Unlocking the Potential of School Gardens
The Back to School Garden Program
Contributed by Richard Hodges, Program Director of Giving Grove affiliate ReTreeUS
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School gardens hold immense potential as educational tools that provide students with hands-on learning experiences, promote healthy eating habits, and contribute to the community's well-being. However, these gardens often face challenges, particularly during the summer months when maintenance becomes a major hurdle. Enter the Back to School Garden (BTSG) program, an initiative by Giving Grove affiliate ReTreeUS that not only addresses these challenges but also enhances learning opportunities and boosts cafeteria produce yields.
Goals of the Back to School Garden Program
The Back to School Garden (BTSG) program from ReTreeUS aims to align school garden activities with the academic calendar, tackle the issues associated with maintaining gardens during the summer break, and maximize the production of nutrient-rich crops for school cafeterias. Since its inception in 2020, the program has been on a trajectory of growth, serving an increasing number of schools in New England each year.
The Challenge of School Gardens
While the potential benefits of school gardens are substantial, they often face significant challenges, particularly during the summer months. Maintaining gardens over the break can be daunting and resource-intensive. This is where the BTSG program comes into play, empowering garden educators with tools and resources to establish thriving gardens with minimal summer maintenance.
How the Program Works
The BTSG program operates through a network of regional hubs—farm partners that cultivate seedlings and distribute program materials to school garden coordinators. This enables the program to expand its reach and impact, ensuring its growth potential remains virtually limitless.
In the spring, participating school garden coordinators acquire recycled paper rolls and high-quality compost from their regional hub. This innovative "sheet mulching" or "lasagna mulching" technique involves layering organic materials to prevent weed growth, enhance water retention, and improve soil conditions. Alongside this, schools receive seedlings of popping corn and seeds of squash, and dry beans, specifically timed for planting in the spring.
The resulting compost serves as a growth medium for these seedlings, fostering their development until the paper decomposes enough for the roots to penetrate the soil. The arrangement of popping corn, dry beans, and winter squash constitutes a "three sisters garden," a centuries-old practice among Native cultures in America. The popping corn serves as a trellis for the beans, the beans fix nitrogen in the soil, and the winter squash acts as a living mulch underneath. These crops are low-maintenance, drought-resistant, and boast extended harvesting periods as they dry and cure.
When autumn arrives, students harvest the dry beans, popping corn, and winter squash, then plant trays of nutrient-rich kale, lettuce, and spinach provided by a regional BTSG hub. September is an ideal time for planting these crops, provided they are established as seedlings and the greens are easily incorporated into school cafeterias. The cold-hardy nature of kale and spinach is further supported by season-extending row covers, allowing these greens to flourish well into December.
Education and Beyond
The BTSG program opens the door to a multitude of learning extensions, encompassing lessons on decomposition, soil enrichment, succession planting, Indigenous agricultural practices, and season extension. To empower teachers to utilize these gardens as outdoor classrooms, ReTreeUS has compiled a range of lesson plans aligned with educational standards. The program also includes a comprehensive how-to video that guides educators and students through every stage of the process. This video, coupled with the support of regional partner farms, enables easy replication and expansion of the BTSG program.
Partnership with The Giving Grove
In addition to its work with BTSG, ReTreeUS also has significant experience with schoolyard orchards. Earlier this year, ReTreeUS joined The Giving Grove national network as an affiliate partner. This collaboration will allow ReTreeUS to grow its network of school and community orchards throughout New England, while providing all Giving Grove affiliates with resources for their school-based orchard programs.
To learn more about ReTreeUS and its partnership with The Giving Grove, click here.