By Randy Arrington
SPRINGFIELD, July 6 — Each Thursday evening this summer, just after 6:30 p.m., the chores are divided up. Some water the plants, some dig in the dirt, and some work on the fence. Students at Springfield Elementary are cultivating their own garden, and learning first-hand about Page County’s No. 1 industry.
“Kindergarten students chose popcorn…so we are attempting to grow popcorn,” said Kathleen Kiem, Springfield’s librarian and instructional coach who is heading up the garden project.
Sitting alongside a 22×10 plot plowed up by a local farmer sit seven raised beds — one for each class at the elementary school, including kindergarten and pre-K. According to Kiem, each class researched what they wanted to grow, how long it grew and what grows well together.
“They were shocked at how long it took to grow…when we asked them, they said it would take about a month…but then it’s actually anywhere from 180 to 260 days…and fruit trees can take five or 10 years to grow and produce fruit,” Kiem said. “That was a cool learning moment for them.”
That was the goal when Springfield Elementary received a grant earlier this year through Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardeners — to promote agriculture at a younger age. This summer, as certain items ripen for harvest, kids who work in the garden can take them home. Later on, as more produce is produced, some will be used in the school’s cafeteria. They expect to send pumpkins home with students this fall.
“I think it adds a lot to the curriculum,” said Martina Carroll, who will soon enter her second year as principal of Springfield. “Students are not only learning about agriculture, but they are also doing it…actually doing the work, and they see the fruits of their labor.”
Springfield has received a total of $1,100 in grant funds to support the elementary school’s garden. Started just this spring, those funds include a second dispersement allocated after the program’s success was demonstrated.
“[The grant coordinator] came back and amended the amount and gave us another $300 [after the initial $800] after she saw how well the grant was working,” Kiem said.
Along the rows in the plowed plot and among the fertilized soil in the seven raised beds are pumpkins, sunflowers, corn, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, watermelon and squash. A few additional raised beds between the school building and the gymnasium contain strawberries, beets and various flowers.
As fifth graders were being prepared for promotion to middle school and only had a couple of months left at Springfield, they were wondering what they might get to take home from the garden at the end of the year.
“Yeah, we didn’t have much time,” Kiem said. “So, they got radishes…which grow quicker, so they got them before the end of the year.”
She thinks the incoming students this fall will probably enjoy the pumpkins more. In the next few weeks, the “Kickstart to Kindergarten” will get some new hands in the dirt soon as the new students will jump right into learning about agriculture as they get used to their new surroundings.
A greenhouse will be added to the project in the coming months. The school has purchased the materials needed (through donations) — it just needs to be assembled. Some parents have already volunteered to lay brick for its foundation.
In the months to come, occasional classes on gardening will continue at the site with a master gardener. This past year, the instruction was focused on the teachers. This year those classes will extend to students.
Volunteers will continue to meet at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday throughout the summer at the Springfield garden, located behind the school. Each grade level has been given a certain night to help.
“It is a great hands-on experience for all the kids,” Principal Carroll said.
For more information about Springfield Elementary School,
visit their Facebook page.
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Wonderful article about a very positive collaboration among the school, community, and VCE and the Master Gardeners. So glad that Page County has this encouraging example of the community coming together for such a good purpose.