Gardening Tips & a Fundraiser for the EarthBites School Gardening Program

EarthBites, a Vancouver-based school gardening and nutrition program, has some great tips for families who want to grow spring greens in their garden:

1. Tip One: Prepare your containers or beds with nutrients for healthy growth. When growing in containers – ensure you use ¾ potting soil and ¼ sea soil (organic fertilizer which can be bought at any home hardware store and add a good few inches of organic fertilizer to your beds. Like us, plants need essential minerals and nutrients to grow. Spring greens in particular need lots of nitrogen to grow.

2. Tip Two: For instant gratification, pick up a few starter veggies (lettuce, kale, arugula). Spring herb starter plants are great too (parsley, cilantro, mint). Easy spring seeds include radishes, snap peas & spinach – just follow the simple instructions on the back of the pack. Ensure you do not plant the seeds too far down. Beet and radish spouts are super fun too – just scatter and lightly cover with soil. Sprouts will be ready for harvesting in two to three weeks!

3. Tip Three: Keep soil evenly moist. If it has not been raining, water your containers or beds two to three times a week.

“Growing spring greens in your garden is easy, nutritious and a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and eat local,” says EarthBites founder and Rocky Mountain Flatbread owner Suzanne Fielden.

“It’s fun for the kids to send them outside to pick some fresh kale and herbs from your garden for their school lunches and salad bowl each night. Or you can make a smoothie with spring greens for a healthy delicious snack.”

“There are tremendous health benefits to growing and eating your own greens including spring cleaning your body,” adds holistic nutritionist Brendan Young.

“Spring greens help you detox from toxins that build up in our bodies. Spring greens can be added to delicious smoothies, salads & steamed veggies.”

Also new at Rocky Mountain Flatbread is our new Eat, Grow, Love Long Table Event Series and Moms & Tots Crafting Workshops where 100% of the proceeds will be donated to EarthBites.

∑ Learn about Victory Gardens for Bees (May 3) and DIY Herbal Salves (June 8) while enjoying a four course seasonal menu and craft beer or wine tasting at an upcoming Long Table Event. Visit SocialShopper for tickets.

∑ Moms & Tots workshops include Get Your Greens (May 18), and Buzzing Bees (June 8). Visit EarthBites.ca for more information.

EarthBites goes into Vancouver schools to teach thousands of kids how to grow and cook their own healthy meals. The children are instructed by a dedicated team of urban growers, nutritionists and entrepreneurs who are passionate about engaging children with the food they eat.

EarthBites is currently partnering with seven Vancouver schools, and was founded in Vancouver in 2007 by the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Education Society.

About Rocky Mountain Flatbread
Rocky Mountain Flatbread takes pride in providing sustainably produced, local food that connects the farm, family and community. Visit ourtwo Rocky Mountain Flatbread restaurant locations in Vancouver (Main Street & Kitsilano) or the original restaurant that started it all inCanmore, Alberta. Food court locations include Rocky Mountain Flatbread Express in Banff and Rocky Mountain Flatbread Food Court in West Vancouver. For more information, visit rockymountainflatbread.ca.

About Brendan Young, Holistic Registered Nutritionist
Brendan graduated with merit in 2010 from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in Vancouver. Drawing from his roots in organic gardening and farming, Brendan has been working as the nutritional coordinator for EarthBites since 2011. This youth centred gardening and nutrition program allows Brendan to connect with over a thousand children each year in Vancouver elementary schools and youth clubs, teaching them how to grow their own healthy foods and turn them into yummy snacks. Brendan teaches Fundamentals of Nutrition, Symptomatology I, Nutritional Literature Research, and Eco-Nutrition.

Feature image: photo credit Mark Gibbon