PRAIRIE GROVE -- A community garden created by Prairie Grove Middle School students will be used to provide fresh produce to senior citizens and local school cafeterias.
The middle school's Environmental and Spatial Technology program received a $10,000 Beyond the Bell grant in June 2013 to create raised vegetable beds. The grant is funded by EAST Initiative and made possible by the Arkansas Department of Education.
EAST students took their project one step further and have planted fruit trees, installed picnic tables and outdoor decorative items to make the community garden a fun place to visit and volunteer.
EAST students and senior citizens from Prairie Grove Senior Activity and Wellness Center dedicated the garden during a ribbon cutting ceremony May 11. This summer will be the second year the program has harvested vegetables from the garden.
Tracie Ashley, EAST facilitator, said the community garden, located across from the senior center, gives students an education outside the classroom.
"What's great is that they will see what different vegetable plants look like, receive an education in planting vegetables and learn how to maintain a garden by pulling weeds, watering and picking the produce," Ashley said.
Students have worked on the garden for more than two years. Vegetables planted this year include tomatoes, snow peas, radishes, two types of lettuce, broccoli, squash and eggplant. Students also planted dwarf apple, cherry and pear trees and filled barrels with flowers to help keep insects away.
With the dedication, the school officially opened its garden, Ashley said, adding, "I can't wait to see where it goes from here."
Carmel Perry, director of the district's Coordinated School Health program, said the garden will help families in need and also is giving students the opportunity to serve the community.
Linda Willkie, director of Prairie Grove Senior Center, said she is looking forward to adding fresh vegetables to the center's salad bar and providing fresh vegetables to seniors who receive Meals on Wheels.
Two EAST students who have helped with the garden are Ellyn Bailey and Austin Barfield. Ellyn said she thought working in a garden would be hard work but has found she enjoys it, especially seeing how the plants grow.
Austin said the process of putting together the garden has been a learning experience. He said he has enjoyed the partnership with the senior center and working with senior adults.
"Everyone has involved themselves in the project," Austin said.
The garden also has a storage building and a compost area. Water was provided to the site through an Eagle Scout project coordinated by Joshua Martin, a home school student.
Ashley said she is already thinking of different ways to use the garden in the future. One idea is to sponsor a farmer's market and revenue from selling produce would go back into the garden. A farmer's market would provide a "real" economics lesson for students, she said.
General News on 05/25/2016