Wintermay be full of rain and gloom, but now is the time to think about how your garden will grow and bloom! There are many exciting activities and workshops in the works to beat the winter-blahs. Bowen Island Community School has a thriving garden program that ispartially supported this yearby a Farm to School grant, working with on-going local partnerships with groups such as Bowen Agricultural Alliance (BAA), Bees on Bowen as well as developing new partnerships with local growers, gardeners and farmers.
If you're a grower, gardener or small scale farmer, or are just interested in food processing safety, go online and check out the food safety workshop for food processors, Thursday January 12, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., hosted atBICS in the multi-purpose room. Registration fee of $20 includes lunch. Please see www.ssfpa.net/foodsafety for information.
If you're already planning your garden, you'll enjoy dropping by the first of the complimentary seed exchange, sale and social at BICS, in the multi-purpose room, January 14, 11 a.m. to noon featuring seeds harvested byBICS student gardeners as part of theBICS Grow to the Market and Garden program.West Coast Seeds will also be represented at the event. Bring seeds you've collected from your garden to exchange, sell or trade, or just bring money to buy seeds. Packages of student-harvestedseeds start at 50 cents and include: pumpkin, sunflower, cornflower, beans, radishes, cilantro, cabbage, kale, parsley and more. Gardeners are invited to bring examples of their garden plans to show and share. BAA is assisting with this event as a partner.
Are you interested in learning more about theBICS Farm to School program? After the seed exchange, January 14, noon to 1 p.m., also in the multi-purpose room, there will be an info session and meeting withthe BICS Community School Coordinator for local growers interested in learning more about theBICS Farm to School program. We have funding to invest in our local agriculture to reach our goals of increasing consumption of locally grown produce in our Friday lunch program and having every student atBICS visit at least one farm or garden on Bowen this year. Come to this meeting to find out more about how you can participate.
For upcoming BAA Workshops, please see www.bowenagalliance.ca.
SARAH HAXBY
Community School Coordinator
