Farm Lab Bulletins chronicle our programs and activites at the Farm Lab, local schools and in the community.
Bulletin #3 – Community Event
Earth Day 🌍 – Farm Lab Tour & Film Screening with Sustainable Orillia, the Couchiching Conservancy and Lakehead’s Community Engagement & Lifelong Learning (CELL)
April 22nd from 5-9 pm – Jacob and Linda from Farm Lab led two simultaneous tours of the Lakehead Farm Lab and the Wiigwaasitig Gitigaan (Birch Tree Garden) between 5-6pm. The Wiigwaasitig Gitigaan, located south of Simcoe Hall between Rotary Place, includes an Indigenous medicine wheel teaching garden, a three sisters garden, a City of Orillia allotment garden (with 13 raised beds, available to community members – still time to sign up with the city) and community gardens. Each tour consisted of about 20 community members, with 40 participants total, most of whom were visiting the gardens for the first time.
While short (approximately 20-25 minutes each), the tours provided a brief background and history of the garden projects, what is growing, and opportunities to participate. Farm Lab introduced agroecology, a philosophy, method, and movement practiced by Indigenous peoples, peasant farmers, ecological producers and others worldwide. According to the National Farmers Union (NFU), agroecology is a holistic approach to food production that uses—and creates—social, cultural, economic and environmental knowledge to promote food sovereignty, social justice, economic sustainability, and healthy agricultural ecosystems. For more on the role of agroecology, read this article by Food Secure Canada – Agroecology in Canada: Cultivating a Sustainable Food Revolution. These ideas were expanded upon during the screening of Eating Our Way to Extinction, a documentary exploring how industrial agriculture fuels deforestation, species loss, and climate change.
Before the film and during the tours, Matt Thomson, local naturalist and self-described “nature nut” from Sustainable Orillia, facilitated a seed exchange and seed packing/sharing offering for attendees, alongside recipes and resources to support more plant-based diets.
The film was followed by a brief facilitated discussion by Lakehead’s Dr. Gerardo Reyes, an associate professor in the department of biology and sustainability sciences.
Thanks to the sponsoring organizations for a well-organized and engaging event!
About the organizations:
Sustainable Orillia – We are a network of citizens dedicated to improving the wellness of our community through environmentally sustainable practices across seven critical sectors.
Couchiching Conservancy – The Couchiching Conservancy is a charitable land trust established and supported by people like you. Since 1993, we have protected 15,135 acres of significant habitat in this region.
Lakehead’s Office of Community Engagement & Lifelong Learning (CELL) – offers a variety of programs, courses and workshops in a variety of areas to meet the needs of Lakehead’s surrounding communities. We are excited to offer interesting programs for all ages, as well as professional development opportunities. Please contact the Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning if you are interested in current programs, or have an amazing idea for something new.
Farm Lab Bulletin #2
Coldwater Public School & Moonstone Elementary School
Thursday, March 27th, 2025 – Lindsay from Farm Lab, alongside SCDSB Indigenous leader Roseanne Irving, and grade 1-3 students at Coldwater and Moonstone schools, learned about the Sugaring Moon, one of the Thirteen Moons in the Anishinaabe calendar. They experienced the maple sugaring process through stories and outdoor observations. Students tasted a sip of sweet water and thought about all the gifts the Maple trees share with people.
Students visited some grandfather Maples on the school property and learned how to identify a Sugar Maple Tree by the buds, branching pattern and bark. They noticed the buds of the Sugar Maples were brown and not yet open, whereas the Red Maples had red buds which were further along in their growth. At Coldwater school, the students even noticed sap dripping from a branch of the Grandfather Maple and caught the tasty treat on their fingers!
Alongside Roseanne, students learned how to offer asemaa (sacred tobacco), passing on their energy, thoughts and gratitude to the trees. Students will continue their learning with Roseanne over the coming months, looking at Land-based connections to the Thirteen Moons and building a relationship with the Land they live on as part of treaty education and actioning reconciliation.
Farm Lab Bulletin #1
Orchard Park Public School / Courtyard Garden
Monday, March 24th, 2025 – Lindsay and Jacob from Farm Lab spent the day at Orchard Park Public School in Orillia working with staff and >80 students in four classes, as well as the school Eco Club, to revitalize their courtyard garden space. They started with discussions about the changing seasons and signs of ziigwan (spring in Anishinaabemowin). Students tasted cool, fresh sweet water (maple sap), a spring gift from the Maple Trees and shared their knowledge of maple sugaring.
Afterwards, each group explored the courtyard and garden space, identifying what already existed there and mapping out ideas for future garden plans. In groups, students followed a garden map, to familiarize themselves with the current layout and to identify what might need to be added to the map, such as a water source, cardinal directions (sun direction) and the old school bell!
Students thought about spacing, accessibility, pathways and signage, as well as what they might like to plant in the garden. Students imagined a colourful, inviting space where they could build relationships with plant and animal life, as well as one another. A highlight was finding the first blooming flower of spring, a little purple crocus, in the corner of the courtyard and discovering that the soil temperature in the corners was much higher than in the middle. The microclimate created by the courtyard created the perfect environment for early spring plants!
