On October 31st, the Outdoor School class headed across Gordon to the Bovey Greenhouse. We’ve seen some pretty incredible things throughout the semester, but nothing quite like the Bovey Greenhouse.

We started out in a massive room filled with large tanks. It looked futuristic, with different bright lights and metallic walls, and Rodger explained to us that this was the area in which they did research for organizations like NASA! There were several different stations set up in which they were experimenting with different growing conditions, and their ultimate goal is to be able to grow in space.

When we walked into the next room, Rodger showed us an example of how they can use light to grow plants in different ways. He showed us lettuce grown under different wavelengths of light, and each sample looked totally different! One was a dark green, one was lighter and the last one was purple. They didn’t just look different, Rodger explained that they actually all have distinct tastes. This was so interesting, because it shows the level of control humans can have over food, and it was a large contrast from the farm and how Martha grows her plants.

Next, we moved into a room that was filled with tiny samples of plants. One entire wall was filled entirely with shelves of plants! In this area, the plants are grown from tiny cells or sections, and the wall displayed the plants in all of their different stages of life.

We also got to see a greenhouse where people can conduct research projects. There were plants being grown as medical treatments, and even for materials such as rubber. Scientists can conduct research in there, and they can take their results back to the companies they are working for and determine whether using that plant is viable.

Finally, we arrived in my favourite room. It was a large, high ceilinged greenhouse filled to the brim with tropical plants. We saw everything from pineapples to cactuses, there was even a little pond with fish swimming around! Many of the plants I’d never even seen before. I had no idea that this place even existed, let alone that it was open to students. People can come inside whenever they want and eat their lunch, study, or just be with nature. This is such an amazing resource to students and staff, because it is so beneficial to be in green spaces, especially in the cold Canadian winter.

The University of Guelph is lucky enough to have an amazing, thriving, organic farm right on campus. It is almost completely run by volunteers, and I was lucky enough to get the privilege of working there this fall. Every Thursday, a market is put on by Martha, the woman who runs the farm. As a nutrition major, I wasexcited that I gained a lot of knowledge about organic farming practices, and was even able to get my hands dirty!

During my time at the farm, I worked on the marketing of the foods, harvesting kidney beans, and most often weeding. Before my experience at the farm, I thought of weeding as a trivial, boring task, but by the end of my 10 hours of volunteering I can honestly say that it is one of the most gratifying, meditative practices a gardener can partake in. Weeds can be pesky, and grow back very quickly if they aren’t dealt with properly, so it is very important that the proper technique is used. We were given an entire field to clear, virtually every plant needed to be dug up. With a little bit of instruction from Martha, trial and error, and a great team of volunteers, we conquered the weeds.

We started by all putting on a sturdy, thick pair of leather gloves and closed toed shoes to protect us from harmful weeds like thistles. Additionally, shovels and hoes should be brought for weeds that are more deeply settled in the ground. Once you have all the necessary supplies, you can begin your weeding! The technique is actually quite important, as the weed can continue to grow unless all of it is taken out of the ground (including the roots). I learned that getting low to the ground, and grabbing the weed as close to the roots as possible with both hands works best. After you have a solid grip, you can pull firmly and slowly so that you don’t cause the weed to snap above the roots. After the weed is removed, it should be checked to make sure it didn’t snap and that the roots are fully out of the ground.

If they are not, it’s time to bring in the big guns; the shovels. This requires lots of strength, because the roots can be deep in the earth and can often take many attempts to dig up. It’s best to drive the shovel in a foot or so away from the visible plant and then push the shovel towards the plant in order to catch all of it’s roots.

I found this to be incredibly enjoyable for many reasons. First of all, it gave me a large sense of accomplishment, because the other volunteers and I cleared a whole field in a matter of hours and I know that I helped make room for even more vegetables and flowers to flourish! Also, I dug up many hidden gems like mushrooms, which was exciting, as only 2 days before I had participated in our class’s mushroom foray.

I am so grateful for the experience I gained at the farm, and my main takeaway will be that many hands make light work. When all the volunteers worked as a team, we were able to accomplish our tasks much more quickly and effectively. We were also able to share expertise from our past experiences, and problem solve in a collaborative way.