Knowledge sprouts in all sorts of ways at North New Summit School — and the school’s planting project shows that fresh herbs and vegetables are more than just salad fixings.
Provided in part by the Community Garden Project grant, the garden is in its second year. Not only do the students learn about good nutrition and how to take care of a plant, but they also have some fun along the way.
“The kids love to go outside during the school day, and we think this is a great way for them to really learn where their food comes from,” said Beth Purifoy of North New Summit. “We’re really hands-on. They learn by doing.”
The students are involved in all aspects of the garden, from planting the seeds to weeding to watering and harvesting.
Although the younger students can’t quite pull weeds yet, they do help with watering and planting. The older kids are in charge of pulling weeds and helping harvest. The school’s Culinary Club even uses some of the herbs and vegetables to prepare lunch for the school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“It’s a hard sell to get kids to eat broccoli, especially when they have a choice between that or french fries, but we’ve seen that they’re much more likely to try new foods if they helped grow them,” Purifoy said.
Even the teachers get involved with the garden.
“They like to work the garden into their curriculum. If the class is learning about Italy, for example, the teacher might work in a trip out to the garden to learn about Italian herbs,” Purifoy said. “The younger grades incorporate the garden into math class by using it to count. The garden is accessible to every group.”
The school plans to go in-depth with teaching students about soil this year.
“We want to let them learn about fertilizer, soil composition and the nutrients that plants need in order to grow,” Purifoy said.
The school expects a good planting season that will yield several crops. For the spring, students plan to plant broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, squash and herbs.
“We’ll probably start plant-ing after spring break,” Purifoy said. “We’ll have a fall garden, too and we’ll start that at the start of next school year.”
Ultimately the school would like for the community to get involved with the garden, too.
“We welcome the community to come out and help or just take a look at what we’re doing out here,” Purifoy said. “People see our garden from the road all the time, and we want them to feel like they’re a part of it, too.”
Although the garden is supported by a grant, the school still depends on the community for support.
“The community has been very generous in donating to our garden,” Purifoy said. “Clubs have given us money and have donated seeds and plants that they have excess of. They understand that we’re trying to expand, but it’s hard with the budget we have.”
The school sees the garden as a successful teaching tool and unique way to expose students to different things they may not see otherwise.
“Most kids have seen a garden before, but they haven’t actually taken care of one, “ Purifoy said. “We hope our garden encourages them to try new things and maybe even start their own gardens at home.”
• Contact Beth Thomas at 581-7233 or bthomas@gwcommonwealth.com.
