Rick’s Heart Foundation is proud to be an official sponsor of the Harvest Bin project for its 2020/21 school year. For the second year in a row. Our founder (and founder of Diamond Delivery) will be providing free shipping of 75 bins to all 15 schools across British Columbia.
The BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation (BCAITC) has made it possible for over 900 students to gain an appreciation for BC’s agriculture and the benefits of fresh, locally grown food.
Why the Harvest Bin Project?
Planting, maintaining, and harvesting a school garden is hands-on, place-based experiential learning, offering several cross-curricular connections to courses at multiple grade levels.
One of the obstacles schools face is there is not an area on school property where they are able to dig up a portion of the school grounds and replace it with a garden. The idea many of the schools have is to build raised garden beds but then are challenged by the cost of the lumber and skills and people to build the raised beds. Thus, the project was created!
The benefits of the Harvest Bin Project
The project is an easy way to get students outside and active, increasing their physical activity and awareness of the environment. The project also allows students to make valuable connections between growing food and food security. Students also enjoy the benefits of eating fresh, locally grown food. From caring for the soil to learning about plant life cycles and pollinators, this program models the principles of sustainable agriculture. Students connect directly with a local farmer, their local garden centre, and local agri-businesses, reinforcing the role of agriculture in their communities.
Planting seeds and watching them grow
The project is growing each year! Each year going forward, 5 new schools will be brought on. In the 2020-2021 school year, we will be offering more online resources for the program! Once the school has been mentored with BCAITC and local farmers, teachers are challenged to continue planting, growing, and harvesting with their established networks.
Learn more about the project
To learn more about the Harvest Bin Project, visit their official website HERE.
