It’s been a long while since we’ve posted here about our school garden. The good news is that we continue to grow and thrive in 2022. Some of the kids weeding in these June photos are the children of parents who weeded our garden once upon a time, as students.

Notice our designation as a Food Connects school!

Its was a hot dry day when I took these photos and the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders cooperated so well. In teams, they weeded the rows of corn and garlic, carefully preserving the sunflowers planted earlier by the Kindergarten and pre-school. They know that their work will help feed students through our cafeteria. During the fall they’ll participate in the harvest.

The weeds were gathered and fed to the chickens. Nothing that can be recycled goes to waste. (There are 11 newly hatched chicks nestled in the school quad waiting to grow a little bigger before being introduced to the senior members of the flock.) The chickens somehow survive our Vermont winter. Students collect the eggs for our cafeteria during the school year. In this renewable cycle, the chickens not only contribute eggs, but they also contribute compost for our plants.

Some of the veggies planted this year are garlic, kale, chard, scarlet runner beans, lettuce, corn, tomatoes, basil…do you see any others?

Below you can see some weeding teams and Mandy Walsh, our amazing garden coordinator and school librarian pitching in with the students. Mandy models the best practices of an integrated studies teacher. We are very lucky to have her expertise! We’re also lucky to have the support of staff and administrators. . A community of farmers and parents contribute invaluable resources to keep our garden growing!