Home Farm Alumni News

Cindy Brookshaw, Brantford, Ontario

I started down the road to the garden path when my husband asked me to consider quitting my full time position.  This took a great deal of soul searching and deliberation.  Finally, I came to the conclusion that my own family would benefit.  I was encouraged to do something that set my heart on fire, something that I had never had the time to pursue in the past.  This led me to the Brantford Garden Club, where at my first meeting Nancy Lee-Colibaba was presenting on Horticulture Therapy.

Early in March, with the encouragement of one of the teachers, I submitted a proposal to create a horticulture program.  I initially gave the proposal to this teacher to read and to spread the word to her colleagues.  She gave it to the principal the following week.  A couple weeks passed before I had the opportunity and courage to drop by the principal’s office.  Much to my surprise he had the proposal on his desk at his fingertips!  He had obviously thoroughly reviewed the contents as he had jotted notes and questions in the margin.  He felt the proposal was well written, easily understood and he would be taking it to the next board meeting.  He presented the proposal several times.  It was well received at each meeting, however, some members required re-assurance that the horticulture program would compliment the curriculum not provide new material.  I was thrilled to receive the call that the proposal was accepted and could commence as a 12 week pilot program in September 2009.   There are already a list of individuals who are interested!

(Left to Right: Nancy Lee-Colibaba, Sylvia Piano Onetto, Christine Pollard, Maria Arana and Estela Cardeza D.)

Christine Pollard, HTM
Home Farm

*Photos courtesy of Maria Teresa Riveros.

This was my third trip to Chile to support Marie Arana of Herbarium in her Horticultural Therapy Education endeavors. Every trip is a different experience with vignettes that make each trip unique. Just having Nancy Lee-Colibaba of the Royal Botanical Gardens with me on this trip was such a treat. Being able to share the experience with her and then have Nancy share the HT presentations allowed me to enjoy my first experience listening to Nancy and spend more time appreciating the experiences and passions of the students.

One of the most moving outcomes of participating in HT seminars with students is seeing how the student then goes on and applies their HT knowledge. The last day of this year’s seminar was dedicated to new HT programs and educational opportunities established by previous students.

After Maria gave us an update on the programs at Herbarium, our first presentation was by Jeanette Olivares Herrera, a psychologist with Cultiva, an organization dedicated to rehabilitative, vocational and community connection programs for people with mental health issues. The Cultiva program is conducted in a commercial nursery in Santiago. The 19 participants work at the nursery as well a produce their own plant products, compost and mosaics for sale. The nursery has provided clubhouse space that includes a kitchen, activities room, bathroom and office. Jeanette and another HT student of Herbarium, Patricia Herrera Parra, administrator of Cultiva, are successfully using Horticultural Therapy to evaluate, assess and plan rehabilitative interventions for Cultiva.

Another former student Francisca Muller Montes, an agriculturalist, and Carolina Urbina of the San Cristobel Waldorf School presented on the use of the school garden to meet the teaching philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, education through process and emotion. In the garden once per week, the students individually garden in an area of one square meter to learn the rhythms of life and practical life experience.

The next presentation was by Maria Paz Iturriaga, an Occupational Therapist and educator with The Professional Institute of Chile and former Herbarium HT student. Maria has successfully added Horticultural Therapy to the fourth year Occupational Therapy curriculum at the institute. She brought two of her students that have successfully created a “Sowing Life” mental health program, a long term care “Seniors of Atardecer” HT program and a 7 week HT workshop for the participants of the Montecarmelo Special Needs School. Thank you Maria for taking HT to another educational level in Santiago!

Christine Raffo, President of the Argentine Garden Club (AGC) and former Herbarium HT student gave the next presentation. The Garden Club is all volunteer, mostly women that, among other things, aid various organizations and are great supporters of HT. The AGC is also a member of the National Garden Club (US) supporting world social needs.

Carlos Kaiser, former Executive Director of the National Fund for Persons with Disabilities, said that HT was not a therapy for differences but for commonalities. HT is not artificial but natural.

The next presentation by a Herbarium HT student was by Claudia Bustamante and Bernadita Salas of Manos y Naturaliza, an after school program for children of working parents. They provide support for 80 children 6-8 years old. Though the club houses do not feed the children as they are fed at school, their club houses have hot water, soap and shampoo so that good hygiene can be modeled. Manos y Natualiza provide happy second homes. Their neighborhood does not have gardens so they participate in Pillpa, the children’s garden at Herbarium. The children learn to grow and then eat the vegetables from the Pillpa garden.

Also attending the seminar was Sylvia Piano Onetto, President of the Garden Club of Chile. The Garden Club of Chile is now supporting the Colegio Humberto Aranda for special needs children. The teachers asked for help to plant a grazing garden at the school. Now that the garden is planted, the garden club is now planning to teacher the teachers about horticulture so that gardening can be incorporated into the school curriculum.

So Alumni, as you can see, the roots have spread far since the germination of HT plantings!!