The Okotoks Food Bank, along with the Healthy Okotoks Coalition and the Okotoks Garden Club, is plotting something new this spring.

And the benefits are expected to extend throughout the community.

Okotoks Food Bank Executive Director Sheila Hughes says the Community Learning Garden will enhance the food bank's ability to provide fresh food in their hampers. It will also incorporate a learning component, geared towards helping youth and other members of the community learn about healthy eating and fresh food production.

"We're looking at using this to promote healthy living and promote a healthier community," Hughes says. "We're also looking at it provide learning opportunities not only for the families that we serve, but other members of the community."

The food bank's garden plots will be located in a 20 x 10 metre area at the site of the current community garden at the end of McRae Street in Okotoks. The plantings will be mostly in-ground with some raised beds. The food bank's plot is still in the dirt phase and the focus is currently on getting the plots prepared so planting can begin.

Hughes says they're hoping to start planting by the May long weekend. This first season, they're planning to offer produce such as garlic, potatoes, carrots, onions, beans, peas, swiss chard and rhubarb this year to the families they serve, fresh from the community learning garden.

"It will help us improve our food hampers," she says. "We've been on a real kick for having a fresh food initiative. We're making our hampers less of the non-perishable food items and more of the fresh and frozen items. This will really benefit us that way."

The learning component of the garden will feature activity totes, correlated to school curriculum, which will be available for use by schools and other community groups.  A section of the garden will be devoted to pollinator plants which will enable youth to learn how bees and other insects contribute to plant growth.

Hughes points out that the Okotoks Food Bank Community Learning Garden received a grant that will help with development of the garden.

"We wouldn't be able to have the garden without the generosity of a grant and we are pleased to announce that we received a $5,000.00 grant through the 2017 +Fresh Community Gardens Fund and that is thanks to Compass Group Canada and Food Banks Canada," Hughes says. "The grant is going to help support our new community learning garden project and that will help us provide healthy food for our families and promote a healthier community."

Hughes says if any of the food bank's families are interested, she would welcome their participation in growing the food at the Community Learning Garden. To date, they've received planning support from Garden Club members and other community volunteers, including the Kinsmen Club. She invites anyone, especially those with a green thumb, who would like to help out with the Community Learning Garden to contact the Okotoks Food Bank at (403) 651-6629.

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