In the spring of 2025, our Growing Up Organic (GUO) program brought together two schools from the Ottawa Catholic School Board and two local organic farmers, creating a unique partnership to explore and learn about regenerative organic agriculture in the Ottawa region. Students from St. Mark’s and Immaculata High Schools welcomed producers from Roam Flora and Indian Creek Orchard Gardens in the classroom, where the guests shared their farm stories and journeys toward organic and regenerative food systems. Later in the season, the students were able to venture out of the classrooms and walk the fields of Roam Flora and Indian Creek Orchard Gardens to learn how to grow organic food and flowers while incorporating regenerative farming principles.
Thanks to the RBC Foundation, GUO successfully delivered the “In-Class and On-Farm Visits” program for the second year, and over 80 students were able to get their hands in soil and discover how agriculture plays an incredible role in every person’s life. It’s not every day that young folks get the opportunity to visit local farms, and for most of these students, it’s their first time ever! That’s why our GUO team is thrilled to be able to provide these new experiences to high school students who are on their career-building paths. These events allow students to discover the possibilities of working in the agricultural sector and learn how they can contribute to the success of their local, sustainable food systems.
Farmers from Roam Flora and Indian Creek Orchard Gardens expertly presented their work during the In-Class component of the program, which enlightened the students on food sustainability in Canada, the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on food production, and how organic agriculture plays an effective role in mitigating many environmental crises in our world today. This curriculum-connected approach allowed students to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the real-world processes involved in growing healthy, local, organic food, giving them a first hand experience of how it ends up in our local food systems. The In-Class component provided students with a lay of the land of Roam Flora and Indian Creek Orchard Gardens, and they really got a vivid sense of how each farm operates when they planted their feet on the farms’ soil. The On-Farm portion of the program was an exceptional moment for the youth to engage in fun activities, and they “gained hands-on experience with regenerative practices like greenhouse growing, improving soil quality, and fostering plant diversity.” The students especially enjoyed planting dahlia tubers at Roam Flora which allowed them to gain a deep appreciation for what it takes to be a grower on an organic flower farm. They had a fantastic time touring the hoop houses of Indian Creek Orchard Gardens and observing plant biodiversity to the fullest. The hands-on activities were a crucial aspect of the On-Farm approach, and the students emphasized that they enjoyed learning “the needs of farming and to treat the land with care”.
Big thanks to our farmers Scott (Indian Creek Orchards) and Dawson (Roam Flora) for their guided tours and sharing a wealth of knowledge! Students will be using this experience to help them design their own sustainable community, as a part of their final [class] project.
– Ms. McPhee
The RBC In-Class and On-Farm Visit program is an invaluable experience that engages students in Canadian agriculture, sustainability, and food systems. Our GUO team strives to increase the connection to the students’ local communities and the environment through these eye-opening moments, and we would like to sincerely thank the RBC Foundation for the incredible support to keep this program going. We look forward to opening the program up to more students in future years and igniting the passion for organic and regenerative agriculture in young minds and hearts.
About Growing Up Organic
Growing Up Organic (GUO) is an Ottawa-based garden educational program delivered by Canadian Organic Growers (COG) for children and youth that addresses critical gaps in the school system concerning food literacy and environmental education. Through partnerships with school boards, GUO has successfully educated over 10,000 students in many low-income neighbourhoods since 2007. GUO programming also features hands-on, curriculum-linked garden-based workshops, where students engage in sowing, planting, and enjoying fresh, organic produce they grow themselves at school.
By fostering an understanding of sustainable food production and environmental stewardship, GUO’s experiential and immersive educational approach helps prepare the next generation to address and adapt to the impacts of climate change and more.