Camp Pride at St Vincent's
During the second week of June this year, thirty children and staff of St. Vincent's “Camp Pride” looked at their empty field behind the family center and tried to imagine what a garden would mean for them. As “Growing Matters” manager Trish Dehnbostel and I arrived with trucks full of tools, soil and plants, the group jumped to be directed to get their project started. The first and second graders paired up with the stronger sixth and seventh grade campers to move tilled sod and add new organic soil and compost to the approximately forty by sixty area of land. While they mixed the new soil together they chatted about the possibilities of tomatoes and onions, potatoes and peppers and of course strawberries to pick fresh off the vines.
After the kids felt comfortable with how well their soil was mixed they were handed seeds and seedling to put into their new beds. Trish and I took each group and demonstrated how to easily and carefully plant their new seedlings, almost immediately the group began to dig and plant. While some groups dug, other groups planted seeds and when they were done they took turns watering their new plots and of course each other. It has now been close to eight weeks since that day when many adults and most of the kids at St. Vincent's community center planted their first garden.
This week all of “Camp Pride” found themselves smiling, laughing, surprised and contagiously curious as they harvested basil, hot and bell peppers, zucchini, wax and green beans and egg plants. The circle plot that holds a “Three Sisters” garden is surrounded by neon colored Hollyhock and Lupine flowers that accent the giant faced sunflower in the center. Their faces gleamed with pride as they held up their freshly harvested fruits and vegetables knowing that they would be able to take them home and make a healthy meal with food they had helped to grow.
During the course of the past eight weeks they faithfully have taken care of their garden while also learning about the importance of eating whole, local foods. Many of the kids told me that they couldn't wait to show their parents or grand parents what they had helped to grow and then to cook and eat it. While their camp ends in a few weeks and they find themselves back in their school classrooms, I'm sure they'll be excited to share their new knowledge of eating healthy and growing food with their teachers and friends. Growing food is contagious and when a child gets excited to grow a garden they will always hold onto that skill. If you give a child some produce, she'll eat for a day but when you teach a child to garden, she'll eat healthy for life.
Blog Categories: Food Matters
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