dear ms b-a teaching garden

DEAR MS B-A TEACHING GARDEN

once when i was visiting your town
now this was before you were born
but in the last two years
i walked by this school
as i walked by i looked through the high fence with its
bars at the
school garden
now being in your state things will grow all year around
you dont have to worry about cold winters
ok you do have a water issue
but thats not really a limiting problem for that
school garden

as i walk around your city i dont see a lot of dirt
anywhere
except in the city parks
so although i didnt witness it
im sure the kids in that school love to dig in that
garden dirt
get their nails all dirty
plant veggies
and
just watch them grow
learning a lot along the way
and
of course eating food that comes right from the ground

now ms b
i think every school especially elementary schools
should be required to have school gardens

so the phe garden that i consult with ive followed now
for several months
earlier this fall they all planted a three sisters garden
like the native americans planted
squash and pumpkins and beans and corn
a staple for the native americans back when

now i would have just planted what was seasonally
for the fall around here
let the kids enjoy the garden and the produce

now after having followed the phe garden for the fall
now i understand why it was done this way

there was a lot of science teaching history teaching
agriculture teaching math teaching art teaching
writing teaching responsibility teaching
and
ownership of the garden for the kids involved

something that wouldnt have been done in a classroom
in such a creative way
now after watching the kids have fun
i bet they didnt even know they were learning all that stuff
watching them take notes and measure and dig in the dirt
and calculate measurements watch the weather learn about
compost learn about seasons along with some history

then
last week at the finale
after all the produce was picked

some of which was donated to a food pantry
that right there is a lesson probably not taught in most schools
how to give
then
a stew or soup was made of the 3 sisters food raised
all circled around the fire pit
no the fire was not a real fire
listening to every word of a poem written for the event
answering questions of what they learned
yes every kid ate a bowl of soup
many had a second helping
many eating food they had not eaten before
yes i saw swiss chard and kale and spinach get nibbled
from the garden
yes i got a bowl also

so i wonder ms b
which class those kids will remember the most
years later

i think i know

i sure hope you get a school like this

the organicgreen doctor