Wed Oct 21 13:26:49 UTC 2015
Learners and community members gathered for the first harvest at a sustainable food garden established by the Shoprite supermarket chain at the Greenlands Primary School in Bishop Lavis. With many learners from underprivileged households, the 600m² garden is expected to produce on average four tons of fresh produce per year which will be used to bolster an existing feeding scheme.
Shoprite approached Urban Harvest to bring this project to fruition. With their guidance, teachers, learners and the school governing body gathered in July 2015 to transform a barren piece of land at Greenlands Primary School in order to plant the first seeds.
Today it is a beautiful and lush garden with more than 20 different types of vegetables and herbs that fulfills a dire need for additional food resources. The garden will yield a precious daily harvest of 10 kilograms per day. Urban Harvest appointed a garden committee, who, along with learners from Grade 4-7, are actively involved in the day-to-day maintenance of the food garden.
The Shoprite supermarket chain sees itself as a responsible corporate citizen who contributes to the wellbeing of the communities where it does business. Shoprite therefore initiated this project in an effort to assist the Bishop Lavis community to become more self-sufficient. Both learners and the local community will reap the benefits of this food garden and subsequent feeding scheme.
“In addition to the much-needed fresh herbs and vegetables produced by the food garden, it is also a wonderful educational tool for our learners to reference in their existing curriculum – from the different kinds of produce to the science of growing food. We are very grateful for the large investment Shoprite is making in the Bishop Lavis community,” commented Greenlands Primary School Principal, Mrs Kathleen Highburg.
Some photographs taken at the food garden's first harvest:
