It was a sad moment when I realized this would not be the summer I would try my somewhat-of-a-green thumb at urban farming. As we walk by one of the community gardens I long for speckled pole beans, chartruse kale and dear little pink radishes. I fantasize regularly about large juicy beefsteak tomatoes and the summer’s most delicious treat: tomato sandwiches!
Some of my favorite walks take me near the kitchen gardens at Watkins Elementary. Those gardens have been in place for 17 years and each year the fruits and vegetables grown in theme gardens — such as the Butterfly Garden, a Wetlands Garden and Dinosaur Garden — are used for teaching children about science, nutrition, math, social studies, and the list goes on and on.
The E Street side of the garden features the Edible Schoolyard, supported by FRESHFARM Markets. These are the folks that bring us the market on H Street each Saturday. The school has recently harnessed social media to raise funds to renovate an old science lab into a teaching kitchen. The hope is that the new kitchen will support the FoodPrints Farm-t0-School Program, but will also be available to Watkins’ entire teaching staff and aftercare directors to support innovative programming. The school is using Kickstarter to raise its $60,000 goal; they’re already hit $14,000 but need to land some deep pockets by June 15. More than 200 first and third graders take part in the program, and there are plans to expand to the fifth grade next year.
This Tuesday the 3rd grade classes harvested spinach, lettuce, some sugar snap peas and spring onions from the garden and later whipped up a spinach ricotta pesto and the lettuce and sugar snaps salad. Is your stomach rumbling too?
This is such a great effort by these kids and the people at Watkins. I’m trying a little urban farming myself (just down the street from Watkins) and I always admire their garden with just a tinge of envy!
I wish more people will give a little garden a shot. It isn’t that much work, and the small amount that is required is totally worth it when you realize you’re eating a salad made entirely from items you’ve grown!