Student-led garden initiative

Last week, Amy and I traveled to Meadowview Magnet Middle School in Mt. Airy to work with a group of students who are planning a garden. That’s right, middle school students are leading the charge to establish a garden at their school to grow vegetables as a service to those in need within their community. The Meadowview Ambassadors are 6th, 7th and 8th graders who got a vision for what they want to do for their community while attending a leadership conference last summer at Pfeiffer University. They got started with their planning efforts last fall inviting us to help provide direction and technical expertise.  I think they have found that the planning involved in not only production, but processing, marketing and distribution may be more challenging than simply growing broccoli or kale. They are hoping to get started with six beds in the next couple of weeks and are still determining how to use the first harvest.  

Each student on the team has a role ranging from fundraising, to ensure sustainability of the garden program, to marketing, to making sure whoever the produce is intended for is aware of its availability along with the when, where, and how of obtaining it.  The garden will also be available to teachers to use in their instruction, such as studying plant parts and processes.  

This group is exciting to work with largely because it is student led and it is their vision.  I look forward to seeing how their gardens impact both the community and the students who are making it happen.