We 'Garden Ladies' feel proud of what we have brought to this school. We got the grant of a few thousand dollars to set up the beds and the irrigation system, buy a load of garden soil, and a lot of seedlings and seeds, and the ancillary things one needs to keep a vegetable garden growing. We put up a colorful garden sign and a place for folks to write about the garden. We have a large garden supply box where kids can find new seeds to plant, hand lenses to look at the bugs and whatnot, tools for digging, gloves to wear. Even band-aids.
It was way harder than we imagined to engage this school in gardening! The administration and the teaching staff was so enmeshed in their problems about the FCAT and how the school would be letter-wise, they had little time and interest in the vegetable garden that kept on growing out back. It took us some time to figure this out. Gradually, we found that some classes came out to the garden and enjoyed digging and planting and watering. Most of the teachers who brought kids to the garden told us they enjoyed it, and yet, many continue to let their students foul the compost bin with plastic bags and other non-compostable garbage. Often, we find lots of trash around and tools left lying out.
Out irrigation system automatically waters everything, but we have fifteen grow boxes along a corridor that are out of range of the water. These are supposed to be the property of individual parents and teachers and they need to be cared for. I am surprised that some of these earth boxes get watered and that whoever waters them never thinks to water those of their neighbors!
What I have learned from this project is that kids love gardening! They are interested in everything that is growing. They want to keep a few of our broccoli plants that have gone to seed with their beautiful yellow flowers for the hummingbirds and butterflies. One small girl has taken it upon herself to keep the hummingbird feeder full of nectar. Another regular kid turns the compost bin. They love to plant stuff and they love to pick what's ready and take it home to cook and eat. They love to dig in the pile of garden soil and they love to water with the fertilizer water that smells of fish. They love finding frogs and bugs. These kids love to be outside in the Florida sunshine (Their classrooms are windowless!) These kids are proud of what they are growing!
I have found that a few teachers come out to the garden on a regular basis and harvest the lettuce or collards or whatever and take it home for supper! We have picked many vegetables and cooked them in the classrooms with kids chopping and cutting and combining. The kids love these cooking groups.
So, we rejoice in this. We wish that the school garden might have been a more compelling activity for everyone. We wish that there had been more support of our work. I do not think that our major efforts have been for nothing in this food desert. We just need to think that the vision of good nutrition happens little by little, and we have had a part in this.
No comments:
Post a Comment