A School Seed Library: Growing Community Food Literacy (and Litera-seed!)
June 3
2:45 – 3:15pm
Room 519B
Seeds are unsung stars of the food system. Join this seedy and hands-on workshop that grows beyond the classic classroom bean germination test. Inspired by critical pedagogies, participants will learn how to start and sustain a school or community seed library and why it matters for food literacy, school food, community connections, food systems sustainability, and climate resilience.
A seed library is a shared collection of locally adapted seeds that students and community borrow, grow, harvest, and return while learning about biodiversity, seasonality, and food systems. The session demonstrates fall and winter activities that keep food and garden-based learning active year-round, complementing the big spring dig and summer vacations typical of school garden programs. Participants are invited to bring seeds and stories to share in a sow n’ tell, and will receive seeds to take home. A limited number of mini school seed library starter kits will be available to share.
Bio:
PATRICK GALE teaches Culinary Arts, Foods, ECO Academy, Sustainability, and other subjects in Sooke, BC. He supports a large school garden that engages hundreds of students in learning, growing, and harvesting 12 months of the year. Patrick cultivates community partnerships and advocates for food, environment, and social justice issues at all scales.
JACOB KEAREY-MORELAND is a PhD student in Educational Studies at Lakehead University (Orillia) researching community food literacy and teacher education. He teaches BEd courses on democracy and social justice education, and sustainable agriculture at Georgian College. A busy bee, he co-founded the Toronto Seed Library, is a board member at The Sharing Place Food Centre, chair of Orillia’s Food Access and Sustainability Working Group, and coordinates the Lakehead Farm Lab – an agroecological learning commons and K-12-school outreach program at Lakehead Orillia. Jacob is passionate about food systems transformation and the joy of growing and sharing seeds and food.
LINDSAY SARGENT is a sessional instructor in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University’s Orillia campus and a garden-based educator with Lakehead’s Farm Lab. She is the Food Literacy Coordinator at Farm to Cafeteria Canada, helping cultivate the School Food & Food Education Hub, which will grow educators’ capacity across Canada to teach about food and food systems in schools and community settings. Lindsay is passionate about creating engaging learning experiences for educators and students through connections with people, places and Land. She has taught in K–7 classrooms, has developed professional learning resources for educators and founded a local Forest School. Her teaching and research interests include environmental education, garden-based learning and reconciliation rooted in Land and relationship.