Schoolyard market garden sprouts up at Vancouver school

A first-of-its-kind school yard market garden is sprouting up at a Vancouver high school. 

Students at Vancouver Technical Secondary spent the weekend spreading soil for a new quarter-acre garden.

The project is a joint effort between the school and Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society.

"It’s going to be a space that’s used as an outdoor learning classroom by teachers here in the school as well as other community organizations," said Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society director Ilana Labow.

"And we, Fresh Roots, are going to grow food and sell it back into the neighbourhood as well as institutional cafeterias."

She argues such a project can have lasting positive impacts.

"Being in school gardens helps reduce bullying, helps positively influence healthier food choices and also engages young people that in this day and age have a harder time being engaged and focused in a traditional four walled classroom." 

Labow says the project was three years in the making.