We
hope that everyone will come out for our next Pathfinder Produce market, where
you can find the freshest tastes of summer. We’re open on Thursday, July
3, from 2 to 5 p.m., just in time to stock up for your Independence Day
celebration!
*****
 |
| Nick prepares the soil for planting in the 5210 Hoop House as Rebekah and Brian look on. |
Earlier this spring, I
had the chance to visit as our School-to-Work students planted our garden beds
at the Village’s new 5210 Hoop House. Now that the hot, humid days of
summer are here, I thought I’d check in with one of the students, Nick C., to
learn how the Village garden is progressing.
Although
he’s officially on break for a few weeks, Nick stays busy and monitors the
garden, usually early in the morning before it is too hot. He reports,
“Everything is doing okay. I check the plants each day.”
“Plants
need dirt, water and sunlight,” he said. “They need a good farmer. Each
day I see if they need water. I look for bugs and weeds. The plants can
die if we don’t care for them.”
“We
started seeds in the Button Greenhouse,” Nick recounted. “They go from
seeds to sprouts. Then they are seedlings that grow. We
transplanted them (from pots to the hoop house beds). The plants will flower,
and they will produce fruits.”
Our
older students cared for the garden as it was being planted in the closing
weeks of the school year, working with Teacher Aide Lorraine Layton, and Food
Service Director Brian Belknap from Edmeston Central School, our gardening
consultant. The School-to-Work students also researched gardening and
crops on the web, learning how to build different greenhouses with recycled
materials like plastic soda bottles, what types of plants are grown in other
places like California, and how small farmers can advertise and market their
produce.
Nick’s
favorite task is watering, but he knows that weeding is important too.
The School-to-Work students like to sing their own version of the “COPS” theme
song as they work:
“Bad weeds, bad weeds,
“Whatcha’ gonna do?
“Whatcha’ gonna do when we come for you?
Very
soon, Nick and his fellow students will harvest lettuce, kale and spinach, and
they are eagerly watching other plants grow – tomatoes, peppers, and
onions. He added, “When they’re ready, we’re going to make some salsa!”
Until
next time, be well and enjoy your own garden!
Lori
Lori
V. Grace
Assistant
Director of Development and Public Affairs
(607)
965-8377, ext. 115
