Downtown School Farm | Squamish CAN

Summer

The Downtown School Farm will be offering a farm stand again this year on Fridays from 2-5 pm.

We have an abundance of harvest, so come say hello to the team and pick up some hyper local and organically grown food. Located between Howe sound Secondary and Squamish Elementary.

If you want to know what produce we will have each week, follow our social media channels for live updates.

The chocolate husks act as mulch which protects the sprouting plants and as the organic material decomposes it can release nutrients into the soil to assist plant growth. Plus it smells much better than some of the farm or garden products you may be used to! Taking a handful of the material smells like walking into a chocolate shop, and staff and students were looking forward to the first rain with the new cover to see if the moisture would highlight the scent even more. This is a unique opportunity for community partnership and waste reduction – now to wait and see what the plants think!

Spring

Do plants like chocolate as much as people do? The staff at the Squamish School Farm may soon have an answer.

Partnering with a local chocolate maker in Squamish, Schoki Chocolate, the farm is experimenting with using chocolate husks, a waste product of the chocolate-making process, as a topper for one of their crop rows on the farm.

The Making of the Downtown School Farm

From the initial vision, follow the timeline below to see our first year in building and a video from our local press coverage.

There were many folks involved in the success of this project, as well as continuous supporters. Visit our Funders and Partners page to learn about the local businesses and organizations involved.

Our Vision: To develop a school farm in downtown Squamish located between two schools that meets both the community and students’ needs.

Providing fresh, nutritious, sustainably-grown and culturally appropriate food for families, community members, and nearby schools

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)

Cultivating an accessible, sustainable and interconnected local food system in Squamish

Fostering social and environmental awareness in students and community

Helping to combat the climate crisis

Involving volunteers, community members, and partners to develop Good Food Box program that offers produce at accessible costs

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.

Farm to School BC

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." - Former School farm manager Constance Cope of the Squamish Climate Action Network (CAN)