Reflecting on the past year fills us with immense pride as we witness how our program has flourished, primarily through the cultivation of community. Our seniors have not only graciously volunteered in our program alongside the students but have also dedicated their time to various other initiatives. We are particularly delighted to have participants who devote two hours per week to our After-school Kindergarten Garden Club. Just imagine the joy and fun experienced by these little ones with not just one, but three facilitators—myself, our 11-year-old assistant Isla, and Ang at 75, truly making this an intergenerational experience filled with shared gardening wisdom.
Furthermore, our seniors have generously volunteered at Work Bee Days, our annual Christmas Decorating of the Food Forest and Harvest Celebration. One of our treasured elders even donated a pie for our first annual apple pie contest, raising $60, while another donated a pie that helped generate an additional $40 from its sale. All of which helps us continue to offer free programs. Additionally, three of our seniors spent their summers caring for our greenhouse, ensuring that our garden continued to thrive even when the students were away.
Beyond these contributions, our seniors dedicate their Wednesday afternoons to nurturing our Grade 4/5 class for 45 minutes each week, providing valuable insights and building cherished connections. It's heartwarming to witness the enthusiasm of the students as they buddy up with a 55+ volunteer each week. Moreover, students in Miss Comtois' class have the opportunity to spend up to three times a year with one of our seniors, learning all about gardening along the Pacific Coast. We have conducted germination tests, tea making, microgreen growing, origami envelop creations for our seeds, bees wax wraps as a fundraiser and garlic and spring bulb planting to name a few in the 30 plus weeks we are together during the school year.
As part of our commitment to intergenerational connections and learning, we host various workshops where seniors share their knowledge and skills. From blackberry jam making to winter seed sowing, and most recently, creating calendula salve from seedlings planted with the students last spring in our Food Forest, these workshops foster a sense of community and togetherness.
Every Wednesday from 12:30 to 3 pm, we gather to nurture our gardens and each other, share a nutritional snack, and enjoy the company of our students and each other while building lasting connections learning food We extend a warm invitation to all to join us and meet the younger generation—trust us, their enthusiasm is contagious!
"We have three more workshops coming up next week and in March. First, we have our amazing Mister D teaching us all about Aerated Compost Tea. Please bring a 1 L container along for some magic for your seedlings. Our worm castings expert, Daniel, will be sharing all there is to know about amending your soil with worm poo. Bonus we get to have a tour of their spring gardens and tea with surprising snacks. And for the third year in a row, we will have Plant Guru Connie from Garden on the Go teaching us how to prune our gardens in the Food Forest."
For further inquiries or to get involved, you can find me outside in the food forest or reach out via email at paula@tofinocommunityfoodinitiative.com.
Let's continue sowing seeds of community together!
