It always smells a little different after a summer rain. Although there is still close to a month before summer officially ends, you know you are in the dog days of a wonderful season on the "Wet Coast." Backyards are not quite as spectacular as they were a few short weeks ago, but the transition to fall and the new smells and colours it brings are welcome to me.
My Project Pickle crew has been busy harvesting pickling cucumbers over the past few weeks and the pickling process has started. Pickling and other agricultural based lessons will begin soon at several schools in Delta. This is the first complete Project Pickle year for many schools in the district and the program is ramping up nicely.
The district's motto of "Inspired Learning" is exemplified in Project Pickle and its "Hort in the Hood" programs.
The majority of the many cucumber vines have been pulled and are now in the compost heap, but several schools are still producing cucumbers. We will let the children do the clean up at these sites, and these same young farmers will soon be planting fall and wintering crops in the 55 raised beds throughout Delta.
This year, with 15 schools involved in several diverse cultural neighbourhoods throughout Delta, the broader notion of the ownership aspect inherent to the school neighbourhood farm was really brought to the forefront.
Many of the children who planted seed or seedlings kept close watch on the progression of their plants during the summer.
From the neighbourhood perspective, curious residents candidly commented on the initiative and gave their recommendations and opinions.
We asked the local community watch out for their farms and they did. Bike riders, dog walkers, parents, children and elderly residents in each school area seemed to all enjoy watching the growing, tending and harvesting that was taking place in the middle of their neighbourhoods.
Each farm produced something a little different and that will be the case in the fall as the schools actively prepare for their "Green for Greens" program that will see the kids harvest, clean, package, market and sell spinach, lettuce and beet greens to their parents and neighbours for school fundraisers.
Teaching kids about the food system and economy is an important learning outcome and the Delta school district has taken a lead role in this regard provincially.
The district's developing relationship with Solefood Street Farms and Kwantlen Polytechnic University will bring new ideas and techniques for growing food on school-owned lands this year as the agricultural programs and curriculum develop.
The Backyard Cooperative, the Delta school district and Solefood Street farms are now working on a plan to build the first Solefood School Farm at Seaquam Secondary where intensive farming will support a burgeoning culinary arts program at the school.
Over the next couple of months, don't be surprised if a kid from your neighbourhood bangs on your door and tries to flog you a bag of spinach or a jar of pickles.
They are proud purveyors of food they have grown themselves and they are having a lot of fun doing it. Buy with a smile on your face and enjoy!
