Foothills School Division celebrates Diamond Valley Grocer with Flourishing Foothills Community Award
Foothills School Division is proud to present the Flourishing Foothills Community Award to Country Food Mart - AG Foods in Diamond Valley, recognizing the store’s outstanding and sustained contributions to community wellbeing, local partnerships, and support for families across the Foothills.
The Flourishing Foothills Community Award honours individuals and organizations whose actions, leadership, and support place education at the heart of a flourishing community. It celebrates those who lift others up, build connections, and make a difference simply by showing up for students and schools.
Country Food Mart in Diamond Valley was nominated for its hands-on support of the Oilfields School Vertical Farm Initiative. Through donations and selling the greens and produce from the project within the store, the local community builder has made a positive impact on the sustainability of this grassroots project. Country Food Mart was nominated for its hands-on support of the Oilfields High School Vertical Farm Initiative, a program that blends innovation, sustainability, and learning. Through generous donations and by selling student-grown greens and produce in-store, the local grocer has strengthened both the sustainability and visibility of this grassroots project—helping students experience firsthand how community partnerships make learning come alive.
Speaking on behalf of nominator Cindy Watts, Oilfields High School’s Learning Commons Facilitator and CTS Instructor, students Lily Wight and Claire Shaw shared what the support from the team at Country Food Mart has meant to them.
“Whether it’s through donations, sponsoring educational events, or providing job opportunities to students, Mark and the staff actively engage with the school to enrich learning experiences and foster student growth,” began Wight. “This partnership not only benefits the school but also strengthens the bonds that make our community truly special,” concluded Shaw.
The Oilfields Vertical Farm Initiative began as a Classroom Program Innovative Project (CPIP) funded through a grant offered by the FSD Board of Trustees. Using a converted sea-can to sustainably grow vegetables, herbs, and microgreens year-round with a goal of net-zero impact, the initiative gives students in Grades 7 through 12 hands-on experiences in agriculture, business, sales, environmental stewardship, and entrepreneurship.
The project has earned provincial recognition as the 2023 recipient of the School Board Innovation and Excellence Award at the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) Fall General Meeting, and in 2024 welcomed Her Honour, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, for a special visit and commemoration.
“The Flourishing Foothills Community Award was created to honour those whose actions, leadership, and support place education at the centre of community life,” said Theresa Letendre, Board Chair of Foothills School Division. “Country Food Mart has shown what it means to be rooted in community—supporting learning, nurturing innovation, and inspiring others to get involved. Their generosity and belief in young people have become a cornerstone of this shared success.”
The Friends of Foothills Community Award was presented to Mark and Rachelle Muller – Owners and Manager, and Scott Porayko, Produce Manager for Country Food Mart, at the Oilfields School Council meeting on the evening of November 5, 2025. Students, school council members, staff, school administration, the Superintendent, and representatives from the Board of Trustees were all in attendance to celebrate the occasion.
To learn more about the Oilfields School and the Vertical Farm Initiative, please visit: www.foothillsschooldivision.ca/oilfields/vertical-farming-initiative
To nominate an individual, group, or organization for the Flourishing Foothills Community Award, please visit: https://www.foothillsschooldivision.ca/flourishing-foothills-community-award
Photos provided by Theresa Letendre, Board Chair
Media Contact:
Sara Fox
Manager of Communications and Community Engagement
communications@fsd38.ab.ca
