Winnipeg Harvest

Kids Blue Box Gardening

Connecting inner-city and all youth with food and the environment

The Kids Blue Box Gardening program is aimed at teaching inner-city youth the connectivity between earth, food and community.

The ‘Three Sisters Garden’ is used and is very symbolic,  consisting of corn, squash and beans. Each plays a significant role.

Corn is the oldest sister. She stands tall in the center.

Squash is the next sister. She grows over the mound, protecting her sisters from weeds and shades the soil from the sun with her leaves, keeping it cool and moist.

Beans are the third sister. She climbs through squash and then up corn to bind all together as she reaches for the sun. Beans help keep the soil fertile by converting the sun’s energy into nitrogen filled nodules that grow on its roots. As beans grow they use the stored nitrogen as food.

 

The ‘Three Sisters Garden’ aims to show youth that the grocery store is not the only place to get food. By educating youth about the garden and other similar initiatives under the Kids Who Care Program, Winnipeg Harvest believes it will continue to illustrate our innovative and educational programming.

For more information on the Kids Blue Box Gardening program contact the Volunteer Department at (204) 982-3663.