Nova Scotia will spend $250K on school garden programs

Several hands are pictured digging through soil to plant in a garden. (Source: Nourish NS)

Nova Scotia will spend $250,000 to give more students access to locally grown food through the school garden program.

Nourish Nova Scotia will use the money to expand the Grow Eat Learn program and help schools “create and maintain food gardens,” said a government news release.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change Timothy Halman said the funding will have a lasting impact on students.

“School gardens teach students how to grow and use fresh food, bring school communities together and make life more affordable by ensuring students have access to healthy food,” Halman said.

Nourish Nova Scotia teaches students about healthy eating, culinary trades, sustainable agriculture and food science and provides compost bins, rain barrels and other supports for school gardens, said the release.

Jeff Ross from Nourish Nova Scotia said gardens are unique learning spaces that let students shape their landscape and participate in community climate action.

“Students’ mental and physical health benefit from connecting with nature, while applying climate science to real life with projects like improving soil health and creating biodiversity for pollinators,” Ross said. “Plus, learning outcomes at all grade levels can be met in the garden.”

The food grown in school gardens “can be enjoyed by students and the community, and it also supports food programs like school cooking clubs and afterschool programs,” said the release.

Nourish Nova Scotia said it will use the grant from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund to put a team of regional mentors in place to add gardens at schools, improve existing programs and provide “climate-focused resources” to teach students to work with the environment to grow food.

The government has spent approximately $10 million on projects through Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund which is administered by the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities.

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