In Terra Nova Park , The Sharing Farm (TSF) is immediate neighbours with the fantastic Terra Nova Nature School (TNNS), operated by Thompson Community Association.
TNNS offers educational programs for children and families in an outdoor setting. On a regular basis, groups of children can be found exploring the farm’s fields, learning about everything from vegetables, to herbs, to bees.
We also collaborate together as much as we can. Our recent family cobb oven cooking class was a partnership between the two organizations and our upcoming Bee Camp – where 9-12 year olds get a chance to don bee suits and get into the hives – is now in its second year.
I was touched when the TNNS Market team let me know that they had chosen TSF to be one of the charitable recipients of their and Quilchena Elementary’s 2nd Annual Young Citizen's Farmers and Artisans Market, hosted by TNNS and Quilchena Elementary School's grades 5, 6,7 class taught by Kevin Vines and Andrew Livingston.
I went from touched to gobsmacked when the children presented me with a cheque for $1000! In an hour and a half these capable young citizens had raised an astounding $1,793, which was split between TSF and Raincoast Conservation Foundation. To put this in perspective, on our best market days we have never topped $1,400 - and those are six-hour days!
All the products was grown or made by the children of TNNS and Quinlchena, including seedlings, herbal teas, salts, natural cleaning products, bath products, birdhouses and artwork.
We are so grateful that we were selected as one of the beneficiaries of their hard work and so blown away by their incredible entrepreneurial spirit. That children so young recognize the value of food security and conservation, and can take effective action to support these values, gives me great hope for the future.
