Larry Coonrod, Lebanon Express writer | Posted: Tuesday, June 3, 2008 5:00 pm
At Seven Oak, young gardners follow plants from earth to table
The vegetables in the Seven Oak Middle School cafeteria might soon seem a little greener to some students. Sixth seventh and eighth graders have been busy seeding the school's greenhouses with tomatoes, corn, peas, sunflowers, strawberries and preparing raised beds in the outdoor garden. If Mother Nature cooperates, the first harvest will be served in the cafeteria salad bar before the end of the school year.
"The students are really excited," said Pam Lessley, director of nutrition for Lebanon Community Schools. "This gives kids some ownership in what they eat."
Lessley and Seven Oak teacher Rick George (officially retired but working half-time) wrote the original grant that help fund the school's two 30-foot greenhouses. Partnering with the Lebanon Community Hospital, YouthBuild AmeriCorps, the Healthy Active Lebanon coalition and local businesses, the garden program is expanding.
Since early May students have been preparing a new 6,900 square-foot garden. Ninety young gardeners showed up after school recently to help.
Seven Oak has had a small garden area behind the school since 2002.
"It was a big mass of clay and rock when we started," George said.
Science teachers have integrated the greenhouse and small individual 4-foot by 4-foot plots into their curriculum in the past.
"I really like learning about how fertilizer helps plants grow," said Alan Ma,12.
At one point students built small ponds to study aquatic systems, but animals - more than likely raccoons - ate all the fish, George said.
"This makes it easy for kids to learn to grow vegetables and be a little more self-sustaining later in life," Lessley said.
With walkways for the physically challenged, just about any student who wants to will be able to help plant and harvest.
During the summer months George and local master gardeners will look after the garden and the district will use harvested crops in meals as part of its summer nutrition program.
When the students return in September, Lessley said there will be plenty of harvesting for students to do, including some unusual varieties such as jicama, better known as Mexican turnip or potato.
"We want to expose the kids to some vegetables they are not used to seeing," Lessley said.
Several local businesses and individuals have donated fertilizer, loam, tools and expertise to the garden program.
YouthBuild AmeriCorps in Lebanon recently received a $3,500 from the Samaritan Health Foundation to build a small greenhouse to grow vegetables to supplement the 40 to 60 food boxes distributed by the Caring Team Food Bank. Some of the seedlings grown by YouthBuild students will be donated to the Seven Oak garden.
Nancy Kirks, Community Health Improvement Partnership coordinator at Lebanon Samaritan Hospital has been working with the garden project and submitted grant proposals to bring in additional funding.
"Improving the health status of the community is a concern for the hospital," Kirks said "Improving lives and building a healthier community with CHIPS and the hospital makes sense."
Donations needed:
• Planting trays, potting soil, vermiculite, dolomite, peat moss
• Goof plugs to repair holes, hose shut off with valves, soaker drip line (250 feet) with 6-inch spacing of emitters, freeze proof faucet, pipe to get from garden to existing line, sump pumps and fittings
• Signage
• Weed cloth 55x125, wrapped wire for holding tomatoes, plant stakes, T posts, tomato plants, plant tags
• Fertilizers: lime, organic, and side dressings foliar
• Hand tools, shovels, metal garden rakes, narrow and wide hoes, hoola hoe
• Seeds, cover crops
• Gardening gloves for kids and adults
• Garbage cans, tractor diesel fuel, wheelbarrow, worm bins, stainless steel wash basin, 2 inch rebar
• Cameras and notebooks
Cash donations are welcome.
For information or to make a donation, call Pam Lessley at 451-8511 ext. 237.