A new program in agriculture is coming to Norwell District Secondary School.
The LEAF (Local Environmental Agriculture and Food) program partners Norwell staff with community members to create a unique learning experience that officials say reflects the diverse and innovative agriculture industry in the area.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our local economy and we want to create a program that reflects our own agricultural community,” states Norwell teacher Paul Frayne.
“There are tremendous opportunities for our students to explore careers in agriculture.”
LEAF will be a two-credit program for Grade 11 and 12 students starting next September. Students will learn through hands-on activities such as growing their own food in the garden and greenhouse, cooking and eating local food, and making connections between agriculture and the environment.
At the core of the LEAF program is community partnerships.
“We have made over a dozen connections with farmers and agri-businesses willing to have our students visit and learn from them. The community response has been tremendous,” says Frayne.
A recent community meeting about LEAF showed the diversity of agriculture in the Norwell area.
In attendance were organic dairy farms, large seed companies, farm machinery businesses and farmers market producers.
Local field trips will form a major part of the program, as will trips to the University of Guelph, the Outdoor Farm Show and the Royal Winter Fair.
To complete the journey from farm to fork, LEAF students will use locally-produced food to cook nutritious meals.
This will show students that supporting local agriculture is good for their own health as well as the economic health of their community.
