Elementary students prep garden for spring harvest at Sussex Academy 

Sussex Academy elementary students got down and dirty recently preparing their school garden for its spring harvest.

 

All students have jobs in the community garden, which was launched through a generous donation of garden supplies and resources through Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids.

 

A nonprofit organization, Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids supports educators in Delaware, bringing life-lasting benefits of gardening and good nutrition to kids through its Education Cultivation program. 

 

The program strives to help kids grow, learn and form healthy habits through school gardens, while offering students the opportunity to grow and sample many different varieties of greens and vegetables throughout a school year, according to school garden coordinator and teacher Don Ott.    

 

After a generous donation of a truckload of mulch from Blessing Greenhouses & Composting Facility Inc., students got to work.

 

Second-graders prepared the soil, and kindergarten and first-grade students planted seeds. Third-graders will water the seeds, and fourth- and fifth-graders will harvest and compost.

 

This spring, students are cultivating an array of plants including parsley, borage, lettuce, cilantro, dill, rainbow chard, carrots, sugar snap peas, spinach and radishes, said paraprofessional Liv Dryden.  

 

The school garden also supports students in growing and maintaining healthy crops of asparagus, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, apples and pears.   

 

“There really is no greater joy than watching students rush out to the garden to observe and sample items like strawberries and raspberries that the students planted the year prior and are now able to harvest and enjoy,” Ott said.  

 

Through the garden, Ott said, students are also learning important life skills like how to make compost, spread mulch and prepare soil for planting, while also developing their teamwork skills. 

 

Recently, fourth-grade students started digging a small garden pond for wildlife, and many students needed to be taught how to use a shovel.  

 

“These kids never cease to amaze me with their enthusiasm and dedication,” Dryden said. “It’s truly inspiring to see the students connect with nature and learn about growing healthy food.”

 

Companies or individuals who would like to donate garden supplies, such as large, flat stones or garden irrigation equipment, are asked to call Ott at 302-524-1611.