We can officially say that Cochrane’s education greenhouse on wheels – what we call the “Passive Solar Roller” – is nearly ready for lift-off.
(Well, perhaps a better term is roll-out).
The team at OnGrowing Works put in their time, expertise, and a good share of calling on local suppliers and sub-trades for contributions to the build. Our Cultivate Cochrane crew is applying a few finishing touches and we’ll have it ready to show off to the public at our Greenhouse Launch & Community Growing Fair event this Saturday.
Along with an official unveiling of the Passive Solar Roller, the event will include kids’ activities, planting giveaways, presentations, and a whole bunch of community booths and vendors to help kick off the gardening season and this greenhouse project. The Cochrane Horticultural Society will have a “bring what you can, take what you need,” seed exchange table. And the artist working on a mural for the greenhouse’s north wall will even be on site, running a free art workshop for all ages at noon. It’s a celebration you won’t want to miss.
BGC Cochrane and Area has generously donated their space for this event and they’ll also be the first group in town to participate in our greenhouse programming the following week. The BGC provides invaluable services to Cochrane’s children and youth through out-of-school care and transportation, day camps, and the facilitation of safe, regulated day homes within the community. They also serve teens, including strong advocacy for the LGBTQ2S+ community and drop-in programs aimed at empowerment. Each year, the BGC positively impacts well over a thousand local children, youth, and families!
We hope to amplify that impact even further with the Passive Solar Roller as a hands-on educational tool. With the BGC already being such a hub for youth in Cochrane, it makes a great place to station the greenhouse for a week and bring some fun food literacy to the mix.
As Hazel Carter, BGC coordinator, puts it: “We’re always keen to make connections within the community. With this connection children will learn about sustainability, where food comes from and how the plants and animals are interconnected. I love the interactive approach of the program and know the children at BGC are going to have fun finding out about the natural world around them.”
Come see for yourselves what all the buzz is about this Saturday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at BGC Cochrane and Area. Bring kids if you have them, seeds if you have them, a little cash, and your curiosity.
Opportunities to connect as a community have been few and far between for the last couple of years, plus it’s certainly not every day a town rolls an innovative greenhouse out onto the streets. We hope to see you there!
Jackie Skrypnek is a director with Cultivate Cochrane. For more information and updates, visit cultivatecochrane.com
