School garden becomes business venture for C.B. kids

Students at Middle River Elementary School are playing in the dirtand learning about the business world at the same time.

They've planted a garden and now they're selling their produce to the Dancing Goat restaurants in Margaree and Inverness.

Grade six student Liam Krieger said the project was fun and earned a little money for the school.

"Once we knew that we were selling them to the Dancing Goat it felt good that they were going somewhere good," said Krieger.

This is the seventh year the small school has planted a garden, but it's the first time they've sold their produce to a restaurant.

Donna Mulley is their teacher.

"They're learning about business which is social studies, they're learning about science, about plants and about soils and weather, math because of pricing it just covers so many areas that we need to deal with and it's hands on.," said Mulley.

The lesson is being picked up by the students, including Eben Oland.

"Maybe you'll be able to do it when you grow up, and you'll know how to do some of it so you'll be able to plant a garden and hopefully do other things with it like sell it at a market or something like that. For me I like putting my hands in the dirt to harvest stuff, so that's fun."

Student Bauer Matheson thinks lessons learned from the entire project will stay with the students.

"Well the business side can help us when we're grown up if we start our own business or inherit a business this can help us from the sale point of view. Same thing with the gardening because if you're going to be a gardener or have a garden when you grow up you need to know how to harvest something and grow it properly."

Merv Tingley is the owner of the Dancing Goat cafes.

He gave the children advice on running a small business.

"The students have the opportunity to see it start to finish. Literally the produce is coming out of the ground in Middle River and on the tables in Margaree and Inverness and they are entrepreneurs."

Any produce that isn't purchased by the Dancing Goat will be taken to the Baddeck market.