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Our Vision: To develop a school farm in downtown Squamish located between two schools that meets both the community and students’ needs.
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Providing fresh, nutritious, sustainably-grown and culturally appropriate food for families, community members, and nearby schools
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Increasing food literacy in students through hands-on learning, connection to land, and various course integrations (i.e. business, food studies, leadership, woodworking and more)
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Cultivating an accessible, sustainable and interconnected local food system in Squamish
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Fostering social and environmental awareness in students and community
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Helping to combat the climate crisis
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Involving volunteers, community members, and partners to develop Good Food Box program that offers produce at accessible costs
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Modelling a sustainable farm in all aspects, including reaching financial self-sustainability after three years
Farm to School BC Pollinator Award 2023
Squamish CAN is proud to announce it was selected as a recipient of the Farm to School BC Pollinator Award for the Vancouver Area Regional Hub for 2023. This award celebrates K-12 schools in BC that display exceptional leadership in farm-to-school initiatives.
The Downtown Squamish School Farm, a result of years of visioning, policy development, and community efforts, had its first full season in 2023. This collaborative farm embodies the Farm to School (F2S) model: supported by the district, led by community partners, fueled by teacher enthusiasm, and backed by community support. Students have the chance to participate in the Farm Studies course, utilize the produce in the Culinary Arts program, and engage in various collaborations, including donations to local food programs and interactive activities with elementary school students.
Congrats to all the teachers, including Erin Eidsvik and Jake DePodesta (pictured here), SquamishCAN, Howe Sound Secondary, School District 48, and the students for their success so far! We are excited to see this program grow!
Read more about Farm to School BC program via the link.
In The Press: Squamish School Farm Blossoms downtown
Squamish CAN farm serves schools and the community in the heart of town. See the full article here
Source: Squamish Chief
"This style of farming is one piece of solving the food security puzzle, but so is exploring, like, hydroponics or aquaponics, or growing mushrooms in the urban environment. There's a lot of different solutions." - School farm manager Constance Cope of the Squamish Climate Action Network (CAN)
The First Year in Pictures
March 2022 - Indigenous land offering and groundbreaking
Spring 2022 - Digging In
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Summer and Fall 2022 - Reaping what we've sown
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Timeline
2023
Winter
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Second semester of Farm Studies class begins
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Weekly farm programming with Squamish Elementary students begins
2022
Fall
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Farm Studies Class first offered at Howe Sound Secondary
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Inaugural Community Harvest Celebration
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Plant Indigenous and perennial garden beds
Summer
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Build and install greenhouse
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Harvest and sell produce at weekly farm stand and Good Food Box
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Donated excess produce to Under One Roof
Spring
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Students participate in preparing land and sowing seeds
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Establish School Farm Club
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Carpentry Class installs perimeter fence as final project
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Coordinate Good Food Box Program, sliding scale weekly harvest box
Winter
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Squamish Nation land offering and groundbreaking ceremony
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Establish basic farm layout on property
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Installation of water and electrical services
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Purchase essential supplies (i.e. fencing, farm equipment etc.)
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Soil delivery
Continued donations of any size are appreciated. Donors receive most prominent recognition on site if values> $5,000.
How to Donate
Step 1: Visit the HSS School Farm Donations page.
Step 2: Under School, choose Howe Sound Secondary.
Step 3: Under Initiative, choose HSS Food Farm.
Step 4: Under Message to School Board, include your Name/Organization if you wish to be recognized as a donor. Otherwise, you will remain anonymous.
Step 5: A donation receipt will be emailed to you upon completion of your cart checkout! This can be used for tax purposes.