Under the leadership of 6th grade language arts teacher Carter Lentendresse, five beds of vegetables, herbs, and flowers flourished throughout the summer.

 

Creating the garden was a group effort, from building the boxes in the woodshop to designing the watering system. Thanks go to Tom Tucker, Aiyana Hart-McArthur, Daisy Steele, Bob Kindley, Mike Wilson, Kitty Schainman, Eric Shawn, and Catherine D’Urso. Sixth grade students planted seeds for beans, peas, chard, lettuce, carrots, beets, basil, oregano, and much more. Many thanks to the folks at Cornell Farms for donating cucumber, tomato, and squash starts.

 

Carter and Hen Truong, food services director, taught a Summer Programs class on growing and harvesting basil, and using it to make pesto. The class was a prototype for future summer cooking and nutrition classes using the garden.

 

The garden project has inspired Carter and science teacher Larry Hurst to teach a unit on nutrition for 6th grade that touches on healthy eating, global food supply, and farming policies.

 

This fall the produce will be harvested for use in the Barn (we planted what Hen requested), so that students on campus will eat what they have grown. Compost will go back into the garden. Carter hopes the garden expands next spring to include new raised beds that alumni and families can use as community garden plots.