then the kids had to ‘plant’ a garden. They had a lot of fun and it looked pretty cute with all the kids in various plant poses.
After the game we took the kids to see some backyard chickens at a local house. The kids were able to feed the chickens some chickweed from the Compost Education Centre (CEC), pet the chickens, and even hold a fresh egg. It was still warm from the chicken sitting on it and they seemed to really like that.
After the game we took the kids to see some backyard chickens at a local house. The kids were able to feed the chickens some chickweed from the Compost Education Centre (CEC), pet the chickens, and even hold a fresh egg. It was still warm from the chicken sitting on it and they seemed to really like that.
GRUBS Camp Day 3 - Where Does Our Food Come From?
The third day was a day filled with field trips! With the theme being “Where Does Our Food Come From?” we decided to take the kids to various farms in the Greater Victoria area as well as Save-On-Foods.
The first stop was Michell Brothers Farm (2451 Island View Road) out on the Saanich Peninsula. Michell Brothers Farm grows and sells a wide variety of fruits and vegetables year round, so it was great for the kids to see food being grown and sold so close to where they live.
The second stop was Dan’s Farm (2030 Bear Hill Road at Oldfield Road, dansfarm.ca), also out on the Saanich Peninsula. Dan’s utilizes natural pest control methods and environmentally friendly farming methods in growing several varieties of berries, fruits, and vegetables, which it also sells on site. Dan’s also has chickens and goats and the kids had a great time petting the goats!
The first stop was Michell Brothers Farm (2451 Island View Road) out on the Saanich Peninsula. Michell Brothers Farm grows and sells a wide variety of fruits and vegetables year round, so it was great for the kids to see food being grown and sold so close to where they live.
The second stop was Dan’s Farm (2030 Bear Hill Road at Oldfield Road, dansfarm.ca), also out on the Saanich Peninsula. Dan’s utilizes natural pest control methods and environmentally friendly farming methods in growing several varieties of berries, fruits, and vegetables, which it also sells on site. Dan’s also has chickens and goats and the kids had a great time petting the goats!
GRUBS Camp Day 2 - Permaculture
The second day began at the Compost Education Centre (CEC) with the kids making journals, and then we headed over to the Springridge Commons (sc.conscious-choices.ca). Springridge Commons is a public permaculture garden (also known as a ‘food forest’) located in Fernwood. It has a wide variety of edible plants (plum trees, Oregon grape, mulberry bushes, miner’s lettuce, fennel, Rosehip, numerous herbs, and a few commonly-tended garden beds growing kale and cabbages). We discussed the various edible things found at Springridge, what they are commonly used for, and then let the kids try any they wanted.
We then headed off on a field trip to Knockan Hill Park (knockanhillpark.ca). Located on the View Royal Saanich border, Knockan Hill Park was a place of import to the Coast Salish People’s, being the focus of a Salish fable, as well as containing two Camas fields. We ate lunch in one of the fields and I told the kids about the aboriginal practice of cultivating, harvesting, preparing, storing, and eating Camas flower bulbs. While it was too early for any blooms to be showing, the field was covered in tender green Camas shoots, enough so that the kids could see just how many Camas bulbs could be found beneath the ground.
We then headed off on a field trip to Knockan Hill Park (knockanhillpark.ca). Located on the View Royal Saanich border, Knockan Hill Park was a place of import to the Coast Salish People’s, being the focus of a Salish fable, as well as containing two Camas fields. We ate lunch in one of the fields and I told the kids about the aboriginal practice of cultivating, harvesting, preparing, storing, and eating Camas flower bulbs. While it was too early for any blooms to be showing, the field was covered in tender green Camas shoots, enough so that the kids could see just how many Camas bulbs could be found beneath the ground.
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