School Gardens

Spring has sprung and action there has been a lot of digging in the garden.

Mason Dixon School Garden ProjectSubmitted by: Becca Fint-Clark, 4-H Agent in Monongalia County

The first phase of our project began on October 2nd, when we built two, three-tiered strawberry beds with the 5th grade students at Mason Dixon Elementary school in Mon. County. The 5th graders were asked to help since they would moving to the middle school the next year. I think what struck me the most was how excited the children were about the beds. One child exclaimed, “this is so much better than school”, which was ironic, since they were learning how to build the beds, plant their strawberries, and care for the plants.

We covered the strawberries in the fall with straw and the 5th graders recently uncovered them- all plants had survived and the students loved checking on them and will continue to care for them. We plan to offer a specific fruit lesson with Joeline Swann and do a taste testing of a strawberry parfait.

The scond phase of the project began on March 24th. We worked with the

FFA teacher at Clay Battelle High School in Mon. County to secure four high school students to assist us and the 5th graders to prepare raised beds and elevated raised beds. This was wonderful! It was a perfect combination of teens and youth working together. They successfully built nine raised beds. The dirt was to be delivered in late March ($288 being funded by the Monongalia County 4-H Program and $300 of the school’s beautification fund). We asked three of local 4-H leaders to fill the beds with the compost/top soil mixture. We also puchased seeds based on what each grade decided to plant (teachers polled their classes), which the classrooms have started. We will purchase plants closer to planting time and the FFA teacher agreed to donate plants from their green house later in the spring.

There are a total of nine raised beds (one for each grade level- pre-k, kindergarten- 5th grade, as well as one for Energy Express and one for teachers/demonstration), one elevated bed for children with special needs, and two strawberry beds. The beds are placed outside windows of each wing so that children can view them from their classrooms. The elevated bed is portable, but placed in an area that would be accessible by children in wheelchairs.

Mount Vernon School Garden: High TunnelSubmitted by Tracey Valach

Hannah Fincham (F&H Agent) and Josh Peplowski (AG Agent) have met with students every Tuesday over the winter months where they planned, designed, and started seeds for their spring garden. The students worked in small groups and used math skills to determine square footage of the beds. They researched building materials and created a plan for the bed layout. They also researched seeds they wanted to plant in their garden. Each group of students made a formal presentation of their findings to Hannah, Josh, Sherry Davison (Adult

Health Ed) and Tracey Valach (Youth HE). They then selected the winning high tunnel layout.

When the student’s seed started to grow kale and lettuce in February, Sherry and Tracey discussed the importance of vegetable in their diet. They made fruit smoothies and added kale to the mix. The students loved their green treats!

In March students helped to fill the beads with soil and transplanted their small plants. Sherry and Tracey returned to plant cauliflower, peas and onions with the students. Once again incorporating nutrition, they served the students cauliflower and sugar snap peas along with fresh made ranch dip and hummus. For a fun physical activity Tracey played a variety of games utilizing a head of cauliflower as a prop.

Sandy River Middle School GreenhouseSubmitted by Donald Reed

Approximately 110 7th & 8th graders have been using the greenhouse over the course of the year.

Lessons to Date: *Container Gardening 101 (Donald Reed)

*Broccoli 101 (Donald Reed) *My Plate (Jennifer Graham) *Bulb Planting: focus on onions and potatoes (Donald Reed) *Self-Guided Workbook: The Virginian Youth Gardener

Harvested: Broccoli, radishes, and carrots.

Currently growing the following items: Aristotle Sweet Pepper Plant; Crimson Sweet Watermelon Plant; Bodacious Sweet Corn Plant; Ruby Frost Coreopsis Plant; Connecticut Field Pumpkin Plant; Better Boy Tomato Plant; Bush Crop Cucumber Plant; Tabasco Hot Pepper Plant; strawberries; mint; sage; Fast Vantage Cabbage Plant; Blue Curled Scotch Kale Plant; Colossal Sweet Pepper Plant; Faerie Watermelon Plant; Coronado Crown Broccoli Plant; Clemson Spineless Okra Plant; Little Fingers Carrot Plant; Applause Tomato Plant; red potatoes; white potatoes; and Cartwheel Strawberry Twist Gerbera Plant.